Your invite to a new way of telling the stories of Greater Manchester …. today

 So, today at Wilbraham St Ninian’s Church you have the opportunity to roam over the history of Greater Manchester in a new and unique way.

Peter Topping and Andrew Simpson have come up with a different approach to exploring Greater Manchester’s past.

It is The History of Greater Manchester by Tram …. TheStories At the Stops in which the authors take all 99 Metro tram stops on all the eight routes picking out the interesting, the serious and the bizarre as well as the humours events and people at each destination which build to become a comprehensive account of the region’s past.*

At present there are four books in the series with a fifth due out later this year. 

They cover the journey into the centre from the south, crossing the city centre down to Victoria Railway Station and then east out to New Islington.

The fifth will travel from Old Trafford to Altrincham, with further books on Salford, and all the remaining towns on the network.

The talk will last for an hour, cost, £3 which covers refreshments and will be a mix of stories with how the authors researched and chose those stories, with plenty of pictures including some of Peter’s original paintings.

The books are available at £4.99 from Chorlton Bookshop, the shop at Central Ref, St Peter's Square, or from us at www.pubbooks.co.uk

And that is it.  Tuesday …. 1.30 at Wilbraham St Ninian’s Church

Location; Wilbram St Ninian’s Church, Egerton Road South, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 0XJ

Pictures; a selection from the Power Point presentation, 2026

*A History of Greater Manchester By Tram, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20new%20book%20on%20the%20History%20of%20Greater%20Manchester%20by%20Tram 

Manchester and the Great War ... tomorrow

Tomorrow the story of how Manchester faced up to the Great War.

Clara in the uniform of the East Lancs, undated

Those who participated in the Great War are now dead and their children will soon also have passed away

Added to which some at least of the war memorials are at risk of being lost either through neglect and the passage of time or in the case of a few taken down and just casually forgotten about.

All of which does nothing for our perception of that conflict which is now overlaid with misconceptions and omissions

Their images are frozen in a moment in time, so we either see them as young and eager staring back at us in ill fitting uniforms and in grey munitions overalls or more recently as frail old men and women with faltering voices and walking sticks who were venerated as the last of their generation

But that is to forget that the majority of them lived full productive lives, contributed to their community, and got on with the daily demands of work family and holidays long after the war had been consigned to school history books

"The Manchesters are 'holding their own'", undated

So just under an hour we will explore how the city prepared for the war, the impact of the fours of conflict and how the event was commemorated and remembered.

And as a double bonus  Steve Millward will tell the story of the Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition Of 1857 - still the largest art exhibition ever staged in the UK, and probably the world.

Starts at 1pm till 3pm at Manchester Methodist Church on Manchester Road, on Saturday November 15th.

Admission £6

Location;Manchester Methodist Church

Pictures; Clara in the uniform of the East Lancs, undated and "The Manchesters are 'holding their own at Haywards Heath'", from the collection of David Harrop

All you ever wanted to know about Hough End Hall ……… But never knew who to ask …. The talk today

 Join me to celebrate the birthday of Hough End Hall today with Chorlton Good Neighbours. *

Happy birthday, Hough End Hall

Of course, I can’t be exactly sure that today 429 years ago Sir Nicholas Mosley threw open the doors to family, friends, and assorted guests but it will do for me.

Over an hour and a bit accompanied with heaps of pictures and maps there will be stories of the Elizabethan Hall including a special present from the first Queen Elizabeth, tales of avaricious land grabs, and dissolute family members, mixed with tales from its days as a farm and culminating with memories of a place for scary adventures and later of nights of good food amongst friends.

The birthday celebrations begin at 1.30pm, hosted by Chorlton Good Neighbours in St Wilbraham Ninians Church on Egerton Road South, today October 14th.

 Sir Nicholas Mosley, undated 

Location; Hough end hall at anytime between 1596 and now, and Wilbraham St Ninians Church, Egerton Road S, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 0XJ

Picture; courtesy  of Peter Tipping, 2019, and the man himself, from Mosley, Sir Oswald, Family Memoirs, 1849, Printed for Private Circulation

*Chorlton Good Neighbours, https://chorltongoodneighbours.org/

* Wilbraham St Ninians Church, https://wilbrahamstninians.com/

The secret of the Narnia Lamppost ……. the string quartet .......and four pubs

 The History talk and walk is back.

