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Page 1: CI Didsbury - December 14

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

Delivered FREE to homes & businesses in Didsbury

communitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunityDidsbury

December 2014

communitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunitycommunity

Page 2: CI Didsbury - December 14
Page 3: CI Didsbury - December 14

On the cover‘Pretty Paper Baubles’ Christmas decorations by Ministry of Craft - fi nd out how to make your own on page 8

Deadline for n� t editionContent 5th DecemberAdvertising 7th December

ContributorsDeborah Grace Andrew SimpsonKatherine WatsonGeoff GarnettLinsey Parkinson

L� ley SwannDirector

Joe BeechEditor [email protected] 07875 895 604

Sam [email protected] 07939 077 036

Linsey ParkinsonMarketing & Development [email protected] 07870 988 601

@communityindex www.communityindex.co.uk149 Ayres Road, Manchester M16 9WR

Contents

4Didsbury People

8

12-134

8

4444

Local Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift Guide

Page 4: CI Didsbury - December 14

How long have you lived in Didsbury?I’ve lived in West Didsbury since 1990. I came up to Manchester from the New Forest in 1984 to work as an assistant editor for Granada. Since 1993, I’ve been a freelance dubbing editor on dramas like ‘Blue Murder’, ‘Mrs Biggs’ and ‘An Appropriate Adult’ and I teach post-production sound for a film course at Fielden Park. I also produce and sell the ‘area’ mugs (Didsbury, West Didsbury, Chorlton etc). But charity work takes up a huge amount of my time.How do you feel about the newly restored Lapwing Lane canopy?It looks fantastic! Over two and a half years we managed to raise £92,000 to rebuild the canopy. Instead of a run-down wreck with smashed windows, we now have a thing of beauty. It’s part of the area’s heritage and because

local people contributed to it, they treat it with real pride and respect.Tell me about Light Up the Didsburys!After I joined the Didsbury Traders Association a year and a half ago, the Council told us there would be no more money for Christmas lights in Didsbury.

So a group of us traders and local campaigners

joined forces. Over the past year we’ve raised over £5,000 through charity quizzes and raffles and we’re hoping for a bit extra in private

sponsorship. This Christmas there will

be three light switch-ons in the area: one in

Didsbury village; one in Burton Road and another, for the first time, along the Lapwing Lane arcade. I can’t wait!Where do you fi nd your motivation?My childhood was very hard. After Dad left, my mum had to bring up five of us on her own. Then our house burned

down and, for four or five years afterwards, we lived in caravans. That experience has had a profound effect on me and I see life as very sad. So it helps me to keep busy. I’m a real doer; I love people and I love organising things. If I go with something, I give it 110%.What makes you happy?Being with family. I’m so proud of my girls, Poppy and Belle; and my partner, Steve, is my backbone. How will you spend Christmas?It’s important to spend Christmas with family and friends. On Christmas morning we’ll have a glass of champagne with smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Then Steve and I will cook an enormous turkey – I always buy a 16-pounder because it’s traditional. On New Year’s Eve we’ll have friends over and I’ll cook a seven to ten course meal for eight of us!Complete the sentence, ‘I love Didsbury because…’‘… in a big city, Didsbury is a little, beating heart and people here have a strong sense of community.’

Didsbury Peopleby Deborah Grace

Community activist, Clare Howarth, has been the force behind many local fundraising campaigns, including the restoration of the Lapwing Lane canopy and her more recent Christmas project - Light Up the Didsburys!

Clare Howarth

4

Page 5: CI Didsbury - December 14

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Page 6: CI Didsbury - December 14

6

HR CONSULTANCY IN MANCHESTER

Every business has a legal obligation and responsibility to its staff, whether it has 1 or 100 employees.PRIDE in People can help with all your people-related issues.

