Best way to start my Sunday. A Martin Zero video. I've never been to the UK, but would absolutely love to go, just to see some of the historical sights you have shared with the world. Thank you for sharing these interesting places and stories, keep up the good work!!
When it first opened it supplied DC, not the AC we all have today. It supplied the tram network in the city. That's why it stopped generating in 1950 after the trams were abandoned. They kept the boiler working for the district heating. The swap to oil in 1953 was because of the Clean Air Act forbidding the burning of coal. In around 1984 the UMIST developed its own self contained heating system. As it was the largest customer for steam, the Generating Board sold off the operation to a private firm that later ran it down in scale.
@@MartinZero Hello Martin, Just catching up with your video. At 14.09 - Inside the Refuge building you can see a small lift just to the right of the Clock. I started work in this building in 1966 and at that time this lift was powered by the Hydraulic Water which you mentioned in your next Video. This Lift must have been powered from the Whitworth Street Pumping Station and was finally converted to electric in the late 1960's early 1970's. At last I now understand how it Worked !
Very interesting video Martin especially as I was a Electrical Power Engineer and spent 40 years maintaining the same substations as these in South Yorkshire. Looking at the transformer bushings at beginning of vidio I would say its 132,ooo volt probably transformed down to 11kv for distribution round Manchester city center. A lot of the distribution cables etc are still in use, we often worked on 1920 cables in Sheffield and I know my area where I live is fed off 1940,s 33kv Switchgear, not plastics then. Dickinson Street taking my same as well, getting to know my way round Manchester a bit better although it is via the pubs, that refuge hotel has just gone on my places to go for a drink, really enjoyed it all the best Pat
Many thanks Pat. interesting stuff. Are you still working in Electricity. And yes get yourself in the Principle Hotel great place, you can actually do a tour of it
@@MartinZero Hi Martin, retired a few years ago, a group of us all a similar age visit different cities for a drink, we always love the Manchester pubs and only 50 mins on train from Sheffield. Love these old buildings and there history, your doing a great job, all the best Pat
Hey, you should join your forces, and do make a video or videos together.. You both have made video’s about underground… rivers, railroads… and who knows, you both might learn from each other too…
Martin, you should watch a few of Patrick's vlogs, he does a lot of wild camping and other interesting stuff. Once again, thanks for another interesting vlog.
Yes - you're right Patrick - 132kV but transformed to 33kV. Not sure why that substation is there. Many like this (including the Bloom Street one) were built on the sites of original C19 or very very early C20 sites - but this one next to the gas works has always surprised me because I don't think there was any particular electricity infrastructure there until it was built in the 1960s. My theory is that as gas and electricity were both council undertakings, the council had identified a plot of gasworks land for use for future electricity load growth. When the electricity industry was nationalised the ownership of that plot passed to either the North Western Electricity Board or the Central Electricity Generating Board - and then when we had the huge post war load growth that reached its peak in the 1960s, it became an obvious place to inject new capacity at 132kV.
Loved the video. I used to work at Bloom Street after it had stopped generating electricity but was supplying steam to the buildings you mentioned. At the time the steam was generated by a row of about eight oil fired Lancashire type boilers. At the end of the boilers there was a steam driven pump and its brass and copper pipe work was always highly polished. I also had to maintain submersible pumps situated in the basements of the buildings that received the steam. Great seeing the areas that were not seen by people normally. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.
Superb Martin your enthusiasm is reflected in your vlog. I felt a bit nostalgic when in the first pic which showed a three wheeled "Scarab" railway parcel truck remonitions for me of a time when goods were carried on a huge railway network second to none.
A million miles away from the juggernauts on the roads today Martin. From a time when the people were employed instead of needing benefits. Interestingly there is a growing investment in restoring closed railway lines. Never ending circles!
You’ve solved yet another life long mystery for me Martin! We used to hang around as kids down this stretch of the canal (up to no good obviously) and no one ever knew what that bridge was about, thank you for finally revealing it to me! Great videos as always, only just found them and I’m properly loving them.
My great-grandad and grandad (J. Monk & sons) were boaters that delivered coal to Bloom Street power station up until the 1950s. They had a small fleet of boats and also delivered to Barton Power Station, Stretford Power Station and Trafford Park, picking the coal up from the Astley/Leigh area. There was a book written about them in the 90s called Lancashire Canal Carriers by Norman Jones that you might find interesting. It has lots of photos but sadly none of Bloom Street. However, there’s a few quotes you and your viewers might find interesting… “Excluded from the waterways nationalization programme The Rochdale Canal was abandoned in 1952, small wonder that Jim Monk Snr. and his sons found progress up the flight of locks to Bloom Street increasingly difficult as time progressed. In the event the ‘Bloom Street job’ was ‘run down’ when under the British Electricity Authority’s control the coal fed boilers were replaced by an oil fired installation in 1953, although May 1958 has been stated as the date on which the last working boat travelled down to Castlefield from Bloom Street.“ “The boiler houses of both the Dickinson Street and Bloom Street stations were parallel to the canal. As constructed Dickinson Street had six coal fired boilers of Galloway design, and a travelling electric crane by Mather & Platt for the purpose of unloading canal barges, Bloom Street had eleven Babcock & Wilcox boilers and two travelling electric cranes for unloading the washed slack similarly, although Jim Monk’s recollections are of a Priestman self-propelled steam crane being engaged on this task when their boats were supplying the power station.” “Although the Bloom Street Power Station ceased to produce electricity in 1950, the vital steam heating service to some public buildings and important institutions was maintained and in 1983 customers included The Palace Theatre, Refuge Building and Ritz Ballroom. However in 1984/5 Associated Heat Services took over the Bloom Street CHP installation and the steam traditionally conveyed by large (usually warm to the touch pipes) continued to flow through the system laid along the line of the Rochdale Canal until the service was discontinued in 1989.” “A ’Bloom Street’ delivery was often a ‘rush job’ for the Monks’ with their boat being ‘shouted up’ at the tips to load ‘out of turn’ as bunker space was limited at ‘Bloom Street’, and the small reserve stocks held dwindled rapidly when demand was heavy.” “...skippered by Mr J Monk Snr, [the boat called] Pauline met an untimely end when, whilst unloading her one day at Bloom Street, the crane driver misjudged his angle of lift and allowed the ascending grab to become caught beneath the front edge of a massive stone window sill, which becoming dislodged crashed down onto the Pauline, smashing the bottom boards and sinking her. Fortunately no-one was injured, but when salvaged the boat was found to be damaged beyond economical repair.” “However another mishap which happened one morning when brother Wilf was working the boat then called Spica, at the same location ended in tragedy, and the death of a power station workman who was killed whilst standing in Spica’s hold assisting with the unloading. The grab descended, scooped up about a ton of slack and ascended unusually slowly, but when it reached the top of its hoist - at the height of about eighty feet - the bucket failed to hook onto the ‘nest’ of the crane, and dropped back with appalling speed into the bottom of the boat, crushing a young man working in the hold and smashing the bottom planks of the boat which, to add to the tragedy immediately began to sink.“
I have been watching your channel here on UA-cam now for sometime and thought it was time to make a comment. I live in an area that has no history as the town in Australia I was born in only came into existence in 1960, and hence I was born only 9 years later. I love you enthusiasm for the history of your area and surrounding towns and county's. I would like to thank you for sharing with us your passion, I am especially grateful as your love of all things Manchester is showing all of us worldwide, even though I live and was born on the other side of the world, I am able to see the things my father would have seen. My father often spoke of the old buildings in Manchester, and how he missed the smell of coal fires. Thank you for creating some original content for us to share, I now look forward for each of your videos to be released.
