Facades

  Some bits of buildings are worth more than others. Usually for historical or aesthetic reasons. And planning regulations - you know, those obstacles to progress that George Osborne wants to get rid of, at least in areas where poor people live -being what they are, the good bits have to be preserved.
  Usually its the facade that's worth keeping. Just look at the town hall - the front all gleaming portland stone, the back and sides predominately brick. So what usually happens is that the facade is left standing when the building is demolished, then a new building is bolted on in its place. But sometimes smaller bits are good enough.
  There's three good examples of preserving the best bits in Stockport that I can think of. Look across the road from the town hall and you'll see the grandiose facade of Stockport infirmary. Built in 1833, operations were transferred to stepping hill in 1996 but the huge neo - classical frontage was too good to lose. Now it fronts an office complex.

  Facing each other down the bottom end of merseyway are two other ways of dealing with the issue. . The Warren Bulkeley faced the Buck and Dog across Bridge Street. Both good pubs, sadly missed. They kept the Warren Bulkeley's facade, but moved it round the corner, where it now fronts the Laura Ashley shop.

  Look over the road, and all you'll see is Barclays bank. The poor old Buck and Dog wasn't worthy of  commemoration, it would seem. Except, if you walk round the far side of the bank, you'll see this...

...the pub's old doorway. It's a magnificent piece of stonework, and the buck's antlers are made of some kind of metal. The pub used to look like this, looming over the river like dracula's castle. Much the same inside, come to think of it. The clientele looked like they never saw daylight.

  Sometimes they can't find a use for the facade, though. If you go down Tib Street in Manchester you'll see this...

...which has been there for as long as I can remember.Just waiting for the right building to come along.