CI Didsbury September 14

community

September 2014

Didsbury

View the latest edition at www.communityindex.co.uk

Delivered FREE to homes & businesses in Didsbury

Contents Nazarene Theological College Open to the public 13th-14th September & celebrating 100th birthday

Didsbury Through Time

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Letters from the Great War and an exhibition in Southern Cemetery

Joe Beech Editor

editor@communityindex.co.uk 07875 895 604

Lesley Swann Director

Linsey Parkinson

Didsbury People

Retired head teacher and grandfather of four, Rodney Ashman, on a life in education – and treading the boards!

On the cover Nazarene Theological College

Deadline for next edition 15th September 2014

Marketing & Development

Contributors

Sam Paechter

Andrew Simpson

advertise@communityindex.co.uk 07870 988 601

Accounts

accounts@communityindex.co.uk 07939 077 036

@communityindex www.communityindex.co.uk

149 Ayres Road, Manchester M16 9WR

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Deborah Grace

Katherine Watson Geoff Garnett

Linsey Parkinson

Nazarene Theological College Celebrates 100th birthday

Located at the far end of Dene Road lies a hidden gem of Didsbury and it celebrates its 100th birthday this year.

The White House, built in 1914 was designed by the prominent local architect, Frank Brookhouse Dunkerley and the first owner was thought to be William Melland (1868-1950).

Will Melland and his Belgian wife, Caroline Mertian, had one child, Brian Mertian Melland, who made his name as a WWII historian in the Cabinet Office.

In 1942 the house was bought by Philip Godlee (1890-1952), owner of the textile firm, Simpson and Godlee. Philip was an enthusiastic amateur musician, the chairman of the Halle Concerts Society, and was responsible for appointing John Barbirolli as principal conductor of the Halle Orchestra in 1942. He and Barbirolli became great friends, and the conductor would often come over

to The White House in Didsbury to play string quartets with Godlee and his two daughters, In 1958, the White House was bought by the Church of the Nazarene, and became a theological college which it remains today. Today, Nazarene Theological College (NTC) in Didsbury educates around 250 students from all over the world offering qualifications from Certificate level, through Undergraduate degrees, to Postgraduate Masters and Doctoral Studies.

The College will be open to the public on September 13th (10am to 2pm) and 14th (12:30 to 4pm) as part of Didsbury Civic Society’s Heritage Days and over the weekend there will be special events to celebrate The White House anniversary.

www.nazarene.ac.uk

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Didsbury People

by Deborah Grace

Rodney Ashman

Retired head teacher and grandfather of four, Rodney Ashman, on a life in education – and treading the boards!

How did you come to live in Didsbury?

I grew up in Crewe and came to Didsbury Training College in 1957 to become a primary school teacher. I immediately fell in love with Didsbury and, indeed, with Manchester – such a great city! My wife, Dorothy, and I brought up our children in Didsbury. They attended Didsbury C of E Primary School and I was head teacher there for 10 years. We lived in Didsbury for 35 years, until the children left home, when we downsized to a bungalow in Gatley. We still spend a lot of time in Didsbury, though, and regularly attend St James and Emmanuel Church.

What did you like best about teaching?

The fact that you might make a difference to children’s lives and introduce them to experiences they might not necessarily encounter. I’ll never forget the time I was teaching in Hulme, when we walked 40 boys and girls from school down Deansgate to the Opera House to see ‘The

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Nutcracker’. The ballet opens with a children’s party and, from the moment the music started, our children were enchanted. They remained spellbound for the whole of the performance. Giving children a good self-image is important and I always told them, ‘Yes, you can do this!’ And whatever their academic ability, they have to be encouraged to fulfil their potential.

How are you finding retirement?

I’m enjoying spending more time with family and friends. Dorothy and I recently celebrated our golden wedding anniversary with an afternoon tea for 130 guests in a Cheshire Hotel. It was wonderful to see so many people from so many different areas of our lives – teaching, music, theatre and old school friends.

Our bridesmaid, Mary Roberts, surprised us by turning up from Canada! She and Dolly met at the age of four at The Hollies School in Fallowfield!