On December 15th we will be exploring tales of the odd, the scandalous and the bizarre taking in some local historic landmarks, more than a few interesting people, and of course our four local pubs.

The Narnia Lamppost, 2020

In the course of which we will look for the missing plaque to a murdered policeman in the Bowling Green, wonder why the Methodists were cheated of their Sunday school on the site of the Beech Inn, and ask who was Trevor at the Trevor Arms?  

Snow on the green, 1984

And we will end inside the Horse and Jockey who will be our hosts as we round off with tales of suspected murder, the arrest of a prize fighter and the man who stole the village green.

In between there will be that string quartet, the Narnia lamppost and myths of tunnels under the green from the Jockey to the church and on to the Bolwer

So meet on the village green by the Narnia Lamppost at 12.30 pm on December 15th and finish in the Horse and Jockey.

Tales in the Horse and Jockey, 2024

A free history talk and walk.

All welcome

Location Chorlton Green

Pictures, The Narnia lamppost, 2022, and inside the Horse and Jockey, 2024, from the collection of Andrew Simpson, and Chorlton Green in the snow, courtesy of Tony Walker, 1984

  

When history is fun …. free ….. and just a short trip away

We are entering that special time of year when along side all the festive preparations to come, there is chance to take a bit of time off and let someone else do the entertaining.

Chorlton Green in the snow, circa 1984

So, with that in mind Simpson and Topping are offering up a walk on the village green, a mention of their third History Wall and the launch of their new series of books on  "The History of Greater Manchester by Tram", all of which we commend you your diary.

Working backwards, on December 15th, at 12.30 meet us on the village green for “The secret of the Narnia Lamppost ……. the story of the string quartet and the history of four pubs”.

The plan is simple.  Andrew and Peter will explore tales of the odd, the scandalous and the bizarre taking in some local historic landmarks, more than a few interesting people, and of course our four local pubs.

Tales from the Horse and Jockey, 2024

In the course of which we will look for the missing plaque to a murdered policeman in the Bowling Green, wonder why the Methodists were cheated of their Sunday school on the site of the Beech Inn, and ask who was Trevor at the Trevor Arms?  

The Third History Wall, Manchester Road, 2024

And we will end inside the Horse and Jockey who will be our hosts as we round off with tales of suspected murder, the arrest of a prize fighter and the man who stole the village green.

For those who can’t wait for that event, there is the third Chorlton History Wall which fronts the development on the former swimming baths on Manchester Road.  Across three panels we tell the story of the baths and how the surrounding area went from being a small hamlet called Martledge into the busy urban area it is today.

Lastly, we invite you into the city for the launch of the "History of Greater Manchester By Tram", which will tell the story of all 99 stops along the eight routes of the Metrolink tram network.*

So far we have published two in the series, covering Trafford Bar to East Didsbury and Cornbrook to Exchange Square.  They cost jus £4.99 are available from Chorlton Bookshop, Waterstones, and Central Reference Library as well as us at www.pubbooks.co.uk

The launch will take place in the Central Reference Library in St Peter’s Square on November 23rd, starting at 1pm, and lasting till 4pm.

The Lord Mayor of Manchester will be present along with other civic dignitaries.

All of the above are free.

Location, Chorlton, Manchester

Pictures; snow on the village green courtesy of Tony Walker circa 1984, The Third History Wall Manchester, Road, 2024, from Peter Topping, and inside the Horse and Jockey, 2024, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*A new book on the History of Greater Manchester By Tram, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20new%20book%20on%20the%20History%20of%20Greater%20Manchester%20by%20Tram

Walk Chorlton's past .... Sunday September 22nd ...... still time to book tickets ......

 Chorlton Book Festival is back and with it comes that ever popular history walk which takes a stroll across Chorlton, exploring our past.

The graveyard, 2008

It has been a feature of the festival for the last decade and a bit, lasts for about an hour ending in the café at the Edge Theatre for a light meal.

During the make over, 1981

This year by popular request we will be back in the graveyard by the village green uncovering the history of the old parish church, and the stories of some who were buried there.

They include Thomas Walker who campaigned against the slave trade, supported the French Revolution and was tried for sedition, along with a mix of the “good, the bad, and the ordinary". 

Along with the good and worthy, will be the Nixon family who ran a beer shop on Beech Road, the last women to do penance in the parish church, and the story of the Great Chorlton Burial Scandal.  There will be news about the efforts to improve the graveyard, and the restoration work on the Lych Gate.

