Iconic bridge has spanned Oldham’s past

MUMPS BRIDGE: pictured around 1900

TIME is running out for one of Oldham’s most famous landmarks as the demolition of Mumps Bridge looms ever closer.

The North bridge, which stands over the road out of Oldham, will be lifted away by crane this weekend.

The road under this section of the bridge will be shut from 7pm on Friday until 6am on Tuesday and diversions will be in place.

The iconic bridge — which proudly announces to visitors they are in the home of the tubular bandage — is being removed to make way for the arrival of Metrolink which will run through the town centre by 2014.

Healthcare company Seton’s, which was founded by Ivor Stoller and later taken over by his son Norman, developed the tubigrip bandage that became famous across the globe and is used in hospitals and doctors surgeries all over the world.

Contractors MPact-Thales are working with the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive to see if the stones that make up the 150-year-old bridge can be used elsewhere.

Council leader Howard Sykes, said: “This work is a major milestone in bringing the tram to Oldham and is symbolic of the huge changes we are set to benefit from as a borough.

“Mumps Bridge is the past, Metrolink, connecting our residents, businesses and students better to the Greater Manchester region is our future.

“This work will eventually provide a new public transport interchange at Mumps, offering integrated access to commuters using trams and buses, including a Park and Ride scheme.

“It also enables us to redesign the Mumps area and provide better through routes to the A62, Southlink and the town centre. The project will be crucial in positioning us ready to capitalise on the economic recovery – delivering essential new infrastructure that will put us on the map and be a catalyst for future economic development.”

The former B&Q site at Mumps will be transformed into a 200-space Park and Ride hub which transport chiefs hope will transform the derelict area into a key gateway into the town centre.

When the trams start running they will go across Mumps Roundabout every six minutes. There will be further stops on Union Street, King Street, Manchester Street and in Westwood before trams rejoin the loop line in Werneth.

Work to convert the loop line to tram tracks is underway and it will open in three phases: to Central Park in spring, 2011, to Mumps in autumn, 2011, and to Rochdale Railway Station in spring, 2012. The line will then divert to run along Union Street in 2014.

The town centre line is one of 15 major transport schemes funded by the Greater Manchester Transport Fund — a £1.5 billion investment programme created by GMITA and the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities.


Memories of the Iron Curtain

Reader Pat Whittaker shares her recollections of Mumps Bridge

IN the 1950s, as an Oldham Borough policeman based at Townfield Division, my husband often did traffic duty under Mumps Bridge, or as it was known in the force, the Iron Curtain.

Wearing long white coats, white gloves and of course the Oldham Borough helmet, the men of this division stood under the bridge, in the middle of this busy junction of seven roads and controlled the traffic at certain times of the day.

Lit by a powerful light and standing on an 18inch high traffic box under the railway bridge these policemen usually worked for a 30 minute stretch and then for the next 30 minutes patrolled the triangle of Huddersfield Road, Cross Street and Lees Road to arrive back at Mumps for their next half hour on the box.

On weekdays, about half past four, a fleet of double-decker Leyland buses, directed by the officer, roared out of Walshaw Place pouring out black clouds of diesel fumes, on their way to various cotton mills, engineering works and factories to pick up homeward bound workers.

In foggy weather, flaming paraffin lamps at road level lit up the bobby’s box and also lined the pavement edges. It makes you cough to think about it!

The policemen wore smog masks and acquired blackened faces and necks as the day wore on.

There were many incidents said to have occurred runaway cattle on their way to the slaughter house, a circus elephant that made for the spot, a famous comedian exchanging repartee in his open sport’s car and members of the public attempting to cross to the traffic man to engage in conversation as vehicles thundered through and along the road.

On several occasions the bobby had to jump up for his life to avoid a car out of control.

As traffic lessened about 6.30, two policemen carried the box to its resting place for the night, the yard of the town’s “posh shop”, near-by Buckley and Prockter.

Everyone, including the Townfield men, swore that it would be impossible for traffic lights to be designed for this complicated junction of roads.

Look what happened!


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