I'm sure I'm going to know more of your city than mine soon enough. LOLOL You should be a historian/tour operator. Your thorough research and detailed info makes this so interesting and enjoyable to watch. Your ability to showcase a single topic with both present and past info is part of what makes this so interesting.Whether a 3 mile tunnel OR an info session on a power house, you present them in an easy to grasp, and fascinating manner. ALWAYS 10/10. Cheers from across the pond here in E town Canada.
I don't often comment on you tube videos , but I just had to show my appreciation because I thought this wouldn't be that interesting at first but it was really good , your choice of the things you show and your narration make your history videos really interesting .
Love the picture of the 3 wheeler BR parcels scamell on the left side really nice video walked down that canal many times in the 1960/70s thanks Martin. John
I like the historical videos of the buildings Martin. Love all of the info u put into them. It must take u hours of research for each video. I for one really appreciate it mate. Nice one.
Yes I think I would like a a pint of Guinness or three in there . 40 years this year since Granville Colliery closed . Shropshires last deep mine where the industrial revolution began.
Hi Martin. I'm slowly working my way through your excellent videos. Remember me? I'm the Brit expat railway enthusiast who is helping to restore a narrow gauge railway near Sibiu, Romania. The use of surplus steam from industry to heat buildings is widespread here in Romania. On my first visit in 1992 to Oradea, first city after crossing from Hungary, I saw large well lagged pipes on tall concrete supports running alongside the road all the way from factories on the city outskirts four or five kilometres into the city to provide heating for the blocks of flats. This is the same in many other cities.
Another fantastic video Martin...and thank you for answering so many questions. Always wondered what that mysterious building was, a true hidden gem in Manchester.
Hi Martin just come across your channel fantastic. I worked for Norweb so visited Bloom St on many occasions. It was fed by 3 underground 132kV cables from Agecroft Power Station, I've just watched your Agecroft video. The Norweb offices were Linley House on Dickinson St that building has some very interesting underground Chambers. I was told the transformers in Linley House were cooled by canal water at one time. Also there was an underground conveyor belt in a tunnel from Stuart St Power Station to Bradford Pit, I went down there in the sixties. Keep up the good work regards
Another fantastic and informative video Martin. I love the city centre above ground vids you do. All of the Victorian heritage that is all over the city. You've even made electricity interesting for me😂 and the brief walk into the old Refuge building... Brilliant. What a lovely place, I must visit when I'm in Manchester next. Like the way the tiles have been kept inside the Refuge. They seem to have converted the building sympathetically. I remember walking along the canals in the 60s , it's where the interesting stuff is.
Absolutely fantastic video full of new to me information I've been drinking opposite the refuge assurance building for years and had no idea it was so beautiful inside! Again thank you for making these amazing videos long may your efforts continue!!!!
More often than not there is always evidence of old industry in inner cities when you look hard enough despite modern industry taking over. That old wall of the Electric light station and the plaque on the bridge are great examples. Very interesting video Martin thanks.
I am West Yorkshire born and bred,but I enjoy visiting Manchester,and it is even more interesting visiting Manchester now,as I seek out the areas where you have done videos from,and have a good look round those areas myself. Good to see you have done some videos in Yorkshire as well.Enjoyed you going round the derelict mill in Halifax.
Really like how you tie in the various elements of interest together in this video. Many high rise towers in downtown Toronto have steam heat pumped to them. 10ish years ago they started pumping cold water to them from deep under Lake Ontario to them. Each tower has a heat exchanger to service the tower.
Both! Water deep in the lake is a constant temperature all year round. In the summer it is piped to skyscrapers. Each tower then puts the water thr5ough a chiller. That reduced the amount of electricity required to cool teh towers. In the winter they do the same except they pipe hot water to the towers. That is my limited knowledge of how it works. Some large office complexes even have their own water tanks deep under the tower (20-35m). Temps are constant and it reduced the cost of both heating and cooling. @@MartinZero
great start to the new year martin me and the other half have been following your video trials on foot, last week we did the lost canal, instead of going to the sales, save loads of money, got some exercise, win win we live in Bolton and have been to Manchester hundreds of times and are seeing the city in a new light thanks for the inspiration
Good one Martin. I used to live at Stuart st. Nr to the power station in the fifties. Now long gone, the Velodrome is built on the site. It was powered by coal from Bradford pit , also gone the Ethiad stadium is built over the old colliery. 👍
What a wonderful Hotel you end up in, Martin! all decked out in salt-glazed stone-ware (or brick-ware!) Very reminiscent of the Main Line Termini in London - St Pancras etc. A splendid video. Surely you can, by now - with all these Videos up your sleeve, so to speak, gain permission to access many of these wonderful historic buildings in order to show what they're really like inside? Please continue to make many more Videos! As 'Sad but Mad' said "Liked before I watched" &c. These videos of yours are far more revelationary than disused railway tunnels!! Thank you, Martin.
@@MartinZero always a pleasure Martin. I consider myself quite knowledgeable on our great city's history. I speak to my lily (she's 6) a lot about it, and take her site seeing quite often. But we sit and watch your videos together and we both *always* learn plenty. Keep up the good work my friend.
Happy new year! Nice to see a new video. At 04:23, the shot you took through the grille, could almost be another shot for the cover of OMD's 'Architecture And Morality' album, designed by the great Peter Saville. I prefer the vinyl version of the album, as you can have whichever picture you want visible through the cut out in the sleeve. The 04:23 shot would look great. Your videos are always utterly fascinating. I was watching the 1960 movie 'Hell Is A City' a few weeks back, and the rooftop scrap at the end was on the roof of the old Refuge Assurance building - in some shots, you can see the passers-by all looking up - the fight is very cool, and horrifically dangerous, as it was filmed, for real, on that ledge. No nets, and definitely no green screen. Looks a damn fine bar, inside. Nice one.
Brian Yes !! Architecture. One of the pieces of music is my attempt at something influenced by 'Sacred Heart' Although a poor version. I have seen thats scrap scary stuff 😃
Good video martin very interesting indeed, its good that all old buildings still exists kept to there former glory its good to know the history of Manchester once again good video martin 👍
Martin, that was an interesting story again. Very good also the old pictures and maps in your film. I could not find so much on the internet. So I think you have a huge collection at home.
Thanks for the great vid Martin. I worked in the building next to Bloom Street Power Station for a year and I parked my car right next to it. I just thought it was part of the industrial revolution but now I know the fascinating history of the place.
Yet another great interesting video mate thank you happy new year keep up the great work and ohh I may have caught one of them descendant carp in the Clough used to fish it every weekend but in the small lake that's where all the decent carp were
I used to service some equipment in the NCP on Whittworth street back in the 1980's................well that's my claim to fame anyway ;).Some great comments from people on your videos which is fantastic.Another great video Martin,thanks.
Loved it Martin. - My wife grew-up in the 1950s CHURCHILL GARDENS Estate in Pimlico London.. a group of Council multi-story flats - they were heated by steam/hot water piped under the River Thames from BATTERSEA POWER STATION (coal powered). Cheers from NZ.
@@MartinZero Yup .. there's a very tall cylindrical glass tower that's preserved there next to 'Shelley House' that was a pumping station and heat exchange of some sort. - You've got to get broadcast buddie .. knock a series together into one TV length doco and make your first million.
Another great video Martin. Only yesterday I went to have a lookat one of the locations that you filmed which was the old Granada Studios and the Ordsal Chord and Stephenson's bridge. Your videos inspire people to go and visit these icons before they eventaly disappear.
