Picking my way through a bit of Withington’s history …….

Today I am renewing an old association with Withington.

St Paul's, Withington, 2023

It is a place I have a fond spot for, given that it was where I first washed up as a student in 1969.

And over the next three years I spent time in a tiny bed sit overlooking Wellington Road, a bit longer in a slightly bigger bedsit facing the Old House at Home and finished with two years in Miss Finn’s house in Rippingham Road, with the Recreational ground as a sort of companion.

Back then I was less interested in the history of the township focusing more on the dive bar of the White Lion, the occasional visit to the Scala, along with the weekly attendance at the Launderette.

If there was a feature essential to my life it was possibly the telephone box beside the bank on the corner of Egerton Crescent, which in a pre mobile age, was the link with home, usually on a Sunday when time weighed heavy.

But enough of such nostalgia and instead a story of Withington Civic Society, and in particular their range of excellent books on the history of the place.*

I long ago acquired a copy of “A walk through the history of Withington” which looks to have been updated, and now courtesy of David Rydeheard  I have two more, which are "Wartime Withington”, and “A legacy of love”.

Wartime Withington rather says what it is but is written around a collection of memories from those who lived through the period, while A legacy of love is the story of the Harrison organ at St Chad’s Church in Ladybarn.

There are more in the pipeline and I look forward to reading these when they are published.

At which point I could delve into the three and write stories of pubs, churches, war time bombs and musical instruments, but that would be to steal the thunder of the society and the individual authors so I won’t.

Instead I suggest you follow the link and acquire your own copies.**

Pictures; St Paul’s, Withington, 2023, from the collection of Andrew Simpson, and covers from Withington Civic Society’s publications.  

*Withington Civic Society,  withingtoncivicsociety.org.uk

**Buying the books at, contact@withingtoncivicsociety.org.uk