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Then and Now: Ashton Old Road, Higher Openshaw

THEN: The Empire

Sadly, the laundry once known by everyone in the neighbourhood as the Empire is no more, and only a small section of it remains.

The image here, taken in 1960, should bring memories flooding back for avid Then & Now readers who may still live in the area and have used the washhouse many times themselves.

As it was large enough to manage the weekly wash, women would make the communal gathering to wash away their cares as much as do the laundry.

NOW: Window sales

Nearby, the Fairfield Settlement, established in the middle of the 18th century, gives Tameside an unusual claim to fame.

The Moravians, an internationalist Protestant church, can trace their history to the 15th century, 45 years after they first came to the town of Dukinfield.

The archive photograph is part of a collection chronicling the changing face of Manchester during the past 250 years.

The collection of 77,000 images can be found on computer at Manchester Central Library.

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