Really interesting Martin,I didn’t know about the steam heating pipes,thanks for all the fascinating facts and old pictures,all the best for the New Year
Brilliant video yet again I've walked past there so many times and never thought twice about that building very interesting keep the videos coming i love history especially manchesters 👌🏻
Just found this video Martin - very good stuff. Roy Frost's book is fantastic -and we're so lucky he was inspired to write it. I used to work with some of the older guys that Roy interviewed to use their memories to get the facts right - and I remember him coming into what were then the Norweb offices in Hathersage Road to talk to them. Probably around 1990.
Drove past the power station zillions of times, when passing along Whitworth Street towards Oxford Street. Now I know what it is! Brilliant peice of information, Martin about Boggart Hole Clough too! Top stuff 👌
@@MartinZero My friend has just recently took over the Cafe at the Lakeside in the Clough, and provides refreshments to the Anglers. There's a nice little bit of info to share with them next time over a brew & toast. Boggart Hole Clough is a really good topic for local history & folklore. It's a lovely park to visit.
Boggart hole clough. What an interesting name. Intrigued. The Boggart is the Lankashire version of a malevolent Genie. I wonder if there was a cave there once? The refuge assurance building looks brilliant. Great video.
My favourite Boggart is the one that looks like an old lady in a bonnet, carrying a shopping basket. It stands by the roadside, waiting for unwary travellers. When one drew near, the Boggart makes noises like an old lady in distress, and if the traveller drew near to help, the Boggart would suddenly turn, to reveal that there was no head under the bonnet, causing the traveller to run off in fright - but that wasn't an end to it: as the victim ran away, the basket would spring open, revealing the Boggart's head, which would pop out, and chase the victim down the road, snapping at the fleeing persons' heels, with sharp, pointed teeth.
Aye,as kids there was a story that The Boggart lived under the Angel monument in there,that there was a secret door in the base of it...worked for me as an 8 year old !
Fantastic film and very gripping ! I worked on London Buses for 21 years, at Stamford Brook bus garage, Turnham Green Chiswick High rd. Next door there was a power station, which was changed to a nightclub - 'The Power House' It used to power the trams 'cos the garage used to be a Trolley Bus facility. There are pictures on the net, & you can see damage to the shed's entrances near the roof, where the Trolley had hit the brickwork - going too fast !
This really fascinates since I live above New York ,and as you probably know New York could not be it's current density minus steam. It is such an intriguing system,the power company has I believe six steam production facilities through Manhattan. Excellent video Martin!
Hi Martin Well done. Excellent videos and a reminder for me of my time in Manchester from 1972 until 1977. I remember exploring the disused Central Station, drinking in Tommy Ducks, the Continental Club (a basement dive near Oxford Road Station) , drinking in the Salisbury and eating Suicide Chicken Biryani at the Plaza. I saw many bands at various venues ... Thin Lizzie, Led Zeppelin, Focus, Davis Bowie, The Amazing Alex Harvey Band and many more. I was going to contact you about a fact told me by a janitor of the Barnes Wallis building which is home to the UMIST Students Union. I used to travel into UMIST early every weekday and take a shower in the Barnes Wallis building. Towels were provided foc. The water was alway copius and very very hot. It never went cold and the shower pressure was terrific. The janitor who used to take care of the basement facilities (thats where the showers were) of the Barnes Wallis building told me the heating and hot water was supplied from a remote steam generating plant. So you answered my question before I asked it. I have not been up to Manchester for about 25 years but will be doing so soon. There was a bar on Tib Street called the Hole In The Wall. On my first night in Manchester I went there for a drink and when emerging back onto Tib Street I was jostled by a guy. It seemed innocent until I was waiting at Piccadilly Bus Station when I found my wallet had gone.
Hi Martin, many thanks for for your new video. As a matter of interest, there is a connection between this video and your visit to the old Granada Studios - the canal spur you showed used to continue through a tunnel under Central Station before passing under the Granada building and connecting through a lock into the Irwell, close to the Marriott Hotel in Water St.
Hello. As far as I understand you are talking about the Salford Junction canal. I made a video on that. The spur you mean is actually still there but further down the canal if you will forgive my correction. If you look at that video I walk along its route. Thank you very much though for the comment 👍
Another good video to start off the new year,well researched and interesting. I can't say I've ever noticed that building before,I'll have to check that one out. Mention of the Calico Printers brought back memories,I sat my compositors exams there in 1960.
@@MartinZero Hi Martin, the Calico Printers were an amalgamation of companies who printed designs onto calico, a hard wearing semi processed cotton fabric. The St.James building in town was the head office. The exams I sat were for newspaper printing, I think the exams were held at Calico Printers because the facilities were the most suitable.
I commented about this on a previous video! I think you were looking at part of the rear of the car park for Linley House. This is the main dispatch for the Electric Board (ENW) The early supply of electricity was fascinating ..... Rather than have Cables they ran a sunken Bus Bar system with 5 different voltages (there was no standard 240v then) with individual customers being tapped off different Bus bars to get the required voltage! There are tales told of when faults ocuring the current forcing the bars to bend and end up snaking down the duct almost touching each other. There was a team of workers employed to walk the streets in the rain looking for dry spots where these faults had warmed the pavement up. They would mark the spot with crayon and a repair team would be dispatched to do a repair. This was common practice until one repair team lifted a serctiom of pavement to do a repair ..... only to find a barbers extending outside the building line completre with lathered customers staring up at the workmen!
Hi Dave and Martin, retired now but a few years ago when I worked for Yorkshire Electrcity Board, as it was known, while on standby at night, if I had a few streets off supply due to blown fuses we just banged in by hand a few 400 A fuses on a LV board and when one of the lads came in saying the pavements steaming or smoke and flames are coming out of a street lamp I thought great found the fault I,ll be home in a few hours, and that was in the late 1990 ,s happy days, and it was on double time as well!!, Pat
@@patrickdickinson6492 We call that a Smoke Test! The usual sise of fuse in Substations is 400a ..... but we use Fusemates rather than putting it in by hand .... or Rezaps if there is a fault we need to "blow" .... and we now fit kit after a fault that can detect where any continuing problems are located (even if a fuse does not blow). The big supplies tend to be HV with their own transformer (or "rented" to them with us doing the maintenance. The largest intake I have had experience with is the Vehicle Licensing Office in Manchester which had 3 sets of 400a fused paralleled out. But we can go up to 750a (not that we want to). Trust me, putting a 400A fuse directly on to a fault and having several tons of transformer jumping about is not an experience you want!
@@totherarf Yes I started in 1971, it was standard practice untill the 1990,s just to bang a 400 A fuse back in, you just pulled your coat collar up in front of your face, before visits came in, if it blew we put a fault box on basically a box two leads connected to fuse contacts and a knife switch in a box to connect a a 600A fuse, you had to be a SAP in case it tripped the TX 11kv breaker. Then Fred and Freda,s, then Rezaps and fuse mates. Luckly I had left LV behind by then and just looked after the 66 and 33 KV Maintenance, a great last 10 years. Although standby kept me in touch with LV sytem and the double time. I see the lads now and there dressed heat to foot in fireproof clothing !! InNice to talk to you, and Martin, thanks Pat
@@patrickdickinson6492 Yes the PPE is a pain ..... until you need it! Not sure Arc Ban classes as fireproof ;0) but I would not do it without faceshield and gloves. If nothing else it saves on laundry. I started in 77 (I sometimes think they do not realise I am still there. They keep dangling HV out to us but TBH I am not interested .... at least if I get hurt now it is my own fault. Also we have entered an extremely safety conscious time and if you make a mistake you are out, no questions! It has little to do with safety and everything to do with protecting managements rear end! .... Nice talking ... I am sure everyone not involved would find it a bit neardy!