Fiona Carter M. 07989 471546E. [email protected]

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Training on all aspects of HR

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Make sure you’re on the right side of Employment Law

Short, friendly craft courses in the heartof Manchester’s Northern Quarter

sewing | knitting | printing | jewellery

Page 7: CI Didsbury - December 14

This time of year is a favourite for crafters: the dark, but cosy, nights give us a chance to try some new skills and tackle those more detailed projects. December is also the start of the festive season, when crafting is at its very best. Our friends at the Ministry of Craft have taken a bit of time out from their programme of courses to show us a decorative crafty quick fi x, with a high-end, purse-friendly result. Add a touch of handmade to your home, or to someone’s Christmas stockings!

Cra� y Chr� tm� Pretty Paper Bauble

Layout your cupcake cases on a work surface (which makes the next repetitive actions easier!). Take your pencil, with the rubber facing upward and place the centre of the case over the rubber. Carefully scrunch the case around the pencil.

Place a blob of hot glue at the centre of the case and, using the pencil, stick the case to the polystyrene ball with a firm push.

Repeat this method until you have glued cases the full circumference of the ball. Each case should be around 1 cm apart (they’ll fan out to cover any gaps) and most balls handily have a line around the centre you can follow as a guide to start you off.

You can layer up different colours and patterns of cup cake cases, to create alternative looks.

Once the ball is almost covered, fold over a 10cm piece of cord or ribbon to make a loop and glue onto the centre of the remaining circle. Continue to add your cupcake cases around the ribbon.

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1

3

2

4 5

You will need :Polystyrene ball – any size larger than 7 cm diameterPencil with a rubber on the endMini or standard cup cake cases (approximately 100 standard size cases should cover one bauble) Hot-glue gun 10 cm of ribbon or cord for hanging

Page 8: CI Didsbury - December 14

Manchester Bach Choir Autumn Concert 2014

8

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• driveway

• tree surgery

• fencing & hedging

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Saturday 6th December The Lads in Their Hundreds…In Remembrance7.30pm The Manchester Bach Choir presents a moving concert of remembrance to mark the centenary of the Great War.

Fauré: RequiemElgar: With Proud ThanksgivingSullivan: Boer War Te DeumStanford: Last Post

Soloists: Deborah Grace (soprano), Paul Chamberlain (baritone)Ian Hunter: trumpetPeter Kwater: organ Jim Cooke: conductorAdmission: £9(£6 concessions)Emmanuel Church, Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury

Tickets available on the door, or www.manchesterbachchoir.com 0161 366 0532We are recruiting new members – come and join us now!

Pupils at St Catherine’s RC Primary School are hoping to hit the high notes with their latest fundraising bid.Renowned Manchester tenor, Martin Toal, is joining forces with youngsters at St Catherine’s, on School Lane, in a magical, music-making venture to raise money for local charity, Francis House Children’s Hospice.Martin and the children have just made a CD of Christmas songs and carols, which is now for sale. Martin, who has sung for the Queen and at Wembley Stadium for the England football team, will also be taking part in the school’s charity carol concert, taking place on Thursday 11th December at St Catherine’s RC Church. All proceeds from the sale of CDs and concert tickets will go to Francis House, which supports children with life-limiting conditions, and their families, throughout the North West. A sponsored fun and fitness day, held at the school earlier this year, has already raised more than £4,000 for the charity.Said Martin Toal: “I knew about the wonderful work carried out by Francis house and I wanted to do something to help. St Catherine’s is literally around the corner and the school already has strong links with the charity. And what could be more inspiring than seeing children help other children by raising money and awareness of such a great cause?”

St Catherine’s Primary SchoolSinging star Martin Toal joins school pupils in musical fundraiser

charity, Francis House Children’s Hospice.Martin and the children have just made a CD of Christmas songs and carols, which is now for sale. Martin, who has sung for the Queen and at Wembley Stadium for the England football team, will also be taking part in the school’s

Catherine’s RC Church. All proceeds

limiting conditions, and their families, throughout the North West. A sponsored fun and fitness day, held at the school earlier this year, has already raised more

wonderful work carried out by Francis house and I wanted to do something to help. St Catherine’s is literally around the corner and the school already has strong links with the charity. And what could be more inspiring than seeing children help

Page 9: CI Didsbury - December 14

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Page 10: CI Didsbury - December 14