All this and a look at the archaeological digs in the 1970s and 80s which offered up some gruesome discoveries, followed by a preamble via the village green and other historic spots to the Edge.

Narnia on the Green, 2022

There will be a few stops to top up the stories and heaps of opportunities to ask me interesting historical questions about things no one else will tell.

We will meet at the Narnia lamppost on the village green at 2pm and aim to be in the Edge roughly an hour and a bit later. 

Tickets cost £9.92  and include oodles of Chorlton stories and a meal in the café.

All events are bookable through Chorlton Book Festival, https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/chorlton-book-festival-2024-3536319

Location; Chorlton Green

Pictures;  Chorlton graveyard, and village green 1978- 2022 from the collection of Andrew Simpson

Walk the Chorlton history walk with Andrew Simpson ……Sunday September the 22nd …..

Chorlton Book Festival is back and with it comes that ever popular history walk which takes a stroll across Chorlton, exploring our past.

The graveyard, 2008

It has been a feature of the festival for the last decade and a bit, lasts for about an hour ending in the café at the Edge Theatre for a light meal.

During the make over, 1981

This year by popular request we will be back in the graveyard by the village green uncovering the history of the old parish church, and the stories of some who were buried there.

They include Thomas Walker who campaigned against the slave trade, supported the French Revolution and was tried for sedition, along with a mix of the “good, the bad, and the ordinary". 

Along with the good and worthy, will be the Nixon family who ran a beer shop on Beech Road, the last women to do penance in the parish church, and the story of the Great Chorlton Burial Scandal.  There will be news about the efforts to improve the graveyard, and the restoration work on the Lych Gate.

All this and a look at the archaeological digs in the 1970s and 80s which offered up some gruesome discoveries, followed by a preamble via the village green and other historic spots to the Edge.

Narnia on the Green, 2022

There will be a few stops to top up the stories and heaps of opportunities to ask me interesting historical questions about things no one else will tell.

We will meet at the Narnia lamppost on the village green at 2pm and aim to be in the Edge roughly an hour and a bit later. 

Tickets cost £9.92  and include oodles of Chorlton stories and a meal in the café.

All events are bookable through Chorlton Book Festival, https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/chorlton-book-festival-2024-3536319

But it would be remiss of me if I didn't mention some of the events I will be attending.

On September 21st in the Central Church at 7.30, Brian Groom will be talking about his new book on the history of Manchester.

On the 24 between 12-2pm at Benito Lounge, Jo Somerset will introduce "Mission for to find Mun which is aimed at children  Chorlton and is an " introduction to the adventures of Isla and Lac in a mission that takes them 500 miles from home to an island of secrets. 

Set on a remote Scottish island, the novel explores climate activism, heritage, disability, betrayal and family secrecy. 

Fighting hostile weather, wild elements and suspicious adults, they find Mum and discover her secret about their missing Dad"

And lastly Juliette Tomlinson will be at the Edge on the 24th between 2 and 4pm to introduce her new novel on the John and  Enriqueta Rylands.

Location; Chorlton Green

Pictures;  Chorlton graveyard, and village green 1978- 2022 from the collection of Andrew Simpson

Send three and four pence we’re going to a dance ……. the Chorlton Walk apology

There will be many who remember those silly two lines, “Send reinforcements we are going to advance”, which became garbled to “Send three and four pence we’re going to a dance”.

They have come to stand for any one of a heap of mistakes where a message undergoes a transformation as it passed from word of mouth down the chain of command.

And so, it was yesterday at the Chorlton Get Together Day.

I had said the walk was starting from Benito’s on Wilbraham Road at 2 pm and said so on the blog and then managed to tell the organizers 2.30 while still thinking it was 2.00 pm.

So apologies for all those who were looking forward to it, stood around and called me out for being fickle and untrustworthy, which on this occassion I was.

And a very big apology to Collette Crosdale who invited me to do the talk and who I managed to confuse with the timings. 

Nor is that all because when the story was posted yesterday I was still confused as to how the timing had changed and the story line left open who was to blame.  I now know it was my fault so I hope Colette won't cross me off her Christmas card list.

Lucky l don’t go to many dances.

Still there was one successful recipient who walked the walk with me and got the talk.

And Andy Robertson and his friend Mark who got two minutes at the end.

