A return to Manchester for this latest edition of “Then & Now” as we once again look down on St Peter’ Square before and after Metrolink.
We are again in the Town Hall Extension for these images. The Town Hall Extension was built between 1934 and 1938 to give extra space for local government services, designed to be a link between the ornate gothic revival Manchester Town Hall and classical architecture of the Central Library. As we look down from the extension this time we turn towards Oxford Street and onto Lower Mosley Street.
Again the “Then” comes from 1989 and looks down at a different St Peter’s Square when the only form of public transport was rubber tyred buses and not steel wheeled trams. The minibus at the front is a Little Gem whilst the bigger bus is a normal Greater Manchester PTE liveried bus with its between deck advert letting you know you can rent a bus from them.
Today and St Peter’s Square is very different with no through traffic allowed as its tram only with a four platform layout on offer. The cenotaph and other memorials have also been moved around to cater for the modern transport offering. Buildings surrounding the square have also had a bit of an uplift too. An unidentified tram is just coming in to the stop with a service going into the city on the original city crossing along Mosley Street. This was 25th April 2025. (Both Photographs by Keith Chadbourne)