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0161 448 7844

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Pauline Leng MSTATwww.alexandertechniquemanchester.net ☎ 445 8530  mob 07821470349The Didsbury Holistic Centre and Lidgate Grove Didsbury   

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Workshop Only: £7.50 (£5.50 un/low waged)Concert Only: £7.50 (£5.50 un/low waged)Workshop and Concert: £14 (£10 un/low waged)(PRICE INCLUDES FESTIVE REFRESHMENTS)#To Buy Tickets go to: http://www.wegottickets.com/TheLovenotes

Helen and The Lovenotes

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Workshop: 6.30- 7.30pmConcert: 8 - 9.30pm

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Workshop Only: £7.50 (£5.50 un/low waged)Concert Only: £7.50 (£5.50 un/low waged)Workshop and Concert: £14 (£10 un/low waged)(PRICE INCLUDES FESTIVE REFRESHMENTS)#To Buy Tickets go to: http://www.wegottickets.com/TheLovenotes

SATURDAY 20TH DEC SATURDAY 20TH DEC ST. JOHNS, OLD TRAFFORDM16 7GX

Page 11: CI Didsbury - December 14

11

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Join Chant Productions choir to perform live at sports stadiums across the UK and get a ticket to watch the match afterwards.

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Page 12: CI Didsbury - December 14

Local Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift Guide

Gourmet French hampers (prices vary) Full of Gallic charm and impeccable taste. Tailor-make a hamper of wonderful food and drink for the foodie Francophile in your life. Epicerie Ludo, 46 Beech Road, Chorlton

German Deco Teaset (£75) Bin the ugly mugs and teabags in 2015: hark back to a more refined age with a sophisticated tea party and your very best crockery. From a range at Planet Vintage Girl, 252 Chester Road, M15

Happy Hopperz (£26.99) Every year has its must-have toy and this is it. It’s a spacehopper, but not as we know it. Hours of brilliant four-legged bouncing fun for ages 1-5. Giddy Goat Toys, 2 Albert Hill St, Didsbury

Silver clay fingerprint pendant (from £60) Give Christmas the personal touch – quite literally – with this gorgeous keepsake. Have fun making it too, with a little help from Mauro and his team. Pottery Corner, 34 Beech Road, Chorlton

Crafting Gift Vouchers (prices vary) We’re all born creative: help your loved ones find their niche with courses in a wide range of crafts: jewellery making, knitting, crochet, printing, papercrafts and loads more. Learn to make this gorgeous little dress in February. Ministry of Craft: buy online at ministryofcraft.co.uk

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3. 8.

8.

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Silver Marcasite and Mother of Pearl Pendant  (£30) Timeless elegance and style to suit ladies of all ages. Yes please! From a range at the new independent master jeweller, Wilbrahams of Chorlton, 504 Wilbraham Road

Local Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift GuideLocal Gift Guide

Didsbury Through Time by Peter Topping and Andrew Simpson (£14.99) Regular readers will know Andrew from his local history column in this magazine. His book, which tells the story of a fast-changing Didsbury, is packed with great then-and-now photography. A must-have for anyone who loves M20. Available from all good bookshops

Massage and treatment vouchers (from £25) A recovery aid, post festive season. Choose from physiotherapy, podiatry and massage: £25 buys 30 minutes of oily bliss. Flagging fitness resolutions? You’re not alone: follow Diary of a Closet Slacker at didsburyphysio.co.uk. Village Physio, 3 Warburton Street, Didsbury

Hornby R2940 Industrial Loco (£19.99)Now arriving in Chorlton is a little piece of model railway heaven where you can pick up some as-new bargains. Whether your gift needs are OO gauge or N gauge, David will have something that’s on the right track. Manchester Model Railways, 34 Manchester Road, Chorlton

10.

10.

Kitsch Bambi (£8)This Etsy store has an eclectic collection, from mid-century kitchenalia to dancing clogs and flamenco coasters. There’s a fine array of old-school baubles too: Christmas kitsch starts here. Have a good rummage at Dig Vintage – www.digvintage.co.uk

9.