What are your interests?

Theatre, primarily. Dorothy and I belong to the Northenden Players

and to South Manchester Amateur Operatic Society, which rehearses in East Didsbury. Like me, Dorothy is a teacher and, for some reason, am dram attracts a lot of teachers.

I suppose, though, that teaching does involve a strong element of acting. Playing Mr Bumble to Dorothy’s Widow Corney in a production of ‘Oliver’ was particularly good fun.

We also love travelling – in Europe and at home. At one time we had a touring caravan and went all over Britain.

What is the most important lesson that life has taught you?

To cope with whatever life throws at you and to get on with it. During difficult times I just try to think of all the good things that have happened and, thankfully, there have been many happy times.

Complete the sentence, ‘I love Didsbury because …’

It’s so cosmopolitan but still retains a warm, village atmosphere. The people here are from all areas of society and I love the fact that many have lived here all their lives.

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Bach Choir appeal for new singers

Pavillion Cafe joins Tag! Scheme

The Manchester Bach Choir is seeking new members to swell its ranks.

The 30-strong chamber choir, which performs regularly at Didsbury’s Emmanuel Church on Barlow Moor Road, is particularly keen to attract sopranos and tenors, but newcomers in all sections are very welcome!

Some previous singing or other musical experience would be helpful. However, if you don’t, but would like to enjoy a new hobby, please come along and try us out at one or two of our Tuesday practices (7.45 – 9.45 pm) at St Andrew’s Community Church, Hall Street, Offerton.

The Pavillion Cafe in Didsbury Park is the latest member of the TAG! Scheme. 2014 TAG! Cards cost just £2.50, and The Pavillion Cafe are offering a tasty 10% off!

The cafe, in Didsbury Park, is run by Didsbury Good Neighbours and functions as a social enterprise supporting the running costs of their building. They’re open Wednesday to Saturday, 10-5pm and 11-5pm on Sundays. Didsbury Good Neighbours really hope that the cafe will become a fixture for many years to come.

Why not go along and sample the high quality hot and cold drinks and lovely home made cakes and pastries for yourself.

For a full list of Tag! Pass It On discounts available visit www.TagPassItOn.com

Rehearsals for the 2014/15 programme will begin on Tuesday 9th September.

Presenting three or four concerts a year, The Manchester Bach Choir tackles a huge range of classical repertoire from Bernstein to Bach. Performing to high musical standards, the choir also has a great reputation for friendliness!

Contact Julie Jones: contact@ manchesterbachchoir.com

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Together Dementia Support Can you offer support to a new dementia project?

A new Community Interest Company is being set up in Manchester to offer more support and community-based activities for people living with dementia. and they’re looking for volunteers who will enjoy sharing time, skills and activities with them.

Dementia (the most common form of which is Alzheimer’s Disease) can be a bewildering condition affecting personality, motivation and reasoning as much as memory.

The person with the illness may lose confidence or try to maintain appearances, arguing that there is nothing wrong with them. Living alone with dementia can lead to neglect and social isolation whilst living, unsupported, with someone who has dementia can place a great strain upon family relationships.

Having worked and studied in the field of dementia care for many years, I know how much self-esteem and wellbeing is boosted when people are included, celebrated and enabled to maintain skills and hobbies. Even as cognitive function is lost, people with dementia retain much of their individuality and ability to enjoy life.

Together Dementia Support will run a weekly drop-in for carers and a varied programme of activity sessions for people with dementia.

This could include indoor bowling,

walking, art & craft, baking, singing, poetry reading, or, perhaps a Men’s Group. There might even be counselling available for anyone who needs it.

If you have time to spare and would like to get involved with this rewarding project, there is a range of volunteering opportunities available. And, most importantly, if you would like to use the service, once it is up and running, please get in touch!

