Gorton


Shalom Christian Church

Shalom Christian Church

It’s only in the last few years that I have been introduced to the concept of the “estate pub”- basic brick buildings providing booze in newer build areas. Functional, but far from attractive, many of them never got the chance to age into the character you expect of a good boozer, having been demolished already.

The Shalom Christian Church building has the look of estate pub thinking applied to a place of worship.

Shalom Christian Church

The “ramparts” at each corner provide more of an architectural flourish than most estate pubs were blessed with. Combined with the barbed wire along the roof line and the brieze blocks on the inside of the windows, it has an air of a fortress about it.

Shalom Christian Church

The biggest surprise- to me- was that the building isn’t as abandoned as the barricaded windows made me think. Walking past it yesterday morning, I was surprised to find the door open for the regular Sunday service. I didn’t look inside- that would have felt like prying (and I hadn’t had any breakfast yet, and was in a hurry to find food).


Disrupt

When I’m earning enough (buy my books!) I’m going to donate to causes like Reclaim. Its Disruptive Leaders initiative is playing the long game against the corruption of wealth and patronage that gave us the current bunch of immoral idiots ruining the country. It’ll take a lot of years to have an effect, so it’s good they’ve started already.


The Manchester Cowboy



The Manchester Cowboy, originally uploaded by spinneyhead.

David Thomas Jones is perhaps better known as Davy Jones of the Monkees. We found this headstone dedicated to him in Gorton Cemetery. He was born in Openshaw and appeared in Coronation Street before heading to the States to become a heart throb, so it’s an appropriate place for a memorial.


A wander around Gorton

Cherub power!

I thought it was time to have a better look around the new neighbourhood. There’s some interesting bits to be found.

Lady Liberty

Yes, that is Lady Liberty in someone’s back garden. There’s another statue in the same garden, which looks like a gorilla with a crash helmet on, but it’s hard to get a picture of it.

Gorton weir

Shortly after taking this photo I saw a Kingfisher flitting around the stream. It moved too fast to get a photo of it, though.

Discovery

Roebuck

I think both these shops are still trading, it was just too early in the day for them to be open.

Memories fade

Gorton wood path

And that’s just a random little wander. There’s a fair amount more to be discovered yet.