5. Doris & Dude bamboo socks (£4.99 and £7)No ordinary socks, these. Super-soft and super eco-friendly, they keep feet fresh with their splendid blend of bamboo and organic cotton. Available in both ankle and calf lengths, but only from Punk and Disorderly, 103 Manchester Road, Chorlton

6.Local Gift Guide

Page 13: CI Didsbury - December 14

Local Gift Guide

Gourmet French hampers (prices vary) Full of Gallic charm and impeccable taste. Tailor-make a hamper of wonderful food and drink for the foodie Francophile in your life. Epicerie Ludo, 46 Beech Road, Chorlton

German Deco Teaset (£75) Bin the ugly mugs and teabags in 2015: hark back to a more refined age with a sophisticated tea party and your very best crockery. From a range at Planet Vintage Girl, 252 Chester Road, M15

Happy Hopperz (£26.99) Every year has its must-have toy and this is it. It’s a spacehopper, but not as we know it. Hours of brilliant four-legged bouncing fun for ages 1-5. Giddy Goat Toys, 2 Albert Hill St, Didsbury

Silver clay fingerprint pendant (from £60) Give Christmas the personal touch – quite literally – with this gorgeous keepsake. Have fun making it too, with a little help from Mauro and his team. Pottery Corner, 34 Beech Road, Chorlton

Crafting Gift Vouchers (prices vary) We’re all born creative: help your loved ones find their niche with courses in a wide range of crafts: jewellery making, knitting, crochet, printing, papercrafts and loads more. Learn to make this gorgeous little dress in February. Ministry of Craft: buy online at ministryofcraft.co.uk

1.

1.

9.

3.

11.

11.

3. 8.

8.

2.

2.

6.

7.

5.

4.

4.

7.

Silver Marcasite and Mother of Pearl Pendant  (£30) Timeless elegance and style to suit ladies of all ages. Yes please! From a range at the new independent master jeweller, Wilbrahams of Chorlton, 504 Wilbraham Road

8.

Didsbury Through Time by Peter Topping and Andrew Simpson (£14.99) Regular readers will know Andrew from his local history column in this magazine. His book, which tells the story of a fast-changing Didsbury, is packed with great then-and-now photography. A must-have for anyone who loves M20. Available from all good bookshops

Massage and treatment vouchers (from £25) A recovery aid, post festive season. Choose from physiotherapy, podiatry and massage: £25 buys 30 minutes of oily bliss. Flagging fitness resolutions? You’re not alone: follow Diary of a Closet Slacker at didsburyphysio.co.uk. Village Physio, 3 Warburton Street, Didsbury

Hornby R2940 Industrial Loco (£19.99)Now arriving in Chorlton is a little piece of model railway heaven where you can pick up some as-new bargains. Whether your gift needs are OO gauge or N gauge, David will have something that’s on the right track. Manchester Model Railways, 34 Manchester Road, Chorlton

10.

10.

Kitsch Bambi (£8)This Etsy store has an eclectic collection, from mid-century kitchenalia to dancing clogs and flamenco coasters. There’s a fine array of old-school baubles too: Christmas kitsch starts here. Have a good rummage at Dig Vintage – www.digvintage.co.uk

9.

5. Doris & Dude bamboo socks (£4.99 and £7)No ordinary socks, these. Super-soft and super eco-friendly, they keep feet fresh with their splendid blend of bamboo and organic cotton. Available in both ankle and calf lengths, but only from Punk and Disorderly, 103 Manchester Road, Chorlton

6.Local Gift Guide

Page 14: CI Didsbury - December 14

‘History isn’t history if it’s about a time after your granddad’s first birthday’ was the oft repeated comment of one of my teachers back at Samuel Pepys Secondary Modern School. Now I know what he meant. Only with the passing of a few generations can you get to see how events play out and to what extent they were the big moment or just a hiccup in the passage of time. But that does rather sideline so many interesting stories which are then just lost forever. And in the same way often leads us to discard those more recent pictures of the past which pretty much look like today.I was reminded of this when I came across this image of the War Memorial and Library from 1959. At first glance it does not look that much different but that is to ignore the huge changes that have occurred in just the last

few decades.When Tuck and Son distributed this picture postcard, there was still a railway station opposite with a regular service into the heart of the city and the Jones family, having returned their overdue library books, had a choice of shops to visit.They could have wandered from the station up towards School Lane, calling in at grocery shops, a newsagents, Smith’s the dry cleaners and Tiny Tots (Outfitters) Ltd, along with Rushton’s the shoe repair service and BSM Radio. Inside, they would have been greeted with that old fashioned style of shop, with wooden and glass counters, high shelves and a lack of background music and customer announcements. And if that was not enough, there was the cafe on the corner of Warburton Road, along with the Conservative Club above R Dunn’s and the Liberal