• by Sally Ferris

Travelling down a long, lonely road May seem like no one cares When someone helps you carry the load The trip is light to bear -Lon Cole (who lives with Alzheimer’s disease)

Register your interest by e-mailing or phoning or you can attend an informal meeting to find out more on: Wednesday 17th September, 7.30pm – 9pm

At the PostBox Cafe, Wilbraham Road, Chorlton 07854 335890

sally@togetherdementiasupport.org

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Alexandra Park Children’s Learn

By Linsey Parkinson On a leafy cul-de-sac in Whalley Range, there’s a place where almost anything is possible for children in search of a learning adventure.

Alexandra Park Children’s Learning Community (APCLC), for ages 3 months to 7 years, has a unique ethos. Influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach, the community celebrates children as individuals.

This means allowing them to find their own answers - in their own way and at their own pace.

One of its directors, Dr Susana Lopez Penedo, says: “We don’t call ourselves a school, and we don’t believe that learning should be a passive activity. Children have enormous capacity to create their own learning journeys. We have much smaller groups and a higher adult-to-child ratio than you’d find elsewhere. This means that the teachers, artists and educators who work with us can observe and help them to work together to explore their own interests.”

“While this may seem a very relaxed approach, that’s not the case – it just feels that way for the children. We’re OFSTED inspected and we have an above-average number of qualified teachers. The children all learn Spanish too: speaking two

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ning Community languages at an early age really helps development.”

As parents, we have more freedom to choose our children’s education than we might think, and there’s no obligation to attend full-time mainstream school. It’s clear that children find their own niche at APCLC and feel happy, safe and confident.

Older children help make decisions on what they want to see there and how they’d like money to be spent. They’re outdoors as much as possible; whether that’s out on trips learning about the world, or in the gardens connecting with nature. They especially love to help Geoff, the community’s chef, to plant and harvest produce from the on-site allotment.

Another of the centre’s directors, artist and educator Effie Delphinius, facilitates art and creative activities. “There are so many ways for children to express themselves here. It’s not always about talking – we use an awful lot of paint! Our children really care about what’s around them; they respect themselves and others and become totally absorbed in learning. If a child is upset, the others go to great lengths to comfort him. Another child became passionate about reading and writing because he wanted to help find a lost cat.

The best way to learn is to feel relaxed and enjoy what you do.

That’s our secret. And it works.”

Manchester Progressive Education Children’s Community

Alexandra Park Children’s Learning Community will soon offer places for children aged up to 11 years, in addition to nursery and kindergarten provision.

For more information, visit www.alexandraparkclc.co.uk

Alexandra Park is a vibrant children’s learning community, Bilingual in English and Spanish.

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Places still available for September Contact us today to have a look around Demesne Road, Alexandra Park, Manchester, M16 8PH 0161 226 8080 enquiries@alexandraparkclc.co.uk

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Didsbury Through Time Letters from the Great War and an exhibition in Southern Cemetery

by Andrew Simpson ‘I think we will have a little to say when all this is over.’

It is one of those powerful understatements which so often come from men and women swept up in great events. In this case it is contained in a letter written by George Armstrong to his brother in March 1915.

George was on the Western Front with the First Battalion of the Welsh Fusiliers and he was writing to Ted serving on HMS Orion. And in the exchange of letters we learn that their youngest brother Charlie ‘is expected in London about May the 6 [and that] I should like to see him as its now been close on three years since we met and it seems quite a long time since I was home too.’

living out their lives in a big century’ and the letters are preoccupied by the ordinary things around them.

George reflects on the weather which ‘is still cold and proper brittle at night in the trenches’ while Ted complains of being ‘fed up and wanting something to break the spell, of the same old thing day in and day out with tons of coal too often.’

Both share news of family and of friends who were also destined to go into uniform and there was agreement that their mother should apply for the extra money. They are fascinating glimpses in the conflict now a century behind us but nothing quite prepares you for what is coming.

George sent his letter to Ted on March 7th and Ted replied on the 16th, which is just as it should be, for even in war people write regularly, in fact George chides his brother for not writing more often and Ted asks where a recent postcard he sent has gone.

But the sting in the tail is that on March 15th George died of wounds he had received. The envelope with his brother’s letter was marked in an unknown hand ‘Deceased’ and accompanied by the printed message ‘NEXT OF KIN NOTIFIED.’

