WHEN Barlow Moor Road collapsed it unearthed a deeply-buried secret.
The Didsbury village crater opened up last month before reappearing nearly three weeks later. Now, pictures have been found showing a hole in the same spot almost a century ago.
The secret was unearthed by Tracy Sutton, 25, and her friend Saqib Bakht, 26, while they were browsing in Didsbury Library, just a few yards from the hole.
In an uncanny parallel with the present, the vintage images show surprised onlookers peering into the gap.
Tracy, a primary school teacher from Parkville Road, Withington, said: "We found this box of old photographs in a filing cabinet in the library. When we saw the pictures of the hole it was like something out of Doctor Who. It's nearly 100 years ago but it must have something to do with what's happened today."
Manchester library archives suggest the hole from 1914 - the year the First World War broke out - was caused by subsidence and a sewer collapse.
It is believed that today's hole, which measures 8ft by 6ft and is 6ft deep, was caused by a collapsed drain.
Motorists were shocked last month when the road surface caved in seconds after cars and a bus passed. Then, earlier this month, the hole reappeared. United Utilities and engineers from Manchester council have been investigating.
Showing comments 1 to 11 and replies | View All
A Bus Driver (03/06/2009 at 08:48)
Edina Clouds, GREAT Manchester (03/06/2009 at 09:30)
Mybol Zarichin, Scratchin Tons (03/06/2009 at 10:23)
uss midway, Holstein Ostsee. (03/06/2009 at 11:46)
PW, Manchester (03/06/2009 at 12:01)
Mr Manchester (03/06/2009 at 12:50)
Pippa, Manchester (03/06/2009 at 13:26)
Didsbury Blue, Didsbury (03/06/2009 at 13:34)
I certainly hope the first 'repair' is a freebie from the contractor who did a minimal investigation then 18 inches of tarmac, job done. The current repair is into the third week and has a substantial amount of concrete piping in the ground now, I wonder if the offending drain wasn't on the records because the hole is at the junction of two sewers one would have thought the source was obvious given the state of Manchester's Victorian sewer system.
Anyway its provided the usual raft of corny jokes about people "looking into" the hole etc. and a quieter spot to have tea outside for the local cafes.
Guten Tag, Manchester (03/06/2009 at 15:11)
Joe Pub, Manchester (03/06/2009 at 19:22)
Tony Colemans Barman, Manchester 19 lost in Oz (03/06/2009 at 22:08)