Party Offices beside The Paint Shop, selling Capital Wallpapers, on School Lane.Today the same stretch is dominated by cafes and restaurants with a few independent traders, which is not to pass judgement on the changes, only to reflect that there will be many stories and even pictures of the time just 56 years ago when Tuck and Sons sold their picture postcard of the War Memorial and Library with its uncluttered pavement and parked scooter.All of which is a prelude to an appeal for memories, stories and pictures of this not so distant Didsbury.Picture; War Memorial and Library from the series, Didsbury, Lilywhite, issued by Tuck & Sons, 1959, courtesy of TuckDB http://tuckdb.org/history

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

by Andrew Simpson

Didsbury � rough � meThoughts on a Didsbury just 56 years ago

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Page 15: CI Didsbury - December 14

I’m the one who’s left behind. I’m the one to tell the tale. I knew them both... knew how they lived and how they died. Orpheus, the celebrated poet and musician of Greek mythology, travelled down to the underworld in an attempt to bring his beloved wife, Eurydice, back from the dead. In David Almond’s contemporary re-telling, the protagonists are teenagers and the setting is Tyneside, but the ancient tale loses nothing of its original power and lyricism in the hands of a storyteller whose hauntingly beautiful prose has the hypnotic, dreamlike quality of poetry.

Claire, the novel’s narrator, is Ella Grey’s best friend. The two girls have grown up together and now, their school days nearly ended, Ella, Claire and their friends are heady with the freedom and promise of a glittering future. Then, during a wild, Easter camping trip on the rain-swept Northumberland coast, a mysterious stranger appears on the beach and casts a musical charm over the party of young adults. From the start it is Ella who is caught hardest and Claire can only watch, helpless, as her childhood friend is lost to the cataclysmic force of first love.Drawing on mythic forces,

Almond’s story captures both the intensity and fragility of adolescent love, whilst the bleak beauty of Bamburgh beach provides the perfect landscape for the unfolding tragedy. Whether or not readers are familiar with the classical Greek legend, they will find Almond’s writing as compelling as Orpheus’s song.• Review by Deborah Grace

I felt no pain or fear at the moment of my passing, just a simple slipping away. I died as I had lived. Quietly, gently, leaving little trace.A young bride, wed at Christmas, leads her guests in a merry game of hide and seek – with tragic consequences. Many readers will be familiar with the title tale, a popular ghost story associated with any number of English stately homes. Indeed, all of the stories in Kate Mosse’s beautifully written collection are inspired by traditional folklore and legends from England and France. Here, as in the best of truly haunting tales, it is the landscapes

themselves, as much as the wretched spirits, that linger in the reader’s imagination long after each story’s telling. On the melancholy salt marshes of West Sussex, a horrifying apparition in the form of a tattered, vengeful corpse is accompanied by ‘the stench of seaweed and rotting eggs.’ On a beach in Brittany, a young boy watches as the sea turns to glass and the souls of the drowned emerge, cloaked in ‘dancing ribbons of flame’. A grieving mother travels alone to south west France to find peace at the remote mountain site of an ancient atrocity. And on a grey, December

afternoon in Chichester Cathedral, a widow bids farewell to the Ghost of Christmas Past.The tales are all the more powerful for their simple, direct prose, while the accompanying author’s notes add a fascinating, personal perspective.• Review by Deborah Grace

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A Song for Ella GreyDavid Almond

The Mistletoe Bride and other Haunting TalesKate Mosse

Book Reviews

Page 16: CI Didsbury - December 14

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16

Page 17: CI Didsbury - December 14

Garden DesignPlanting AdviceConsultation ServiceProject Managment

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December In Your GardenBy Katherine Watson

