More inflatable advertising in Stockport

Spotting a piece of inflatable advertising in Cheadle Village, Stockport.

Döner chef inflatable at Cappadocia Ocakbasi Turkish Restaurant in Cheadle Village, Stockport

I spotted this piece of inflatable advertising at Cappadocia Ocakbasi Turkish Restaurant while in Cheadle Village.

Döner chef inflatable at Cappadocia Ocakbasi Turkish Restaurant in Cheadle Village, Stockport

It's fun spotting airdancers (aka a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man) and other types of inflatable advertising such as this kebab chef at Cappadocia Turkish restaurant in Cheadle Village.

Merry Skipmas!

You know it's really getting festive in Stockport as soon as you see the Cheadle Skip Hire Christmas Skip Tree go up in Adswood!

Some inflatable advertising in Stockport

Spotting a piece of inflatable advertising in Stockport.

I spotted this piece of inflatable advertising while driving through Woodley and Bredbury in Stockport.

While it's not an airdancer (aka a wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man) it was still fun to see it in place advertising the Super Shine Hand Car Wash.

The Stockport Pyramid

The Stockport Pyramid is reopening in 2025.

One of the first landmarks - among many fine buildings - we noticed when we moved to Stockport in 2016 was the Stockport Pyramid.

The Stockport Pyramid

Not many towns in the UK can lay claim to being home to a pyramid!

A view of the pyramid across the M60 

The Stockport Pyramid had been home to the Co-operative Bank until 2018 and the building had been empty since then.

Views of the Stockport Pyramid in August 2020

It was originally planned to be the first of five pyramids in Stockport's own Valley of the Kings. That plan didn't come to fruition and the Stockport Pyramid sits on in the Kings Valley industrial and trading estate next to the M60.

A view of the pyramid from a train into Manchester on the viaduct

Plans have now been approved for Royal Nawaab to create an Indian dining destination including a restaurant and banqueting hall in the building.

It'll be interesting to make a booking and get to go inside for a look around the intriguing building.

The Stockport Pyramid was completed in 1992 after five years work. Standing 36.6 metres (120 feet) in height, the Stockport Pyramid is somewhat smaller than Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza, which stands 147 metres (481 feet) high. However, the striking structure has become a familiar sight to people in the town, those passing on the M60, or passengers on trains on the lines across the viaduct.

Visit the Royal Nawaab website for more information.

Video Rental at Parker's Power & Electricals in Stockport

The new series of BBC comedy The Power of Parker is filming in Stockport.

We noticed the former Bright House shop on Princes Street was opened up and being filled with old electrical items earlier this week and guessed that The Power of Parker was going to be filming there again. The first series of the show was set in Stockport in November 1990, and the shop unit was used as the location of 'Parker's Power & Electricals' electrical goods shop.

The shop window displays include some TV's from the era, as well as Video Rental cases!

Last year we found out there was a ghost sign from an old Tandy shop in Stockport, as it appeared in the background of a scene in the first series of The Power of Parker.

Stockport's streets are a familiar sight on screen as parts of the town have appeared in a range of TV shows, films, and adverts.

We're looking forward to watching the new series of The Power of Parker when it airs.

Jaws the Shark

Watching Jaws on the big screen.

It was brilliant watching Jaws at the cinema this evening.

We were lucky that our local Super Cinema and Variety Theatre, The Plaza in Stockport held a special screening of the classic.

Playing the Jaws hole at Teezers Retro Golf in Coventry

It's one of my all-time favourite films.

Jaws Crazy Golf

I always enjoy seeing shark obstacles at minigolf courses we visit on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

A Debenhams ghost sign

Spotting a Debenhams ghost sign in Stockport.

A time capsule view of old Stockport

As a fan of retail history and ghost signs it was Marvellous to see the old Debenhams logo from 1986-1991 on show at the former Debenhams store in Stockport town centre yesterday evening.

The window graphics from the 90's, along with a ghost sign outline where the DEBENHAMS letters once were

The building is now home to the recently opened Joseph James Furniture Outlet.