Loved it martin as always, thank you when i first seen the power station perched on the canal i thought supply for cooling but asked the same question about canal water levels back in the day they were crucial for bardge's hauling coal, loved the refuge hotel the inside is magnificent can see myself having a pint of Guinness looking at the tiles and pillers👌🏻
Another interesting video Martin! I’ve seen that building many times. I never knew it use to be a power station, nor that it had carp in the water tanks. It’s been many years since I visited boggart hole clough. It’s amazing all the old buildings we have in Manchester and, until I started watching your videos I didn’t know what some of them were used for. 👍
Great video Martin. Brought back a memory of when I worked for maintenance dept in Lee house Oxford rd, was told about the steam being pumped in to warm the building up. Was also told that at one time the canal owners used to charge you a LIGHT fee if you had windows on buildings directly on the banks. And if you didn't pay they came and erected boards up to cover the windows. Seems a bit odd. Keep up the great work 👍
Another great video martin, really interesting. It's amazing to learn all these things about our city which I would have never known thanks mate. P.S. i no Boggart hole clough well it,s a great place to run as well to fish.
Hi Martin watched several of your videos as I share an interest in industrial archaeology, when I was a young teenager I being the inquisitive type like yourself popped in to bloom St and the boiler mam showed me around there must have been 6 to 8 huge oil fired Lancashire boilers , as you mentioned I remember the steam pipes along the canal hissing away , in fact those and the overbridge led me to bloom St .
An evening of viewing the classics here,Martin Zero of course. The steam system for heating downtown buildings made me think of the steam pipes in lower section of University of Manchester. I remember this from one of your videos. If I have the building incorrect sorry,but the steam system I do recall you mentioning.
Martin. Just followed your recommendation and watched your Bloom Street Power Station programme. I see what you mean about canal "spurs". I liked the bit about the fish too!🙂 I wasn't aware Bloom Street Power Station existed until you filmed it. I think a lot of buildings like this are peripheral to most people. You "see" buildings but don't really see them or aware what their purpose is and it's testament to your work that the jigsaw pieces are brought to a wider audience.😊👍
@@MartinZero Well perhaps the smoke was secondary It's main aim was to provide a prop with the Electrical Company's chimney to the B.B.C. wire transmitter!😉
I studied electrical engineering in the 80's and one of my elderly tutors talked about electricity companies in the 20's generating different voltages and some were DC and some AC - this in Leigh - ATb
Another great show Martin I’m not from MCR but whenever I’m walking around the city I’m always wandering what the old buildings were. An old power station eh! 2 in fact! Glad u didn’t get a drone out there 😜
Why in the dickens is the British Tourism Board or whatever the equivalent group are not hiring this chap to produce short movies to attract tourists to England. I'm in Australia and knew England had a colourful history but this chap just brings it alive, I've just watched a few of his productions ranging from disused railway tunnels to trap doors in canals, they are brilliant. Someone make this chap an offer he can't refuse, get him into mainstream media, there's more talent there than the entire England cricket team! (Sorry couldn't resist :-)) Ray.
Reckon if everything were done right, the piped steam would keep the towpath frost-free. Thanks once again for the effort you put into these clips - just the right touch with the tuneage too - something tells me you may have read an issue of ZigZag at some point in the distant past ;-) 2019 shaping up nicely with video like this to look forward to - enjoy!
@@MartinZero Mick Mercer's mag for lovers of alternative, post-punk, goth and experimental musics, used to get it in Smiths in the mid '80s - your musical choices across a range of vids led me to believe it'd've been your thing - maybe worth a rummage?
Putting an antenna between two chimney's was actually brilliant idea for the time, it likely saved the radio a lot of money then to not have to set up their own tower, I just love the large amounts of history in such small areas that you find
Best way to start my Sunday. A Martin Zero video. I've never been to the UK, but would absolutely love to go, just to see some of the historical sights you have shared with the world. Thank you for sharing these interesting places and stories, keep up the good work!!
Thank you Robby very pleased your enjoying the videos. Yep you must visit Manchester 👍
When it first opened it supplied DC, not the AC we all have today. It supplied the tram network in the city. That's why it stopped generating in 1950 after the trams were abandoned. They kept the boiler working for the district heating. The swap to oil in 1953 was because of the Clean Air Act forbidding the burning of coal.
In around 1984 the UMIST developed its own self contained heating system. As it was the largest customer for steam, the Generating Board sold off the operation to a private firm that later ran it down in scale.
Thanks Tim
Radio Jonophone you answered my AC/DC question, best regards.
Is there still any usage of the original district heat system? I see there are proposals of creating a new one.
@@MartinZero Hello Martin, Just catching up with your video. At 14.09 - Inside the Refuge building you can see a small lift just to the right of the Clock. I started work in this building in 1966 and at that time this lift was powered by the Hydraulic Water which you mentioned in your next Video. This Lift must have been powered from the Whitworth Street Pumping Station and was finally converted to electric in the late 1960's early 1970's. At last I now understand how it Worked !
Very interesting video Martin especially as I was a Electrical Power Engineer and spent 40 years maintaining the same substations as these in South Yorkshire. Looking at the transformer bushings at beginning of vidio I would say its 132,ooo volt probably transformed down to 11kv for distribution round Manchester city center. A lot of the distribution cables etc are still in use, we often worked on 1920 cables in Sheffield and I know my area where I live is fed off 1940,s 33kv Switchgear, not plastics then.
Dickinson Street taking my same as well, getting to know my way round Manchester a bit better although it is via the pubs, that refuge hotel has just gone on my places to go for a drink, really enjoyed it all the best Pat
Many thanks Pat. interesting stuff. Are you still working in Electricity. And yes get yourself in the Principle Hotel great place, you can actually do a tour of it
@@MartinZero Hi Martin, retired a few years ago, a group of us all a similar age visit different cities for a drink, we always love the Manchester pubs and only 50 mins on train from Sheffield.
Love these old buildings and there history, your doing a great job, all the best Pat
Hey, you should join your forces, and do make a video or videos together..
You both have made video’s about underground… rivers, railroads… and who knows, you both might learn from each other too…
Martin, you should watch a few of Patrick's vlogs, he does a lot of wild camping and other interesting stuff. Once again, thanks for another interesting vlog.
Yes - you're right Patrick - 132kV but transformed to 33kV. Not sure why that substation is there. Many like this (including the Bloom Street one) were built on the sites of original C19 or very very early C20 sites - but this one next to the gas works has always surprised me because I don't think there was any particular electricity infrastructure there until it was built in the 1960s. My theory is that as gas and electricity were both council undertakings, the council had identified a plot of gasworks land for use for future electricity load growth. When the electricity industry was nationalised the ownership of that plot passed to either the North Western Electricity Board or the Central Electricity Generating Board - and then when we had the huge post war load growth that reached its peak in the 1960s, it became an obvious place to inject new capacity at 132kV.
That was absolutely brilliant! The BBC couldn’t have done it better. Well done and thanks for your hard work!
Thank you David very much
Liked before I watched because I knew it would be worthwhile watching and damn was it interesting.
Thank you very much
Sad but Mad Lad... Also I did that liked before watching.. & it was very informative..love a good martin video.
Loved the video. I used to work at Bloom Street after it had stopped generating electricity but was supplying steam to the buildings you mentioned. At the time the steam was generated by a row of about eight oil fired Lancashire type boilers. At the end of the boilers there was a steam driven pump and its brass and copper pipe work was always highly polished. I also had to maintain submersible pumps situated in the basements of the buildings that received the steam. Great seeing the areas that were not seen by people normally. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.
Superb Martin your enthusiasm is reflected in your vlog. I felt a bit nostalgic when in the first pic which showed a three wheeled "Scarab" railway parcel truck remonitions for me of a time when goods were carried on a huge railway network second to none.