17

At the end of my decking I have an acer, palmatum atropurpureum, a Japanese maple that I planted about ten years ago when I got it free with some Queen of the Night tulips from Parkers. Back then, it was a tiny stick of a plant that battled in its not ideal position of shade, leaning forward as it grew to reach the light. I’ve neglected it gently over the years, but it has valiantly kept going, with a moderate display during the autumn leaf fall and as a regular perch for a variety of birds eyeing up the feeder nearby. This year, I am determined to look after it a bit more in the hope that it will shine a little brighter, as it should. During the late summer, a very large sycamore that had become an ivy ball, in the neighbour’s garden, but situated right against our boundary, blew down taking with it the long cast of shade from our garden. The effect was incredible; the garden was immediately brighter and light was able

to access previously shady nooks and crannies, including the area where my poor acer is. On the other side, I have a berberis hedge which also leans towards the light and is a bit woody at the acer end so I’m going to take out a section of that to allow some light in from that side too. It won’t know itself. It fits well into the December garden – the shape of acers is generally quite satisfying without leaves and since I’ve had new decking - a black composite deck which cost as much as a small house - the garden could be moving in an East Asian direction (not physically but thematically of course). This serenity and sophistication will have to wait though, because this month, I’ll be dressing my acer up with some coloured festoon lights (I’ve been after some for ages), dusting off the nodding reindeer and embracing the necessary naff and tack of Christmas.

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[email protected] us on 0161 882 001034 Beech Road, Chorltonwww.potsareforpainting.co.uk

Page 18: CI Didsbury - December 14

18

Sport in DidsburyBy Geoff Garnett

Northenden Golf Club suffered a devastating blow when their 100-year-old clubhouse was completely gutted by fire. Beginning in the early hours of October 18th, club steward Richard Singleton just managed to escape from his flat on the first floor and raise the alarm. At its peak there were 20 fire fighters trying to douse the flames. The clubhouse is now deemed unsafe and will be demolished.Club Captain Larry McDonald

said: “Our members are very upset and it is a very sad day. So much irreplaceable history and memorabilia has been lost and but we will rise, phoenix-like, from the ashes! Fortunately no-one was hurt and we can carry on without the building.“We’ve received tremendous support from other Mersey clubs - Withington, Didsbury, Sale and Chorlton – who are offering Northenden members free use of their facilities until the club is back on its feet.”

Simon PF-based Burnage Metro FC (in red) are enjoying the state-of-the-art facilities at the sporting complex they share with Didsbury Toc H RUFC.The club field five teams each week in the Lancashire and Cheshire League. They enjoy their football with some mixed results along the way. Their first team are in division one and they’ve scored some notable victories that have taken them into mid-table. They’re hoping to force their way into promotion contention as the season progresses.

Northenden’s century old Golf Club gutted by fi re

Football: Burnage Club enjoy a busy season

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Page 19: CI Didsbury - December 14

19

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Page 20: CI Didsbury - December 14

Are you part of a voluntary or community group? Drop Joe an email on [email protected]

Clubs, Societies & GroupsActing For Fun Central, Didsbury 431 4794Didsbury Civic Society didsburycivicsociety.org.ukDidsbury Cricket Club didsburyccsports.co.ukDidsbury Good Neighbours Every Tues 10-11.45am coffee morning. Holt Pavilion, Didsbury Park 07749 504298 www.didsburygoodneighbours.org.ukDidsbury Ladies’ Probus Club Alternate Monday afternoons in East Didsbury. Joan Woodall 434 2532Didsbury Men’s Probus Club Alternate Thursday mornings in East Didsbury. Bill Woodall 434 2532Didsbury Lawn Tennis Club Bob Peel, 445 0465 didsburyccsports.co.ukDidsbury Players celestaplayers.co.ukDidsbury Village East Residents Association dvera.co.uk Didsbury Village WI didsburyvillagewi.co.ukDolls 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. [email protected] www.eatgreen.co.ukFord Bank Residents Association fordbankresidents.org.uk Frets community guitar and singing, Fridays 10am, Didsbury Sports Club 07813 121478

