Gee Cross

infobox UK place
country = England
map_type= Greater Manchester
latitude= 53.438001
longitude= -2.067748
population=
official_name= Gee Cross
metropolitan_borough= Tameside
region= North West England
metropolitan_county= Greater Manchester
constituency_westminster= Stalybridge and Hyde
post_town= HYDE
postcode_district = SK14
postcode_area= SK
dial_code= 0161
os_grid_reference= SJ9593

Gee Cross is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies at the edge of the town of Hyde. The centre of the village dates back to the times of the domesday book, however the large nearby town of Hyde grew up in the Industrial Revolution, and now Gee Cross merges into the southern part of Hyde.

It is unclear where the boundaries of Gee Cross are, as it does not have parish status. Tradition would dictate that the northern boundary is at the corner of Lilly Street and Stockport Road, at a location known as the "big tree". The big tree commemerates those that lost their lives in the Falklands conflict of 1982.

Gee Cross is home to a, recently evolved, Well Dressing festival, which is an ancient custom in the Pennines. There is also another recent addition, an annual village fete, a major fund raising event for local charities which is held on the site of a former reservoir which is now classified as the village green.

Features

The centre of the village hosts a "Tesco Express" convenience store, Hairdressing salons, Barbers shops, Newsagents, Fish and Chip Shop, Indian Takeaway, Thai Restaurant, Bistro, Laundrette, Pharmacy, Bakers, Beauty Salons, Off-licence, Playgroups/Nurseries, Garage, and a few office based businesses are also located there.

There was a post office in the village, but this was closed down in the recent phasing out of many village post offices. There is a small cluster of shops and one of the outlying estates which has a post office.

There are numerous pubs in the village to suit various tastes.

The two primary schools are Dowson Primary and Gee Cross Holy Trinity (CoE). Just outside Gee Cross is Alder Community High School, which is a new high school built in 2004

There are Anglican, Methodist, and Unitarian Churches. The Unitarian Churchin the centre of the village is known as Hyde Chapel.

Gee Cross is built on the side of a hill called Werneth Low. This is the first of the Pennines and, until local government reorganisation in 1974, the highest hill in Cheshire.

Werneth Low is mostly a protected country park, that was first created as a war memorial by the people of Hyde. It has a visitors centre and ranger service.

On a clear day, there are spectacular views as far as Bolton, Wigan and, on a very clear day, the Welsh mountains. Sightseers can view Manchester city centre, including the tallest tower in the UK outside London - Beetham Tower. The Hare and Hounds pub sits on the top of Werneth Low, as does Hyde Cricket and Squash club, and Werneth Low Golf Club.

Famous People from Gee Cross

*Ricky Hatton (Boxer)
*Tony Husband (Cartoonist)
*Brian Day (Session Musician) Bassist, Musical Director, Composer, Arranger, Radio, Records and TV, Founder member of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra
*Benjamin Rowbotham (Left back, Defender. Hyde United Footballer)
*Warren Bradley - Manchester United Footballer
*Nigel Howard (First class cricketer) was born in Gee Cross, Hyde, and played test cricket for England. He played first class cricket for Lancashire between 1946 and 1954, he played his four tests between 1951 and 1952. He became Lancashire’s youngest ever captain in 1949 and in 1950 he led Lancashire to a shared Championship title. [cite web |url=http://content-www.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/14282.html |author=Wisden Cricket Monthly |title=Nigel Howard player profile |publisher=Cricinfo.com |accessdate=2007-08-28]

References