In just those four lines these two men pretty well sum up the experiences of millions who found themselves far from home on foreign battlefields with little control over what was happening around them. They were ‘the little people

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It will be the sort of thing that was replicated over and over again during the war but there is something very moving in holding the two letters now a century old and reflecting that on the turn of a week such ordinary letters were given a tragic outcome.

It is a privilege to be able to read them and also to look at the others from the collection of David Harrop.

What makes his collection so valuable is that all of the material comes from those little lives and are about how they coped with it all.

Some of his collection is on permanent display in the Memorial Hall at the entrance to Southern Cemetery.

Pictures: Charlie Armstrong in naval uniform courtesy of David Harrop and The War Memorial

by Peter Topping.

Read more on the history of Didsbury in Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping’s new book Didsbury Through Time.

chorltonhistory.blogspot.com

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Book Review Coraline

Neil Gaiman ‘Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house.’

After moving with her parents into a flat in an old house, only child, Coraline Jones, is bored! It is raining outside and there are no other children for her to play with, the remaining house occupants being two elderly, retired actresses and a bizarre, old man who claims to be training a mouse circus! Mum and Dad are too busy with work to entertain her, so Coraline is left to her own devices.

The adventure begins when Coraline discovers a door that opens into another flat uncannily like her own, yet subtly different. In this parallel world, she finds an alternate mother and father (again resembling her own), waiting to spoil her with delicious food, magical, live toys and, best of all, their undivided attention! Coraline appears to have got what she

wished for, but there is something creepy about the atmosphere of the other flat, not helped by the fact that Coraline’s new parents have big, black buttons for eyes!

Soon, Coraline discovers the Other Mother’s true intentions and finds herself in a terrifying struggle for her own soul.

Although Coraline is Neil Gaiman’s first children’s novel, adult readers are just as likely to be spooked by this deliciously macabre, Freudian fairy tale. In his young protagonist, Gaiman has created a brave, intelligent and resourceful heroine who proves more than a match for the dark forces pitted against her.

• Review by Deborah Grace

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September In Your Garden

By Katherine Watson

Something changes in September, both in the season and in our own internal body clocks.

For me, being overly dramatic, the summer months, June to August, are always experienced with a distant anxiety – they will end; I won’t have made the most of it; I can’t bear the thought of short cold days…. But then September lands and I enter a settled comfort zone that signals the very start of autumn.

Barbara Kingsolver, the American novelist, sums this feeling up beautifully in her book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: “I always harbour a childlike hope through the berry stained months of June and July that summer will be for keeps. But then a day comes in early fall to remind me why it should end after all. In September the quality of daylight shifts toward flirtation”.

This year I am going to embrace September as a true bridge between summer and autumn by introducing some more salvias to my, already creaking, scheme. The huge genus salvia is a member of the mint family, lauded as a medicinal and healing plant since Roman times (Pliny the Elder writes significantly about sage in his encyclopaedic Natural History) and there are some beauties that will take you right up to the first frosts.

One of my current favourite flower colours is pale yellow so I’m going to try salvia x jamensis ‘La Luna’ and ‘Moonlight Over Ashwood’ which not only has pale yellow flowers but yellow leaves too. Salvia x jamensis ‘Los Lirios’ has soft pink flowers held on dusty purple stems and if you want something quite unusual Salvia discolour is a fantastic specimen with indigo blue flowers closely encased in silvery, downy calyces.

Some salvias can border on the tender but general advice seems to be to keep them in the ground and don’t prune until spring to protect the heart of the pant from frost. Some advise taking autumn cuttings just in case, but steady on.

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Sport in Didsbury

By Geoff Garnett

Golf: Withington book is a sell-out success Withington Golf Club has produced a superb new book entitled Withington Golf Club – An Illustrated History, Volume 1: 1892-1974. The book, written by Mike Casey, who wrote the club’s Centenary book back in 1992, has over 380 pages in a hardback cover. Every copy of the limited edition has been purchased.

