Axe and Cleaver, Altrincham.

[sanb]

The 'stone steps' on george st, I remember them, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they were somewhere near woodhouse furniture store at the bottom of george St.

[littlej]

This thread was originally mine and I remember the stone steps too. Do you remember the little shops on the terrace? There was a watchmenders, a UCP Tripe shop and a few others I can't recall. I used to cycle down George St every day on my way home from The Grammar School at the top of the Downs.

I've just read one of my earlier posts on this topic about the Station Buildings. They have been renovated at last and they really do look much better. It's a pity the rest of the town is such a dreary mess. Altrincham was always considered the 'Jewel in the Crown' of the South Manchester area, but they gave it all away when the Council allowed the Trafford Centre to be built a few miles away!

jac

[sanb]

Yes I do remember some shops on that terrace,I can't recall what they were though, I just remember going up the steps sometimes on saturdays with my mum, after we had been in woodhouses furniture store, was there a bannister going up the middle of the steps? Do you remember the wimpy bar? Think it was across from the bus station, and allan dales greengrocers?    Yes, I have seen the station buildings recently whilst on a visit, I too agree that the renovation is fantastic, and long overdue!! I used to pass the place evry day on my way to school, wasn't there a jeans shop on the corner?? and yes, alty is just a shadow of its former self- so sad, all the places I knew are gone, can hardly recognise the place now, I left alty in the 1970s to live near bury, I still visit from time to time but each time I go, something else has dissapeared, you are right about the trafford centre- I hate the place-give me alrincham( as it was in the sixties) any day!!!

[SwissGill]

To me, as a child, Altrincham meant "Spinks' Cafe". I used to love going there.

I went to school in Altrincham but didn't see much of it as I came in from Sale by bus and left the same way.

I think it was Altrincham Station Café that I found out later they had the best cup of tea. Most Station cafes had good cups of tea.

[sanb]

Yes, I went to 'spinks cafe' with my parents! It was a treat during saturday afternoons after being dragged round altrincham market and woolworths, other times it would be lunch at 'marys chippy' across from alty market, you could sit inside, I remember the cafe at the bus station,it was a nice warm place to go in, if you had just missed your bus!   

[Quaffing Rob]

Hmm... Only just found this site when I was looking for some details on the Axe & Cleaver, but I was thinking of yet another Axe & Cleaver.

I remember the original one with the small cobbled area at the side with the stone steps up towards Post Office Street and Market Street. My dad used to park on the cobbles on a Saturday afternoon and then we'd all go up the steps to the market.

And I know about the extant one in Dunham Massey.

But the one I'm thinking of was part of the 1970s redevelopment that included Rackham's. I'm not even sure that it was called the Axe & Cleaver, but I think it was. (My guess was that they 'created' an artificial pub with the same name as a tip of the hat to what they'd destroyed.) It was on Stamford New Road opposite what is now the bus station, and after closing down as a pub it became a rather up-market fish & chips restaurant called Bentley's, which also then closed down.

Can anyone confirm that that place was indeed called the Axe & Cleaver, or am I mistaken?