I have often regretted not taking photos to record people and places, especially when they change and the memory is easily forgotten.
With that in mind, and with the major changes taking place in my home town of Rochdale, I decided to make sure I start to take pictures of some of the places that are changing so I can look back and remember what the town looked like.
One of my favourite old photos of the town is of the seven blocks of flats being built, taken from College Bank, and I do like looking back at how the town used to be, and realised that this is the time I need to be making sure I can look back in ten, twenty, thirty years (or more) and remember how it was now.
One of the most iconic (and, unfortunately, disliked) buildings has been the bus station/car park/black box office building, which is now being replaced with the new council offices, just across the road.
The irony of the new building going up right next to the old one, almost gloating over the demise of its adjacent predecessor, finds a strange reaction in my sense of humour. I was tempted to propose a caption competition for the photo below.
It is hoped that the new building proves to be all that it is designed to be, in terms of reducing the annual costs to the council by millions, and raising the feel of the town centre by providing a new, fresh place where people can work and relax next to the wonderful river on which the town was founded, and named.
There are many people in the town that are looking to improve Rochdale to what it should be, with its amazing history and heritage (most of which seem to be unknown) and I, for one, am all in favour (and very optimistic) that the projects being undertaken will move things along in that direction.
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT FOR BEST EFFECT
And here's a more direct view of the new building under construction...
And, lastly, a view of the "Black Box".
Tags: photography Manchester, photography Rochdale, Rochdale history, construction photography, mandela house, council offices.