Mike joined Withington in 1960 as a junior and progressed to become a long-time single-figure handicap

player who has represented the club in team matches for 48 years.

A three-time club champion, Mike especially enjoyed playing the old course in the 1960s and witnessed the huge changes to the course and the clubhouse in the early 1970s as a consequence of the construction of the M63 (M60) motorway.

Mike, a former schoolteacher, said: “The book was a team effort. My special thanks are extended to Paul Lilley, who spent countless hours applying his editorial and technological expertise, and to Ken Hulme, a past President, for overseeing the production of the project.

Pictured: Mike with book “The book contains around 600 items in the form of photographs, maps, scorecards and primary source material, all with dates, titles, and captions where necessary. In 1974, the new clubhouse was opened and it seemed an appropriate year in which to complete this first volume.

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Community share offer: local wood for sustainability Our woodfuels have an embedded carbon 94% to 98% lower than the EU fossil fuel average. We make firewood, sawn timber and biomass woodchip mainly from wood produced by routine treework. The local wood economy can and must play a vital role in the transition to an ethical and sustainable world.

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£80,000 raised so far!

Help us to raise a further £70,000 by 30th September 2014 for: • More equipment for more efficient firewood-processing and delivery • A biomass powered kiln so that we can dry our sawn timber ourselves, without using fossil fuels • Increased working capital

You get: • Membership including full voting rights • Interest on your investment • Shares repaid on request, subject to board approval • Enterprise Investment Scheme relief – a tax refund of 30% of the amount invested (subject to approval and eligibility)

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Community Index Local groups and useful numbers Clubs, Societies & Groups

Sports Club 07813 121478

Acting For Fun Central, Didsbury 431 4794

Friends of Fletcher Moss Park Alan Hill 215 0971 awhill@globalnet.co.uk

Didsbury Civic Society didsburycivicsociety.org.uk Didsbury Cricket Club didsburyccsports.co.uk Didsbury Good Neighbours Every Tues 10-11.45am coffee morning. Holt Pavilion, Didsbury Park 07749 504298 www. didsburygoodneighbours.org.uk Didsbury Ladies’ Probus Club Alternate Monday afternoons in East Didsbury. Joan Woodall 434 2532

Didsbury Men’s Probus Club Alternate Thursday mornings in East Didsbury. Bill Woodall 434 2532 Didsbury Lawn Tennis Club Bob Peel, 445 0465 didsburyccsports.co.uk Didsbury Players celestaplayers.co.uk

Didsbury Village East Residents Association dvera.co.uk Didsbury Village WI didsburyvillagewi.co.uk

Dolls House and Miniatures Group 2nd Monday of each month, 8-10pm, Whalley Range Venue.

Ann 07814 861285 Eat Green free cookery school, food bank, garden tool libraries and community growing activities. info@eatgreen.co.uk www. eatgreen.co.uk

Ford Bank Residents Association fordbankresidents.org.uk

Frets community guitar and singing, Fridays 10am, Didsbury

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Friends of Didsbury Park friendsofdidsburypark.co.uk

Friends of Marie Louise Gardens marielouisegardens.org.uk Manchester JKF Karate Club Didsbury MMU Sports Centre, Tuesdays 8.30pm Ben Pollock, 07894108944

Oneness Deeksha Meditation Saturdays 11am-12 at The Didsbury Parsonage. Donation £2 Christine 07734 072040.

South Manchester Camera Club Mondays at 8-10pm, Didsbury Methodist Church smcc.org.uk Didsbury Over 50s Group 247 2323

South Manchester U3A 1st Tuesday of the month 2pm, Emmanuel Church. Edna 434 2509

West Didsbury Bookgroup Meets every four weeks at 7.30pm. Lively mixed group of all ages. Call 445 4483 leaving your name, address & landline

New Family Social UK charity for LGBT adopters, foster carers and their children. Meets every month in south Manchester. newfamilysocial.org.uk email: nwdevelopment@newfamilysocial. co.uk