Hi John, I do vaguely remember seeing one of those Scarabs as a kid. Weird vehicle 😃
A million miles away from the juggernauts on the roads today Martin. From a time when the people were employed instead of needing benefits. Interestingly there is a growing investment in restoring closed railway lines. Never ending circles!
You’ve solved yet another life long mystery for me Martin! We used to hang around as kids down this stretch of the canal (up to no good obviously) and no one ever knew what that bridge was about, thank you for finally revealing it to me! Great videos as always, only just found them and I’m properly loving them.
Thanks very much Kyle
My great-grandad and grandad (J. Monk & sons) were boaters that delivered coal to Bloom Street power station up until the 1950s. They had a small fleet of boats and also delivered to Barton Power Station, Stretford Power Station and Trafford Park, picking the coal up from the Astley/Leigh area. There was a book written about them in the 90s called Lancashire Canal Carriers by Norman Jones that you might find interesting. It has lots of photos but sadly none of Bloom Street. However, there’s a few quotes you and your viewers might find interesting…
“Excluded from the waterways nationalization programme The Rochdale Canal was abandoned in 1952, small wonder that Jim Monk Snr. and his sons found progress up the flight of locks to Bloom Street increasingly difficult as time progressed. In the event the ‘Bloom Street job’ was ‘run down’ when under the British Electricity Authority’s control the coal fed boilers were replaced by an oil fired installation in 1953, although May 1958 has been stated as the date on which the last working boat travelled down to Castlefield from Bloom Street.“
“The boiler houses of both the Dickinson Street and Bloom Street stations were parallel to the canal. As constructed Dickinson Street had six coal fired boilers of Galloway design, and a travelling electric crane by Mather & Platt for the purpose of unloading canal barges, Bloom Street had eleven Babcock & Wilcox boilers and two travelling electric cranes for unloading the washed slack similarly, although Jim Monk’s recollections are of a Priestman self-propelled steam crane being engaged on this task when their boats were supplying the power station.”
“Although the Bloom Street Power Station ceased to produce electricity in 1950, the vital steam heating service to some public buildings and important institutions was maintained and in 1983 customers included The Palace Theatre, Refuge Building and Ritz Ballroom. However in 1984/5 Associated Heat Services took over the Bloom Street CHP installation and the steam traditionally conveyed by large (usually warm to the touch pipes) continued to flow through the system laid along the line of the Rochdale Canal until the service was discontinued in 1989.”
“A ’Bloom Street’ delivery was often a ‘rush job’ for the Monks’ with their boat being ‘shouted up’ at the tips to load ‘out of turn’ as bunker space was limited at ‘Bloom Street’, and the small reserve stocks held dwindled rapidly when demand was heavy.”
“...skippered by Mr J Monk Snr, [the boat called] Pauline met an untimely end when, whilst unloading her one day at Bloom Street, the crane driver misjudged his angle of lift and allowed the ascending grab to become caught beneath the front edge of a massive stone window sill, which becoming dislodged crashed down onto the Pauline, smashing the bottom boards and sinking her. Fortunately no-one was injured, but when salvaged the boat was found to be damaged beyond economical repair.”
“However another mishap which happened one morning when brother Wilf was working the boat then called Spica, at the same location ended in tragedy, and the death of a power station workman who was killed whilst standing in Spica’s hold assisting with the unloading. The grab descended, scooped up about a ton of slack and ascended unusually slowly, but when it reached the top of its hoist - at the height of about eighty feet - the bucket failed to hook onto the ‘nest’ of the crane, and dropped back with appalling speed into the bottom of the boat, crushing a young man working in the hold and smashing the bottom planks of the boat which, to add to the tragedy immediately began to sink.“
I have been watching your channel here on UA-cam now for sometime and thought it was time to make a comment. I live in an area that has no history as the town in Australia I was born in only came into existence in 1960, and hence I was born only 9 years later. I love you enthusiasm for the history of your area and surrounding towns and county's. I would like to thank you for sharing with us your passion, I am especially grateful as your love of all things Manchester is showing all of us worldwide, even though I live and was born on the other side of the world, I am able to see the things my father would have seen. My father often spoke of the old buildings in Manchester, and how he missed the smell of coal fires. Thank you for creating some original content for us to share, I now look forward for each of your videos to be released.
Thank you very much. Thats great that the videos have a connection with your father. Much appreciated and regards to you in Australia
Another hidden piece of history unearthed. Great video for start of the year Martin . I eagerly await your next installment
Thanks very much 👍
Another excellent video. I never knew anything as beautiful as the Principal Hotel even existed in Manchester. Thanks for posting.
Thanks Paul. yes I only discovered it recently
I'm sure I'm going to know more of your city than mine soon enough. LOLOL You should be a historian/tour operator. Your thorough research and detailed info makes this so interesting and enjoyable to watch. Your ability to showcase a single topic with both present and past info is part of what makes this so interesting.Whether a 3 mile tunnel OR an info session on a power house, you present them in an easy to grasp, and fascinating manner. ALWAYS 10/10. Cheers from across the pond here in E town Canada.
Thank you Sir Christopher very much for your Kind words and best regards to Canada 👍
I don't often comment on you tube videos , but I just had to show my appreciation because I thought this wouldn't be that interesting at first but it was really good , your choice of the things you show and your narration make your history videos really interesting .
Thank you very much
Fascinating video Martin, much appreciated, I've read about the Dickinson St Elec light building....Thank you.
Thanks very much. Great name for a power station 'Electric Light station' 😃
Love the picture of the 3 wheeler BR parcels scamell on the left side really nice video walked down that canal many times in the 1960/70s thanks Martin. John
I like the historical videos of the buildings Martin. Love all of the info u put into them. It must take u hours of research for each video. I for one really appreciate it mate. Nice one.
Thanks Gary much appreciated
Very interesting video. Both buildings taking advantage of the canal system. Lovely public bar what a building. Thanks Martin.
Thanks Neil. Brilliant that Hotel/Bar 😃
Yes I think I would like a a pint of Guinness or three in there . 40 years this year since Granville Colliery closed . Shropshires last deep mine where the industrial revolution began.
Brilliant as always mate , it's mad what's right in front of your eyes but we take no notice
Hi Mike thanks, yeah to be honest Ive seen this place so many times and never thought about it 👍
Really interesting, loved the pictures especially the canal spur and aerial shots of both stations. Fascinating stuff mate.
Thanks Nix yes good shots them 👍
This video did not disappoint,,, the same quality and interesting subject matter as always. Well done sir.
Thank you
Hi Martin. I'm slowly working my way through your excellent videos. Remember me? I'm the Brit expat railway enthusiast who is helping to restore a narrow gauge railway near Sibiu, Romania.
The use of surplus steam from industry to heat buildings is widespread here in Romania. On my first visit in 1992 to Oradea, first city after crossing from Hungary, I saw large well lagged pipes on tall concrete supports running alongside the road all the way from factories on the city outskirts four or five kilometres into the city to provide heating for the blocks of flats. This is the same in many other cities.
Welcome back Martin and thanks for another brilliant video!
Thank you 😀
Another fantastic video Martin...and thank you for answering so many questions. Always wondered what that mysterious building was, a true hidden gem in Manchester.
Hi Paul. Yeah seen this so many times and wondered about it 👍
Hi Martin just come across your channel fantastic. I worked for Norweb so visited Bloom St on many occasions. It was fed by 3 underground 132kV cables from Agecroft Power Station, I've just watched your Agecroft video.
The Norweb offices were Linley House on Dickinson St that building has some very interesting underground Chambers. I was told the transformers in Linley House were cooled by canal water at one time. Also there was an underground conveyor belt in a tunnel from Stuart St Power Station to Bradford Pit, I went down there in the sixties. Keep up the good work regards
Fascinating as always Mr Z. Will definitely go into The Refuge (Principle Hotel) next time I come home.
