Gone Up in Smoke...

Over the last couple of days parts of Manchester around the Northern Quarter area have been greatly effected due to a fire in a four-storey derelict building. Apartments, restaurants and bars were evacuated as up to 50 firefighters battled to contain the blaze and stop it from spreading to adjacent properties. At 80 Oldham Street the upmarket Dobbins department store was once a shining example of 1930s Art Deco design. The Dobbins name is still visible in the wall tiles at the top of the building. In its heyday the store included tea-rooms and a ballroom. Over the years the building has seen different owners including a carpet store and second-hand clothes store. The building had been vacated and fallen into considerable disrepair. Though the fire started on the ground floor on Thursday evening, the building was still smouldering this afternoon (Saturday). I spoke to workers who were attempting to gain access for fire-crews to finish their job and make the building secure. They don't hold much hope for the building and the expectation is that a demolition will be necessary. The picture shows two specialists inspecting the side of the building in a cradle suspended from an overhead crane. Sad to say that this maybe a farewell to a little piece of Manchester's retailing history.