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Whitworth Street West, MANCHESTER, M1 5WW

Runs between the Rochdale canal and Whitworth Street.

Built in 1928 on Whitworth Street West by the architects Cruickshank and Seaward, the Ritz is a dance hall with an apparently very springy dance floor and a revolving stage. The outside is clad in white faïence sporting trophies with musical instruments. With the decline of classic dancing and the emergence of pop and rock 'n' roll music The Ritz was transformed into a live music venue even hosting The Beatles in the 1960s. It still kept its style however, and with that allowed for artists such as Frank Sinatra to play shows there. The Ritz also hosted the "Dancing In The Dark" night with Phillip Moss throughout the 1950s and 60s, who was the band master for 17 years and known as "The King of The Ritz". The Ritz went through a £2 million refurbishment in 2011. While many of the old nooks and crannies were fixed up it still stayed true to its image as an old dance hall, even keeping the old curved, bouncy floor.

Platform 5 at Manchester Oxford Road is for train that terminate at or start from the station.

Unlike the Newton-le-Willows route Image, services from Liverpool via Warrington are still using diesel units. 156460 is seen here on platform 3.

Clad in white faience. Dated 1927-28, an early commission of Cruickshank & Seward who went on to favour white concrete. Grade II listed. It has not strayed far from its roots as a dance hall, even if the style of dancing, and the music, have changed. More info here: Image

The former Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway viaduct to the right, just west of Oxford Street station, is listed grade 2 (list entry 1200837).

This was built in 1914 by Harry S Fairhurst as a warehouse backing on to the Rochdale Canal for R Barclay & Co http://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/tours/tour7/area7page38.html It has recently been converted in managed office accommodation https://www.barclayhousemanchester.com/

Before the conversion of the Altrincham line to tram operation in the early 1990s, Liverpool trains departed from platform 1, and the Chester service from Platform 5. After the conversion, Chester trains start from Piccadilly and run via Stockport, so platform 5 has been freed up for terminating trains from Liverpool now operated by class 156 units.

This former dance hall is now grade 2 listed (list entry 1254888) which is probably why it has escaped the developers.