Still the day was not just about me, and despite the rain lots of people came out to walk Wilbraham Road and meet up, swap literature from the stalls and sit and watch the day go by.

And in the case of Cllr Hacking help ensure no rubbish was left on the road.

Leaving me just to thank the organisers.

Location; Wilbraham Road, Chorlton Get Together

Pictures. The things on the day that did work, 2023, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

The short Chorlton History Walk that’s got the lot ……. this Sunday

 So the challenge is simple ….. how much of Chorlton’s history can you pack into a short walk from Benito on Wilbraham Road to the Lloyds on the corner of Manchester Road?

Kemp's Corner opposite Sunwick, Wilbraham Road, circa 1900

Well, it has got to take in the transformation from small rural community to suburb of Manchester, along with a few murky crimes including the murder of Francis Deacon in 1847, a bit of entrapment and the gang of poachers down from Hulme.

And for those who mourn the loss of the Four Banks, there is that even older popular name of Kemp’s Corner which for a half a century was where people arranged to meet up.

Nor could we leave out the day that Wilbraham Road came to Chorlton, the dastardly theft of a chunk of Manchester Road and why in the event of a house fire you had to knock on the door of the Lloyd’s Hotel.

Woolworths, which became B&M before Benito, 2017

All these with a mix of other silly and serious stories will accompany me and all who turn up at 2.30.pm outside Benito during the great Chorlton Get Together this Sunday.*

Any one in doubt as to who they should approach outside Benito, I am the man with the expanding waistline, a south east London accent and tons of tales of how we used to live in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, before the bars arrived.

Location; Wilbraham Road at 2.00pm on Sunday September 24th

Doing the biz back in 2010

Pictures; Looking down Wilbraham Road, circa 1900 from the Lloyd Collection, and Woolworths, which became B&M before Benito, 2017, and Doing the biz back in 2010

*Chorlton Get Together; https://chorlton.coop/event/get-together-2023/

Free souvinir booklet when you join Andrew Simpson to walk Chorlton's History

Yes this much sought after souvenir of a bit of our history is free when you join us to discover who you would have had to be polite to in the summer of 1848 along with a few murky stories, some vanished buildings and Mr. Gratrix's pipe.

It's a gentle stroll along Beech Road and down to the village Green and finishing at the Edge.

This is one of the events sponsored by Manchester Libraries during Chorlton Book Festival. *

Assemble at the corner of Beech Road and Barlow Moor Road at 2pm on Sunday September 22nd.

The walk will conclude after much history and a degree of fun at the Edge for refreshments.

Tickets are £8.50  include tea and cakes at the Edge Theatre cafe afterwards.

Tickets available from https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-the-pastwith-andrew-simpson-tickets-664593165047?aff=odcleoeventsincollection&keep_tld=1 

*Chorlton Book Festival, September 15th to the September 23rd https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/chorlton-book-festival-2023-2326249

“My money is on that horse” ……. losing a packet at the Chorlton races

To be fair you have got to go back along time to have seen and bet on a horse race here in Chorlton.

Chorlton Park, 1933

Leaving aside the obvious trip to the bookies or watching it on TV, “the sport of Kings” last took place in Chorlton in 1701.

Now, not a lot of people know that, and I had to turn to the historian Thomas Ellwood who in 1885 wrote, “Barlow Moor is celebrated in the Isthmian annals of Manchester as the scene in the seventeenth century, of annual races and other games, prior to the establishment of the Manchester Races on Kersal Moor.  

All that remains to recall the racecourse is the field bounded by Barlow Moor-lane and the left of the lane leading to Hough-end Hall, still known as the “scaffold field” where there was formerly a low or mound which served as a vantage point from which to view the contests”.*

Scaffold Field in Chorlton Park, 1939

That field was right in the middle of what is now Chorlton Park, roughly running down from the playground to Barlow Moor Road and taking in the football pitches.

Scaffold Field shows up on the tithe map of 1839 under its own name and only ceased to exist when Chorlton Park was laid out in the late 1920s.

I went looking in the Annals of Manchester but failed to turn up a reference to the races, but other sources suggest that “The earliest known race meetings in Manchester were on Barlow Moor, first recorded in 1647, and again from 1697-1701".**

But I may be confusing the Isthmian annals of Manchester, with the Annals of Manchester which was compiled by William Axton in 1885 and is a “Chronological Record [of Manchester] from the earliest times to the end of  1885”.