Useful Numbers Didsbury Library 227 3755

Environment on Call 954 9000 Mersey Valley Countryside Warden Service 905 1100 Manchester City Council 234 5000

Didsbury East Councillors Andrew Simcock cllr.a.simcock@ manchester.gov.uk James Wilson cllr.j.wilson@ manchester.gov.uk

Bridie Adams cllr.b.adams@ manchester.gov.uk

Didsbury West Councillors

West Didsbury Residents Association westdidsburyresidentsassoc@ gmail.com westdidsbury.org.uk

Josie Teubler cllr.j.teubler@ manchester.gov.uk

Withington Civic Society Roger Smith 445 1473 withingtoncivicsociety.org.uk

David Ellison cllr.d.ellison@ manchester.gov.uk

Social & Support Groups Manchester Diabetes Support Network Details/ venues/ monthly dates etc diabetesinmanchester@gmail.com 860 5688/07414 635992

Carl Ollerhead cllr.c.ollerhead@ manchester.gov.uk

Local MP John Leech - MP

8 Gawsworth Avenue M20 5NF Tel: 434 3334 johnleechmp@ parliament.uk

Are you part of a voluntary or community group?

Drop Joe an email on editor@communityindex.co.uk

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21

Business Index Bathrooms

Bathroom Angels

5

Building & Maintenance

16 16 13 21

Carpenter

Chorlton Carpenters Didsbury Carpenter

22 16

Together Dementia Support

Chimney Sweep

Acorn Chimney Sweeping

Cleaning

Oven Wizards Profresh Carpet Cleaners

Clothing

Punk n’ Disorderly

Make It!

8

Education

Best Cellars Fine Finish Leapfrog Home Window Wise

Charity

Crafts

9 14 22 21

Alexandra Park CLC Kip McGrath

Firewood & Timber Tree Station

11 14 19

Gardening

Bud Garden Centre 21 17 Fat Grass Garden Design Grass Roots Garden Design 4 13 Green Charter 15 Green Designs

Hairdressing Clive Victor Gale

7

Health & Wellbeing

Alexander Technique Buddha Beauty Exhale Therapy

7

10 8 18

Language School

Alliance Francais Instituto Cervantes

Local Map

Didsbury Village Map

2 24 15

Painting & Decorating

Alan Stuart Traditional Decorator Carol Smith Home Improvement

Physiotherapy Village Physio

Solicitors

HLF Berry Slater Heelis

Trade Association Didsbury Traders

Tree Services Tree Station

14 14

10 7 23 15 19

Please note: Community Index accepts no responsibility for transactions entered into or work undertaken by any of the businesses advertising in the Index or any loss, harm or damage arising from using any of the products & services listed.

We clean your oven… so you don’t have to Call today to have your oven, hob, extractor or Aga professionally cleaned Ian Glancy Mob Tel: 07580 765765

www.ovenwizards.com 22

CUPBOARDS SHELVES PLANTATION SHUTTERS chorltoncarpenters.co.uk

07917 035 270

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© Elin Beckmann

Are you separating and unsure which path to take?

Slater Heelis has provided clear direction for over 240 years.

Our team of Resolution family specialists are here to support you with first class legal advice and provide the direction you need. The team focuses on divorce, separation, civil partnerships, same sex marriages, finances, pre-nups/post-nups and children arrangements.

Our family team all live in and around the South Manchester area; living within the same community offers us a unique insight into what affects all our daily lives.

You are just a tram ride away from one of our offices in Manchester city centre or Sale.

““I’ve I moved its bohemian, livedto in Whalley ChorltonRange for 10 for years and love vibrant atmosphere and being so close to the attitude and culture of the place.

Chorlton.

Having the independent bars and We love the bars and restaurants, especially shops all within walking distance is great the Beagle, Electrik,San Juan and the cafénot to mention the tram links to the city.” in Longford Park”.

Mark Heptinstall Head of ourSolicitor Family Department Helen Thompson | Consultant

Get in touch with our family team

family@slaterheelis.co.uk 0161 835 3681 www.slaterheelis.co.uk

@familylawnw

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