How the shop looks in April 2024

Debenhams ceased trading on the high street in May 2021 after 243 years of operation. You can still find ghost signs and somewhat intact storefronts around the UK where the shop units have not been occupied by a new business.

Debenhams in Stockport, December 2020

The former Debenhams is over the road from the former Tandy shop, where you can still find a ghost sign. It's also on the same road where until recently you could find a British Home Stores ghost sign.

Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport

Finding a 100% gluten free market stall in Cheadle Hulme.

We found Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport at a Worker Bee Market in Cheadle Hulme yesterday.

It was brilliant to find the totally gluten free stall. I bought a Black Forest Cake and Carrot Cake - both were delicious.

A rarity for me - two freshly prepared cakes!

It's been years since I've been able to buy something on the go from a market. I occasionally see 'gluten free' items, but served next to gluten containing items, or a warning to state they have been prepared in the same environment as gluten.

Black Forest gateau is one of my favourite cakes - I can't remember the last time I had one! This one from Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport was excellent

I had no trouble with that from the Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport stall. It was nice chatting to the bakers and hearing their own gluten free story. It gave peace of mind knowing the food would be safe for me to eat. That goes a very long way in making eating food enjoyable!

I took the cakes home so I could eat them with a cake fork, as I don't get to do that often

If we'd got there earlier I could've bought some savoury items too, including a Scotch Egg. However, they'd sold out by the time we got there. I can see why as the two cakes I bought were very good indeed.

Check out Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport on Instagram and Facebook for more information.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing Gluten Free Kitchen Stockport at another market in the area soon.

Pubs of Stockport during the coronavirus pandemic

A look at Stopfordian Pubs during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Four years ago today we photographed The Kings Tap on Station Road in Cheadle Hulme. It became the first of 265 pubs, bars and clubs we visited in the borough between April and the 4th of July when the first coronavirus pandemic lockdown ended.

Pub number 1 - The Kings Tap on Station Road in Cheadle Hulme. A lovely Art Deco building. We'd never seen it shuttered before the lockdown

We visited each of the pubs while on our daily outdoor exercise between Wednesday 1st April and before pubs were allowed to reopen with social distancing measures on Saturday 4th July.

It gave us something to do during the lockdowns and it was interesting to see the variety of architecture, different signage, parts of the town we haven't been to for a long time and other parts of the area we've never been to. I documented the pubs on Instagram using the #StopfordianPubs tag.

At the 265th pub on our lockdown 'pub crawl'. Not a drop was drunk on our daily walks in April, May, June and July

Tandy in Stockport

Finding a Tandy ghost sign thanks to The Power of Parker!

A recent post in the excellent Tandy UK (InterTAN Ltd) Facebook Group alerted me to the fact that there's a ghost sign from an old Tandy shop in Stockport. A fellow group member had spotted in the background of a scene in the new BBC comedy The Power of Parker. The show is set in Stockport in November 1990.

Tandy lives on!

The store used to be at 111 Prince's Street. It's now home to a Betfred.

The former Tandy shop in Stockport as it is today

My first job was at a Tandy franchise shop in Abingdon, Oxfordshire back in 1996 where I remember selling a number of electronic products bearing the 'RadioShack', 'Genexxa' and 'Realistic' brand names.

Over the years I've found a few more remains of the brand on the UK high street.

A RadioShack Tandy sign at a shop in Whitstable, Kent (September 2012)

It's crazy to think this Tandy signage has been hidden in (relatively) plain sight in my new hometown!

A Tandy ghost sign in Stockport

Related blog posts:

• Tandy
• Tandy in Hitchin (June 2021)
• Lost Shops - RadioShack in Saint Annes on the Sea (August 2020)
• Long Lost High Street Shops - Tandy (July 2020)
• Tandy in Hitchin (January 2019)
• RadioShack in Lytham Saint Annes (June 2017)

Pubs of Stockport during the coronavirus pandemic

A look at Stopfordian Pubs.

Three years ago today we photographed The Kings Tap on Station Road in Cheadle Hulme. It became the first of 265 pubs, bars and clubs we visited in the borough between April and the 4th of July when the first lockdown ended.

