tarboat's photos with the keyword: offices

Former Grimsby Waterworks offices, dated 1896. Hewins and Colson, architects; Hewins and Goodhand, builders. Listed Grade II.

The Co-operative Group has built 1 Angel Square in Manchester as its new headquarters offices, and is due to open early in 2013. The 15 storey building will be the home to more than 3,000 employees working across the Group’s family of retailing and financial services businesses.

The Adelaide Steamship Company was formed by a group of South Australian businessmen in 1875. Their aim was to control the transport of goods between Adelaide and Melbourne and profit from the need for an efficient and comfortable passenger service. For the first 100 years of its life, the main activities of the company were conventional shipping operations on the Australian coast, primary products, consumer cargoes and extensive passenger services. In the early 20th century predictions on a great future for the Eyre Peninsula prompted Adelaide Steamship Company to buy new ships for the trade in Spencer Gulf. The Rupara and Paringa were bought from the United Kingdom. This was the beginning of the 'Gulf Trip Excursions'. From Saturday to Thursday the ships made the round trip from Port Adelaide, Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln and home. This trade was not as successful as hoped and ships were soon diverted to other routes to the west. The offices of the company remain at Port Pirie with the house flag still showing alonmg with the company name across the front and etched into the left window and fanlight over the door.

Bradley & Co's trade name was Beldray, an anagram of Bradley; the company name was changed to Beldray in 1977. Their mark was based on a bell on a dray ( = lorry or truck) but sometimes only the name was used. They may have made copper kettles in the late 19th century but started a wide range of brass and copper art metal in about 1903, continuing until 1939 by when they were making brass and copper wares and general hollowware. The company continued in Bilston, now part of Wolverhampton, until 2005. (Information from Frank Sharman). History courtesy of Oldcopper website . Further information about the company can be found here

Prudential Assurance Buildings, Union Street, Oldham. This office building was erected in 1889 by Alfred Waterhouse, who designed a number of offices for the Prudential. The plinth is polished granite and there is plenty of terracotta decoration, particularly on the upper storeys. Again no indication as to the manufacturer of the terracotta, although there were a number of works in the Rochdale area that would have been capable of producing to this quality. The end wall around the corner on the left of this view is faced in white glazed brick, whereas the right side is red brick.

The former offices of Bucklow Rural District Council (1894 - 1974) in Bexton Road, Knutsford. Very much of its time, this building must have been commissioned very soon after the creation of the Council and was completed in 1897. Once again I do not know the source of the terracotta and high quality facing brickwork. What is rather nice is the subtle use of stone in bands running just below the windows and also for decoration on the parapet. There has been local concern for the future of the building but it is currently divided into commercial office units.