Had a few pints in the Refuge building on a recent visit to Manchester, very interesting and informative, keep up the good work Martin.
Love that building
Another fantastic and informative video Martin. I love the city centre above ground vids you do. All of the Victorian heritage that is all over the city. You've even made electricity interesting for me😂 and the brief walk into the old Refuge building... Brilliant. What a lovely place, I must visit when I'm in Manchester next. Like the way the tiles have been kept inside the Refuge. They seem to have converted the building sympathetically. I remember walking along the canals in the 60s , it's where the interesting stuff is.
Hi Anne, yes agree the canal sides are still very interesting. Yes that hotel looks fantastic I keep meaning to have a drink in there
Fabulous interesting video well worth the wait Martin .
Thank you Kevster
Absolutely fantastic video full of new to me information I've been drinking opposite the refuge assurance building for years and had no idea it was so beautiful inside!
Again thank you for making these amazing videos long may your efforts continue!!!!
Thanks Nathan. Got a full tour of that hotel coming
More often than not there is always evidence of old industry in inner cities when you look hard enough despite modern industry taking over. That old wall of the Electric light station and the plaque on the bridge are great examples. Very interesting video Martin thanks.
Thank you. I couldnt believe that wall was what it was ! Plus the plaque 👍
I am West Yorkshire born and bred,but I enjoy visiting Manchester,and it is even more interesting visiting Manchester now,as I seek out the areas where you have done videos from,and have a good look round those areas myself.
Good to see you have done some videos in Yorkshire as well.Enjoyed you going round the derelict mill in Halifax.
Thanks very much Martin
Really like how you tie in the various elements of interest together in this video. Many high rise towers in downtown Toronto have steam heat pumped to them. 10ish years ago they started pumping cold water to them from deep under Lake Ontario to them. Each tower has a heat exchanger to service the tower.
Wow, so the water from Lake Ontario is that for heat or drinking ?
Both! Water deep in the lake is a constant temperature all year round. In the summer it is piped to skyscrapers. Each tower then puts the water thr5ough a chiller. That reduced the amount of electricity required to cool teh towers. In the winter they do the same except they pipe hot water to the towers. That is my limited knowledge of how it works. Some large office complexes even have their own water tanks deep under the tower (20-35m). Temps are constant and it reduced the cost of both heating and cooling. @@MartinZero
great start to the new year martin
me and the other half have been following your video trials on foot, last week we did the lost canal, instead of going to the sales, save loads of money, got some exercise, win win we live in Bolton and have been to Manchester hundreds of times and are seeing the city in a new light
thanks for the inspiration
Ahh thats great. Glad I saved you some Cash 😆
Great vid again...very interesting...I work on loads of old buildings in manchester but to see all the past and scecrets in your vids is amazing ...
You will be Manchester's leading historian soon Martin! Proper interesting viewing for a dark Sunday night! Top one. Nice one. Get sorted.
Cheers Mate. Thats the thing I dont know anything. I have to read up before I film 😆
Another belter, Martin. I took a pic of that chimney in the late 70s, but always assumed it was simply a boiler house for offices etc.
Thanks Simon. now you know👍
👌Brilliant video love the history behind these Old places keep up the good work Martin look forward to seeing your next video great stuff 👍
Thanks very much mate
Good one Martin. I used to live at Stuart st. Nr to the power station in the fifties. Now long gone, the Velodrome is built on the site. It was powered by coal from Bradford pit , also gone the Ethiad stadium is built over the old colliery. 👍
Yeah thats another place am fascinated with. Thanks 👍
Thanks Martin, I really love historical things like this, you did an amazing job. Thank you. x
What a wonderful Hotel you end up in, Martin! all decked out in salt-glazed stone-ware (or brick-ware!) Very reminiscent of the Main Line Termini in London - St Pancras etc. A splendid video. Surely you can, by now - with all these Videos up your sleeve, so to speak, gain permission to access many of these wonderful historic buildings in order to show what they're really like inside? Please continue to make many more Videos! As 'Sad but Mad' said "Liked before I watched" &c. These videos of yours are far more revelationary than disused railway tunnels!! Thank you, Martin.
Well researched Martin. Fantastic work again.
Thanks Ant 👍
@@MartinZero always a pleasure Martin. I consider myself quite knowledgeable on our great city's history. I speak to my lily (she's 6) a lot about it, and take her site seeing quite often. But we sit and watch your videos together and we both *always* learn plenty. Keep up the good work my friend.
@@ant292uk Ahh thank you thats great. Hugs to Lily 👍😀
Happy new year! Nice to see a new video. At 04:23, the shot you took through the grille, could almost be another shot for the cover of OMD's 'Architecture And Morality' album, designed by the great Peter Saville. I prefer the vinyl version of the album, as you can have whichever picture you want visible through the cut out in the sleeve. The 04:23 shot would look great. Your videos are always utterly fascinating. I was watching the 1960 movie 'Hell Is A City' a few weeks back, and the rooftop scrap at the end was on the roof of the old Refuge Assurance building - in some shots, you can see the passers-by all looking up - the fight is very cool, and horrifically dangerous, as it was filmed, for real, on that ledge. No nets, and definitely no green screen. Looks a damn fine bar, inside. Nice one.
Brian Yes !! Architecture. One of the pieces of music is my attempt at something influenced by 'Sacred Heart' Although a poor version. I have seen thats scrap scary stuff 😃
Another great video! Thanks very much Martin & wishing the best of 2019 to you!
Thank you Mike
Good video martin very interesting indeed, its good that all old buildings still exists kept to there former glory its good to know the history of Manchester once again good video martin 👍
Thanks Thomas
Martin, that was an interesting story again. Very good also the old pictures and maps in your film. I could not find so much on the internet. So I think you have a huge collection at home.
I wish I had a huge collection at home. Thank you very much
Thanks for the great vid Martin. I worked in the building next to Bloom Street Power Station for a year and I parked my car right next to it. I just thought it was part of the industrial revolution but now I know the fascinating history of the place.
Must admit, I never knew what it was
Another fascinating video, many thanks Martin.
Yet another great interesting video mate thank you happy new year keep up the great work and ohh I may have caught one of them descendant carp in the Clough used to fish it every weekend but in the small lake that's where all the decent carp were
Ha great stuff Gazz I knew someone would have fished it 👍
Hi Martin, another fab video thank you, keep up the good work and happy new year.
Happy new year and many thanks
I used to service some equipment in the NCP on Whittworth street back in the 1980's................well that's my claim to fame anyway ;).Some great comments from people on your videos which is fantastic.Another great video Martin,thanks.
Loved it Martin. - My wife grew-up in the 1950s CHURCHILL GARDENS Estate in Pimlico London.. a group of Council multi-story flats - they were heated by steam/hot water piped under the River Thames from BATTERSEA POWER STATION (coal powered). Cheers from NZ.
Ahh thats interesting. So other power stations did it as well Thanks Martin
@@MartinZero Yup .. there's a very tall cylindrical glass tower that's preserved there next to 'Shelley House' that was a pumping station and heat exchange of some sort. - You've got to get broadcast buddie .. knock a series together into one TV length doco and make your first million.
Another great video Martin. Only yesterday I went to have a lookat one of the locations that you filmed which was the old Granada Studios and the Ordsal Chord and Stephenson's bridge. Your videos inspire people to go and visit these icons before they eventaly disappear.
Hi Chris thank you. How was it down on Water Street ? Lots of work going on down there
Yes lots going on with streets closed. I'm going to look at the electricity buildings in the near future. @@MartinZero
Another fascinating video, keep up the good work Martin.