Friends of Didsbury Park friendsofdidsburypark.co.ukFriends of Fletcher Moss Park Alan Hill 215 0971 [email protected] of Marie Louise Gardens marielouisegardens.org.ukLipreading and Communication Skills classes Free to deaf people and their families and friends. Wednesdays 1 -3 pm at Mauldeth House 0161 832 0444 [email protected] JKF Karate Club Didsbury MMU Sports Centre, Tuesdays 8.30pm Ben Pollock, 07894108944Oneness Deeksha Meditation Saturdays 11am-12 at The Didsbury Parsonage. Donation £2 Christine 07734 072040South Manchester Camera Club Mondays at 8-10pm, Didsbury Methodist Church smcc.org.uk Didsbury Over 50s Group 247 2323South Manchester U3A 1st Tuesday of the month 2pm, Emmanuel Church. Edna 434 2509West Didsbury Bookgroup Meets every four weeks at 7.30pm. Lively mixed group of all ages. Call 445 4483 leaving your name, address & landlineWest Didsbury Residents Association [email protected] westdidsbury.org.ukWithington Civic Society Roger Smith 445 1473 withingtoncivicsociety.org.uk

Social & Support Groups

Manchester Diabetes Support Network 860-5688 [email protected] New Family Social UK charity for LGBT adopters, foster carers and their children. Meets every month in south Manchester. newfamilysocial.org.uk email: [email protected] Manchester Carers in Action www.rmcia.blogspot.co.uk 07757 082 976

Useful NumbersDidsbury Library 227 3755Environment on Call 954 9000Mersey Valley Countryside Warden Service 905 1100Manchester City Council 234 5000 Didsbury East Councillors

Andrew Simcock [email protected] Wilson [email protected] Adams [email protected] West Councillors

Josie Teubler [email protected] Ollerhead [email protected] Ellison [email protected]

Local MP

John Leech - MP8 Gawsworth Avenue M20 5NF Tel: 434 3334 [email protected]

Community Ind� Local groups and useful numbers

Clubs, Societies & Groups

Didsbury East Councillors

Page 21: CI Didsbury - December 14

Window Wise

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Page 22: CI Didsbury - December 14

AerialsDale Communications 11

Baby MassageDaddy and Me 11

BathroomsBathroom Angels 5

Building & MaintenanceBest Cellars 21Window Wise 21

CleaningOven Wizards 22Profresh Carpet Cleaners 18

ClothingPunk n Disorderly 6

CraftsMinistry of Craft 6Pottery Corner 17

Food & DrinkClassic Cakes 19Epicerie Ludo 16

Football ChoirChant Productions 11

GardeningFat Grass Garden Design 17Green Designs 8

Health & WellbeingAlexander Technique 10Butterfl ies Holistic Therapy 17

HR ConsultancyPRIDE in People 6

JewellersWilbrahams of Chorlton 9

Language SchoolInstituto Cervantes 24Model RailwaysManchester Model Railways 2

Painting & DecoratingCarol Smith Home Improvement 22

PhysiotherapyVillage Physio 10

SolicitorsHLF Berry 19Slater Heelis 23

SunblindsNorth West Sunblinds 16

Tree ServicesTree Station 16

VintageDig Vintage 10

please mention Community Index when responding to adverts22

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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.

Page 23: CI Didsbury - December 14

www.slaterheelis.co.uk @familylawnw

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

“ I moved to Whalley Range for its bohemian, vibrant atmosphere and being so close to Chorlton. Having the independent bars and shops all within walking distance is great not to mention the tram links to the city.”

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Community Index A5 v04.indd 4 09/05/2014 09:31

“I’ve lived in Chorlton for 10 years and love the attitude and culture of the place. We love the bars and restaurants, especially the Beagle, Electrik,San Juan and the café in Longford Park”.

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Page 24: CI Didsbury - December 14

TEL. 0161 661 4201

EMAIL. [email protected]

VISIT. WWW.MANCHESTER.CERVANTES.ES

ENJOY