Or I might just have missed the entry.

Scaffold Field, 1854

Either way I think we can be confident that Scaffold Field was the site of some sort of horse racing in a time long ago.

And as such will be an item for discussion tomorrow on the history walk through Chorlton Park.

It will start at 2 pm and is at the invitation of the Friends of Chorlton Park starting at Brookfield House which is that white building at the Nell Lane. entrance.

There will be plenty who remember the paddling pool, and the pets’ corner, but few who now know that beside the paddling pool there was a large open air swimming bath, a band stand with a covered seating area, and that during the last world war the park had its own air raid shelters.

Added to that the historic records suggest there was a racecourse and an observatory, which fit nicely with stories of Brookfield House, which dates back into the 18th century, and was once home to the son of Francis Deakin who had been brutally murdered in a beer house on Manchester Road in 1847.

Looking towards Scaffold Field from Nell Lane, undated

And for those who want more, the Friends of Chorlton Park have made the invitation as part of Chorlton Open Gardens and will be fundraising for the charity Freedom from Torture.

Location; Chorlton Park****

Pictures; Aerial view of Chorlton Park, 1933, N.S. Roberts, m72054, and Chorlton Park, City Engineers, m09588, courtesy of Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives, Manchester City Council,http://images.manchester.gov.uk/index.php?session=pass, looking across to Scaffold Field, undated, from the Lloyd Collection, Chorlton Park, 1853, ,from the 1853 OS for Lancashire, courtesy of Digital Archives Association, http://www.digitalarchives.co.uk 

* Badger and Bear Baiting, Chapter 7 December 19th 1885, History of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, South Manchester Gazette

**Heritage Gateway, https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1405558&resourceID=19191

***The Friends of Chorlton Park, https://www.facebook.com/groups/CholtonPark

****Chorlton Park, https://chorltonhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Chorlton%20Park

Your invitation to walk the past ……. stories from a park

 

A heap of history …… and an exciting new project .... today

 It is easy to slide over Chorlton’s past.

The graveyard, 2023

Buildings disappear, people’s memories fade, and newcomers will have no reason to think that close to where they live is a treasure trove of stories about our shared past.

So that landscaped area between the village green and the Bowling Green pub is more than a collection of bushes and trees with the odd ancient gravestone.

Mary Crowther's gravestone, 2023

The clues for the curious are of course those gravestones, that marks the place out as the old parish graveyard, and with a little careful observation the casual visitor will find the outline of the old church, which dates to 1799 and was built on a wattle and daub chapel constructed sometime in the early 16th century.

Today there are only a handful of the 362 gravestones and memorials left. The earliest recorded burial in the parish records was in 1753 but a headstone found in the 19th century carried the date 1690.

And of course, with these gravestones come the stories.

Stories like that of Mary Crowther the last woman to do penance in the old church and whose gravestone is situated beside the Lych Gate, or that of Thomas Walker anti slave trade campaigner, supporter of the French Revolution who was indicted for sedition in 1794.  

A record of all the gravestones, 1974

Added to these are memorials to two families who took opposing sides in the great Chorlton Church schism and that of Samuel and Sarah Nixon who ran the Traveller’s Rest Beer shop on what was once Chorlton Row but is now Beech Road.

And there is plenty more …… but for the rest you will have to join me and Peter Topping at our two talks of the day on St Clements’s Church, and the campaign to refresh the graveyard.

Finds from the archaeological digs, 1971-82

The first of the talks is at St Ninians’s Church at the invitation of Chorlton Good Neighbours starting at 1.30, today, May 9th.*

The second will be tonight at the meeting of Chorlton Voice [the Civic Society] at 7.30, Chorlton Central Church, corner of Barlow Moor Road, Sandy Lane and Zetland Road

As well as sharing the stories of our past we want to alert people to the exciting new campaign to refresh the former graveyard.  

It was landscaped in 1984 and while it is still a pleasant place to sit and relax it needs some tender care and attention.

Location; Chorlton Green

Pictures; our parish graveyard, 2023 from the collection of Andrew Simpson, record of gravestones, Manchester City Council, 1974, and finds from the digs conducted by Angus Bateman, 1971-81

*Chorlton Good Neighbours, Wilbraham St Ninians Church, Egerton Road South M21 0XJ, 0161 881 2925, www.chorltongoodneighbours.org

**Chorlton Voice, Chorlton Central Church, corner of Barlow Moor Road, Sandy Lane and Zetland Road, 7.30, https://chorltonvoice.org/

The slaughter house ..... the lost pond and heaps more ....... walking Beech Road's past ..... today at 1pm

Now I am back with those ever-popular history walks which wander down Chorlton’s past.