Thank you Peter
exellent video another piece of manchester's history revealed, interesting history lesson well done martin
Thanks a lot Peter 👍
I've only just discovered your channel, you do exellent videos so I subscribed. think this is one of the best on youtube.. watching all your videos.
Really interesting Martin,I didn’t know about the steam heating pipes,thanks for all the fascinating facts and old pictures,all the best for the New Year
Thanks Mike all the best 👍
Brilliant video yet again I've walked past there so many times and never thought twice about that building very interesting keep the videos coming i love history especially manchesters 👌🏻
Thanks James. I am the same always wondered what it was
Many thanks Martin. Great video and terrific research. Very interesting indeed. Look forward to your next adventure.
Thanks Mike. Next one on the way 👍
Just found this video Martin - very good stuff. Roy Frost's book is fantastic -and we're so lucky he was inspired to write it. I used to work with some of the older guys that Roy interviewed to use their memories to get the facts right - and I remember him coming into what were then the Norweb offices in Hathersage Road to talk to them. Probably around 1990.
Oh right wow was it that long ago he wrote it. Thanks Mike
Drove past the power station zillions of times, when passing along Whitworth Street towards Oxford Street.
Now I know what it is! Brilliant peice of information, Martin about Boggart Hole Clough too!
Top stuff 👌
Great stuff yeah Boggart Hole Clough only been about twice in my life 😃
@@MartinZero My friend has just recently took over the Cafe at the Lakeside in the Clough, and provides refreshments to the Anglers. There's a nice little bit of info to share with them next time over a brew & toast. Boggart Hole Clough is a really good topic for local history & folklore.
It's a lovely park to visit.
@@auntiejingles3905 They have dropped me a message on FB they seen the video 😃
Absolutely love your videos keep them coming you do a awesome job
Thank you Phil 👍
Boggart hole clough. What an interesting name. Intrigued. The Boggart is the Lankashire version of a malevolent Genie. I wonder if there was a cave there once? The refuge assurance building looks brilliant. Great video.
My favourite Boggart is the one that looks like an old lady in a bonnet, carrying a shopping basket. It stands by the roadside, waiting for unwary travellers. When one drew near, the Boggart makes noises like an old lady in distress, and if the traveller drew near to help, the Boggart would suddenly turn, to reveal that there was no head under the bonnet, causing the traveller to run off in fright - but that wasn't an end to it: as the victim ran away, the basket would spring open, revealing the Boggart's head, which would pop out, and chase the victim down the road, snapping at the fleeing persons' heels, with sharp, pointed teeth.
Thank you, yeah great name for a Park. nasty Boggart
Aye,as kids there was a story that The Boggart lived under the Angel monument in there,that there was a secret door in the base of it...worked for me as an 8 year old !
Fantastic film and very gripping ! I worked on London Buses for 21 years, at Stamford Brook bus garage, Turnham Green Chiswick High rd. Next door there was a power station, which was changed to a nightclub - 'The Power House' It used to power the trams 'cos the garage used to be a Trolley Bus facility. There are pictures on the net, & you can see damage to the shed's entrances near the roof, where the Trolley had hit the brickwork - going too fast !
Brilliant thanks peter
I did enjoy the video Martin, very informative. You do sound like a true engineer!
Thanks Wayne. I once tried to be an engineer, I was a complete balls up. I will stick to appreciating it 😆
This really fascinates since I live above New York ,and as you probably know New York could not be it's current density minus steam. It is such an intriguing system,the power company has I believe six steam production facilities through Manhattan. Excellent video Martin!
Thanks Andrew
What a great first vid for the year.Soooo interesting.Take care.x
Thanks Noreen
Hi Martin
Well done. Excellent videos and a reminder for me of my time in Manchester from 1972 until 1977. I remember exploring the disused Central Station, drinking in Tommy Ducks, the Continental Club (a basement dive near Oxford Road Station) , drinking in the Salisbury and eating Suicide Chicken Biryani at the Plaza. I saw many bands at various venues ... Thin Lizzie, Led Zeppelin, Focus, Davis Bowie, The Amazing Alex Harvey Band and many more. I was going to contact you about a fact told me by a janitor of the Barnes Wallis building which is home to the UMIST Students Union. I used to travel into UMIST early every weekday and take a shower in the Barnes Wallis building. Towels were provided foc. The water was alway copius and very very hot. It never went cold and the shower pressure was terrific. The janitor who used to take care of the basement facilities (thats where the showers were) of the Barnes Wallis building told me the heating and hot water was supplied from a remote steam generating plant. So you answered my question before I asked it. I have not been up to Manchester for about 25 years but will be doing so soon. There was a bar on Tib Street called the Hole In The Wall. On my first night in Manchester I went there for a drink and when emerging back onto Tib Street I was jostled by a guy. It seemed innocent until I was waiting at Piccadilly Bus Station when I found my wallet had gone.
Oh no shame about your wallet. Yes makes sense the power station did provide your Hot Shower 😃 Hope you enjoy your visit 👍
Hi Martin, many thanks for for your new video. As a matter of interest, there is a connection between this video and your visit to the old Granada Studios - the canal spur you showed used to continue through a tunnel under Central Station before passing under the Granada building and connecting through a lock into the Irwell, close to the Marriott Hotel in Water St.
Hello. As far as I understand you are talking about the Salford Junction canal. I made a video on that. The spur you mean is actually still there but further down the canal if you will forgive my correction. If you look at that video I walk along its route. Thank you very much though for the comment 👍
Another good video to start off the new year,well researched and interesting. I can't say I've ever noticed that building before,I'll have to check that one out. Mention of the Calico Printers brought back memories,I sat my compositors exams there in 1960.
Really Mike. I honestly never knew what a Calico Printers was until I started this. Still only have a rough idea
@@MartinZero Hi Martin, the Calico Printers were an amalgamation of companies who printed designs onto calico, a hard wearing semi processed cotton fabric. The St.James building in town was the head office. The exams I sat were for newspaper printing, I think the exams were held at Calico Printers because the facilities were the most suitable.
Another great informative video on the history of Manchester, looking forward to the next
Hi Steven thanks very much mate
I commented about this on a previous video! I think you were looking at part of the rear of the car park for Linley House. This is the main dispatch for the Electric Board (ENW)
The early supply of electricity was fascinating ..... Rather than have Cables they ran a sunken Bus Bar system with 5 different voltages (there was no standard 240v then) with individual customers being tapped off different Bus bars to get the required voltage!
There are tales told of when faults ocuring the current forcing the bars to bend and end up snaking down the duct almost touching each other.
There was a team of workers employed to walk the streets in the rain looking for dry spots where these faults had warmed the pavement up. They would mark the spot with crayon and a repair team would be dispatched to do a repair. This was common practice until one repair team lifted a serctiom of pavement to do a repair ..... only to find a barbers extending outside the building line completre with lathered customers staring up at the workmen!
Hi Dave and Martin, retired now but a few years ago when I worked for Yorkshire Electrcity Board, as it was known, while on standby at night, if I had a few streets off supply due to blown fuses we just banged in by hand a few 400 A fuses on a LV board and when one of the lads came in saying the pavements steaming or smoke and flames are coming out of a street lamp I thought great found the fault I,ll be home in a few hours, and that was in the late 1990 ,s happy days, and it was on double time as well!!, Pat
@@patrickdickinson6492 We call that a Smoke Test!
The usual sise of fuse in Substations is 400a ..... but we use Fusemates rather than putting it in by hand .... or Rezaps if there is a fault we need to "blow" .... and we now fit kit after a fault that can detect where any continuing problems are located (even if a fuse does not blow). The big supplies tend to be HV with their own transformer (or "rented" to them with us doing the maintenance. The largest intake I have had experience with is the Vehicle Licensing Office in Manchester which had 3 sets of 400a fused paralleled out. But we can go up to 750a (not that we want to).
