Ian Littlechilds – författare

The Peak District spa town of Buxton was hugely popular in the nineteenth century and the prospect of a railway line from Manchester to the town was desirable for railway companies during the railway boom in the Victorian age. The Manchester & Birmingham Railway opened its first Manchester station in 1840 and the line reached Stockport that year. By 1863 the London & North Western Railway finally reached Buxton, forestalling its rivals. This book charts the development of the line from today’s Piccadilly station in Manchester to Buxton, examining the stations and stops along the way, the lives of those who financed and built the line and rolling stock of the various companies operating the line through the years. Illustrated throughout with contemporary photographs, maps, tickets and other railwayana, Phil Page and Ian Littlechilds present a fascinating portrait of what is today one of North West England’s busiest commuter routes.

The Four Heatons have grown into popular residential suburbs over the years, each with its own identity. The area plays host to a range of good local shops, cafe bars, restaurants, traditional pubs and an independent cinema. Its architecture, parks, open spaces, and leafy, tree-lined streets tell the story of the rise of Victorian and Edwardian affluence, which built the foundations of the vibrant and busy community we know today. High on a ridge, with panoramic views to the Peak District, Cheshire Plain and the Pennines, the Heatons presented an attractive and healthy place to live for wealthy families in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Much of the Heatons is now protected by conservation areas. Join the authors on a unique journey around the Heatons, and learn more about the area's fascinating history and development through time.

'Water is Life and Heaven's Gift. Here Rivers Goyt and Tame Become Mersey. Flowing Clear From Stockport to the Sea' The Mersey springs to life in the centre of Stockport, fed by the Tame and Goyt rivers, which tumble down from the heart of the Peak District and the wild moors of the Pennines. Its 70-mile journey to the sea takes it through industrial and commercial landscapes, leafy residential suburbs, ancient water meadows, protected wetlands and the wide expanse of its tidal estuary. It enters the Irish Sea at Liverpool Bay, having emerged between the Port of Liverpool and the former seaside resort of New Brighton on the Wirral. This unique record, illustrated with new and original photographs, maps and old pictures, charts the journey of one of the world's most iconic rivers. It will appeal to all who live and work within its catchment, as well as visitors from the UK and abroad.

The centre of Manchester is an area rich in social and cultural history. Its buildings, streets, churches and alleyways chart the journey from the rise of Victorian wealth through to today’s vibrant metropolis, which is the most visited English city outside the capital. This secret trail can easily be completed in the course of a day, and aims to uncover and raise awareness of essential facts and stories surrounding the city centre.Included in this fascinating tour are the Giant’s Basin in Castlefield; the site and remains of the Haçienda night club; Manchester heroes like Alan Turing, Mark Addy and Richard Cobden; the political and musical heritage of the Free Trade Hall; hidden delights like the Richmond Tea Rooms; the Manchester Craft Centre; the steepest street in Manchester; and much more to enjoy and explore.

Situated a few miles to the south of Manchester City Centre, the Four Heatons have always been popular residential suburbs for families wishing to swap the industrial clamour of the inner city for fresh air and fine views across open spaces to the Pennines and the Cheshire Plain. The coming of the railways in the late nineteenth century provided easy access to the area for commuters travelling between Manchester and Stockport, resulting in the building of the imposing period houses, churches, tree-lined roads and parks that are still a feature of the area today.Each of the Four Heatons has its unique story to tell. Heaton Chapel’s links to St Thomas’ Church, Heaton Mersey’s journey from rural hamlet to Victorian village, Heaton Moor’s development as the natural centre to the area and Heaton Norris’ industrial heritage, can all be traced through the pictures and stories of these postcards. Between 1901 and 1910 the Heatons were involved in the communications revolution which swept across Britain and were unequalled until the digital age of the 21st century. The postcards which survive today tell that story through the work of pioneering photographers and give us a unique insight into Heatons’ life from the early part of the twentieth century.