Mr. Higginbotham ploughing Row Acre, Beech Road, 1894

They have been a feature of Sunday afternoons for a more than a decade, take an hour and offer up a host of interesting people from the posh to the very un-posh, deliver heaps of little-known stories and along the way reveal the secrets of the buildings we inhabit.

So, on December 4^th it will be the turn of Beech Road, and in the company of a distinguished couple of authors and lots of interested residents we will walk the past from Barlow Moor Road, down to Chorlton Green.

The stroll will introduce you to the “slaughterhouse”, a lost fishpond, a handful of rebellious school students and the mysterious clay pipe.

Fans of the walks will instantly recognise that mix of silly stories, sound historical accounts of when we were a rural community and that bit of outrageous entrepreneurial flare which links the walks to the publication of yet another Simpson and Topping history book.

Mr. Gratrix's clay pipe, found on Beech Road,  2014

This one which is in the series of "nothing to do in chorlton" is entitled "Down Beech Road Looking for Chorlton Row".

All you need to do is sign up .....pay your fiver and you get the book for free. 

Or if you have already bought the book, bring it along as your free pass for The Walk.

It couldn’t be simpler.

So if you enjoyed our Narnia tale on the Green, shuddered at the horrible murders of Mary More and Francis Deacon and were incensed at the Chorlton Burial Scandal then this walk follows the tradition.

Details of how to sign up for the walk are on our poster, along with how to contact us.*

I'm coming on the walk, the Rec, 2022

Location; Beech Road

Pictures; Ploughing Row Acre before it became the Recreation Ground, 1896  Mr Higginbotham's farmyard, circa 1880s, from the collection of William Higginbotham, Mr. Gratrix's clay pipe, 2014  When litter can be silly, Chorlton, 2022, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*“nothing to do in chorlton Down Beech Road Looking for Chorlton Row” by Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping, costs £4.99, and is available from www.pubbooks.co.uk and Chorlton Bookshop

The slaughter house ..... the lost pond and heaps more ....... walking Beech Road's past .... December 4th

Now I am back with those ever-popular history walks which wander down Chorlton’s past.

Mr. Higginbotham ploughing Row Acre, Beech Road, 1894

They have been a feature of Sunday afternoons for a more than a decade, take an hour and offer up a host of interesting people from the posh to the very un-posh, deliver heaps of little-known stories and along the way reveal the secrets of the buildings we inhabit.

So, on December 4^th it will be the turn of Beech Road, and in the company of a distinguished couple of authors and lots of interested residents we will walk the past from Barlow Moor Road, down to Chorlton Green.

The stroll will introduce you to the “slaughterhouse”, a lost fishpond, a handful of rebellious school students and the mysterious clay pipe.

Fans of the walks will instantly recognise that mix of silly stories, sound historical accounts of when we were a rural community and that bit of outrageous entrepreneurial flare which links the walks to the publication of yet another Simpson and Topping history book.

Mr. Gratrix's clay pipe, found on Beech Road,  2014

This one which is in the series of "nothing to do in chorlton" is entitled "Down Beech Road Looking for Chorlton Row".

All you need do is sign up .....pay your fiver and you get the book for free. 

Or if you have already bought the book, bring it along as your free pass for The Walk.

It couldn’t be simpler.

So if you enjoyed our Narnia tale on the Green, shuddered at the horrible murders of Mary More and Francis Deacon and were incensed at the Chorlton Burial Scandal then this walk follows the tradition.

Details of how to sign up for the walk are on our poster, along with how to contact us.*

I'm coming on the walk, the Rec, 2022

Location; Beech Road

Pictures; Ploughing Row Acre before it became the Recreation Ground, 1896  Mr Higginbotham's farmyard, circa 1880s, from the collection of William Higginbotham, Mr. Gratrix's clay pipe, 2014  When litter can be silly, Chorlton, 2022 from the collection of Andrew Simpson

*“nothing to do in chorlton Down Beech Road Looking for Chorlton Row” by Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping, costs £4.99, and is available from www.pubbooks.co.uk and Chorlton Bookshop