Trust me, putting a 400A fuse directly on to a fault and having several tons of transformer jumping about is not an experience you want!
@@totherarf Yes I started in 1971, it was standard practice untill the 1990,s just to bang a 400 A fuse back in, you just pulled your coat collar up in front of your face, before visits came in, if it blew we put a fault box on basically a box two leads connected to fuse contacts and a knife switch in a box to connect a a 600A fuse, you had to be a SAP in case it tripped the TX 11kv breaker. Then Fred and Freda,s, then Rezaps and fuse mates. Luckly I had left LV behind by then and just looked after the 66 and 33 KV Maintenance, a great last 10 years. Although standby kept me in touch with LV sytem and the double time. I see the lads now and there dressed heat to foot in fireproof clothing !! InNice to talk to you, and Martin, thanks Pat
@@patrickdickinson6492 Yes the PPE is a pain ..... until you need it!
Not sure Arc Ban classes as fireproof ;0) but I would not do it without faceshield and gloves. If nothing else it saves on laundry.
I started in 77 (I sometimes think they do not realise I am still there.
They keep dangling HV out to us but TBH I am not interested .... at least if I get hurt now it is my own fault. Also we have entered an extremely safety conscious time and if you make a mistake you are out, no questions! It has little to do with safety and everything to do with protecting managements rear end! .... Nice talking ... I am sure everyone not involved would find it a bit neardy!
@@totherarf Yes know what you mean with the management theme, I,am glad I got out when I did, Pat
Another great video, thanks very much for sharing
Thank you
Loved it martin as always, thank you when i first seen the power station perched on the canal i thought supply for cooling but asked the same question about canal water levels back in the day they were crucial for bardge's hauling coal, loved the refuge hotel the inside is magnificent can see myself having a pint of Guinness looking at the tiles and pillers👌🏻
Well if you go in you may just see me having a Poncy bottle of beer in there 😃
Martin Zero Now that could be a conversation that would last all night😂
Another interesting video Martin! I’ve seen that building many times. I never knew it use to be a power station, nor that it had carp in the water tanks. It’s been many years since I visited boggart hole clough. It’s amazing all the old buildings we have in Manchester and, until I started watching your videos I didn’t know what some of them were used for. 👍
I must have seen that building so many times, never knew what it was. Then I picked that book up and bingo. Thanks a lot Simon
Great video Martin. Brought back a memory of when I worked for maintenance dept in Lee house Oxford rd, was told about the steam being pumped in to warm the building up. Was also told that at one time the canal owners used to charge you a LIGHT fee if you had windows on buildings directly on the banks. And if you didn't pay they came and erected boards up to cover the windows. Seems a bit odd.
Keep up the great work 👍
A light fee ? Bloody hell thats awful ?? Thanks very much 👍
Fantastic documentary video Thanks I really enjoyed learning more about my home city. Cheers Jo
Hi Jo, thanks very much 👍
Hi Martin, great piece of work as always, very interesting especially the steam heating, Gaz 👍
Hi Gary thanks. Yeah I never knew manchester had such a network
Another great video martin, really interesting. It's amazing to learn all these things about our city which I would have never known thanks mate. P.S. i no Boggart hole clough well it,s a great place to run as well to fish.
Thanks Brendan. One place I dont know very well at all. Nasty Boggarts there 😀
Another gem, I must pay more attention while I walk the Manchester street's 👍
Cheers Mark 👍
Very interesting video! I've always been fascinated by power stations.
Cheers Henry
Great vlog as usual very informative and interesting keep up the great work and have a very productive new year
Thanks Paul much appreciated
Another fantastic video! Thanks Martin.
Many thanks Phil
Hi Martin watched several of your videos as I share an interest in industrial archaeology, when I was a young teenager I being the inquisitive type like yourself popped in to bloom St and the boiler mam showed me around there must have been 6 to 8 huge oil fired Lancashire boilers , as you mentioned I remember the steam pipes along the canal hissing away , in fact those and the overbridge led me to bloom St .
Amazing video and the Refuge Hotel looks beautiful, I remember it as an insurance company full of offices, cheers and Happy New Year.....
Thanks Leslie yeah the hotel is beautiful and Happy New Year
Interesting as usual, great start to the year Martin.
Thank you Sir 👍
An evening of viewing the classics here,Martin Zero of course. The steam system for heating downtown buildings made me think of the steam pipes in lower section of University of Manchester. I remember this from one of your videos. If I have the building incorrect sorry,but the steam system I do recall you mentioning.
Oh yes I did mention it in that one Andrew
Well that’s answered a fair few questions I had, always wondered whet the pipe at the Rembrandt was for
There were some pipes by the canal until a few years ago I remember seeing them
Martin. Just followed your recommendation and watched your Bloom Street Power Station programme. I see what you mean about canal "spurs". I liked the bit about the fish too!🙂 I wasn't aware Bloom Street Power Station existed until you filmed it.
I think a lot of buildings like this are peripheral to most people. You "see" buildings but don't really see them or aware what their purpose is and it's testament to your work that the jigsaw pieces are brought to a wider audience.😊👍
Yeah I always wondered what it was with the chimney
@@MartinZero Well perhaps the smoke was secondary It's main aim was to provide a prop with the Electrical Company's chimney to the B.B.C. wire transmitter!😉
Brilliant video thanks. That hotel is beautiful inside and out.
Thanks Mike yeah its amazing
I studied electrical engineering in the 80's and one of my elderly tutors talked about electricity companies in the 20's generating different voltages and some were DC and some AC - this in Leigh - ATb
This should lead you on to look up Westinghouse (DC) versus Tesla (AC) .
It all sounds interesting Frank. I didn't go into the technical details as I don't understand or know enough
Very interesting video Martin,enjoyed watching it.
Thanks Mike
Another great show Martin
I’m not from MCR but whenever I’m walking around the city I’m always wandering what the old buildings were.
An old power station eh! 2 in fact!
Glad u didn’t get a drone out there 😜
I wanted to Phil. If I had a drone I was gonna do a vertical climb just up then down to show the roof and chimney😃
Hi, the bridge over the cannel has high voltage cable inside it and gets its power from the old Stalybridge power station which is now a sub station
Happy new year Martin, great film.
Happy New year John thank you
Why in the dickens is the British Tourism Board or whatever the equivalent group are not hiring this chap to produce short movies to attract tourists to England. I'm in Australia and knew England had a colourful history but this chap just brings it alive, I've just watched a few of his productions ranging from disused railway tunnels to trap doors in canals, they are brilliant.
Someone make this chap an offer he can't refuse, get him into mainstream media, there's more talent there than the entire England cricket team! (Sorry couldn't resist :-))
Ray.
Reckon if everything were done right, the piped steam would keep the towpath frost-free.
Thanks once again for the effort you put into these clips - just the right touch with the tuneage too - something tells me you may have read an issue of ZigZag at some point in the distant past ;-)
2019 shaping up nicely with video like this to look forward to - enjoy!
Thank you. Am Baffled about Zig Zag ?
@@MartinZero Mick Mercer's mag for lovers of alternative, post-punk, goth and experimental musics, used to get it in Smiths in the mid '80s - your musical choices across a range of vids led me to believe it'd've been your thing - maybe worth a rummage?
@@officialmcdeath Ahh no never knew of that. Buts sounds right up my street 👌
Putting an antenna between two chimney's was actually brilliant idea for the time, it likely saved the radio a lot of money then to not have to set up their own tower, I just love the large amounts of history in such small areas that you find
Yeah that story just got more and more. Thank you
Great vid Martin. Very informative snd well researched. Regards Paul.
Another absolute gem.