Funny how you can look at something many times and one day suddenly realise what you are looking at! This is the gable end of the old Cooperative HQ in Railway street. I have often noted the large window on the second floor and it was only last night that the penny dropped following this mystery object. Look at the smaller window on the floor above directly over the large one. This was where the cat head protruded to serve the hoist which lifted goods up to the large 'window' which is in fact the old taking in door. Clear as day but it's taken me long enough to fathom it!
By the way, the window below was once much larger and was a shop window. The actual entrances to the building were on Cooperative Street.