Pub number 1 - The Kings Tap on Station Road in Cheadle Hulme. A lovely Art Deco building. We'd never seen it shuttered before the lockdown

We visited each of the pubs while on our daily outdoor exercise between Wednesday 1st April and before pubs were allowed to reopen with social distancing measures on Saturday 4th July.

It gave us something to do during the lockdowns and it was interesting to see the variety of architecture, different signage, parts of the town we haven't been to for a long time and other parts of the area we've never been to. I documented the pubs on Instagram using the #StopfordianPubs tag.

At the 265th pub on our lockdown 'pub crawl'. Not a drop was drunk on our daily walks in April, May, June and July

A BHS ghost sign in Stockport

The ghost sign at the former British Home Stores shop in Stockport town centre is still on view.

A ghost sign on the former BHS in Stockport

It was first uncovered in April last year.

A wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man in Stockport

Spotting a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man in Stockport.

The next time I need some flooring I'll be getting a quote from Floor Giants

I do enjoy spotting wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube men advertising stuff. But I don't see them often enough for my liking. The last one we saw was a Santa airdancer in Dereham, Norfolk last November.

An airdancer - and a wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube man

So it was a real treat when I spotted this fellow while walking home from Stockport town centre on Saturday afternoon!

Totally Stockport Comic Con

80s TV, film and pop culture heaven!

Gremlins causing a scene

We had a marvellous morning at the Totally Stockport FREE Comic Con. What a brilliant event. So much to see and do.

The event was organised by Totally Stockport.

There have been some superb events here in Stockport. The last Comic Con was excellent too. The event was set to become an annual attraction, but the coronavirus put paid to the follow-up event in May 2020.

I've wanted to see K.I.T.T. in real life since I was a little kid. This was amazing!

We're so glad the event went ahead and are looking forward to the next Stockport Comic Con already!

Ecto-1

Urgh, this tauntaun smelled bad on the outside

Me and Chewbacca

R2-D2

Johnny 5

The A-Team van

Dodgeballing again!

Back in action with the Cheadle & Gatley Griffins Dodgeball Club.

It was brilliant to be back in action with the Cheadle & Gatley Griffins Dodgeball Club last night.

Richard Gottfried - Dodgeballer

The session in Parrs Wood, Manchester was the first one for the club's adult members since March 2020.

The games were my first since the 10th March 2020 - that's 777 days!

I played 4, won 2, lost 2 in games. A fun mix of Prison Rules, Super Catch and Secret Spy.

I was also the third last player in the Last Person Standing game at the end of the night.

Check out the Cheadle & Gatley Griffins Dodgeball Club website for more info on the Tuesday night sessions.

See the British Dodgeball website for more info on the serious side of the game.

My 'all-time' Dodgeball Win-Loss Record (2005-2022) now stands at 991 games played, 453 wins, 494 losses and 44 tied games.

I've been playing the game since the eighties so this is my fifth decade!

Jump Heaven Adventure Golf in Stockport

New Adventure Golf course opening at Jump Heaven in Stockport.

The new Pirate Adventure Golf course at Jump Heaven in Hazel Grove, Stockport is opening on Tuesday 1st March.

Visit the Jump Heaven website for more information.

It's the first Adventure Golf course to open in Stockport and will be very local to us and our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

We took a look at the progress of the build in December.

This sign stinks

This sign in Stockport stinks.

This sign stinks

The best Christmas tree I've seen so far this year

We spotted this marvellous Christmas tree made out of skips as we passed by Cheadle Skip Hire on Friday evening!

A Christmas tree at Cheadle Skip Hire

Jump Heaven Adventure Golf in Hazel Grove, Stockport.

A new adventure golf course is being built at Jump Heaven in Hazel Grove, Stockport.

The new Jump Heaven Adventure Golf course at Jump Heaven in Hazel Grove, Stockport is opening in March 2022.

Opening in March 2022

We swung by for a quick look while out on a Sunday drive.

Visit the Jump Heaven website for more information.

It'll be a very local course for us and our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.