Stretford

Stretford
Population
OS grid reference	SJ7994
Metropolitan borough	Trafford
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	MANCHESTER
Postcode district	M32
Dialling code	0161
Police	Greater Manchester
Fire	Greater Manchester
Ambulance	North West
UK Parliament	Stretford and Urmston

Stretford is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies about four miles to the southwest of Manchester City Centre, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire, and has a population of around 44,000.

The town of Stretford neighbours Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Urmston, Salford and Sale, and lies on the Bridgewater Canal.

Until the industrial revolution of the 19th century, Stretford was an agricultural village. Today only 0.26% of the population is employed in agriculture.

Geography and administration

Geography

Further information: [[:Greater Manchester climate]]

Like much of the rest of Manchester, Stretford is comparatively flat. The town lies just north of the River Mersey, with the area sloping slightly southwards towards the river valley. It is around 40 metres (131 feet) above sea level at its highest point. The most southern part of Stretford lies within the River Mersey's flood plain and has historically been prone to flooding. A great deal of flood mitigation work has been carried out in the Mersey Valley in recent years, Sale Water Park being a prominent local example.

The climate of Stretford — and of Greater Manchester as a whole — is generally temperate, with few extremes of temperature or weather. The mean temperature is slightly above average for the United Kingdom. Annual rainfall and average amount of sunshine are both slightly below the average for the UK.

Civic history

Arms of the former Stretford Municipal Borough Council

Stretford was anciently a chapelry in the parish of Manchester. It became an urban district under the Local Government Act 1894 and a municipal borough in 1933. It was granted its arms on the 20th February 1933. The roses are the red roses of Lancashire; the lion in the centre of the arms represents John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster. Above the lion are a crossed flail and scythe; the flail comes from the arms of the de Trafford family; the scythe is a reminder of the agricultural history of the area; the thunderbolts above represent the importance of electricity in Stretford's industrial development. The boat at the bottom represents Stretford's links to the sea via the Manchester Ship Canal.

In 1974, as a result of the Local Government Act 1972, Stretford became a part of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester.

Political divisions

The constituency of Stretford was created in 1885, and existed until 1997, when it was replaced by the present constituency of Stretford and Urmston. Beverley Hughes has been the MP since the constituency was created in 1997. She is a member of the Labour Party.

The Trafford local government area called Stretford comprises the local areas of Old Trafford, Gorse Hill, Trafford Park and Firswood, as well as the town of Stretford itself. The Stretford area is divided into the local wards of Clifford, Longford, Gorse Hill, and Stretford.

Trafford adopted a revised set of ward boundaries in June 2004, when the Gorse Hill ward was created, replacing the previous Talbot ward whose area was split between the wards of Gorse Hill, Longford and Clifford. Like every other ward in Trafford, the Stretford ward is represented by three local councillors. They are Karina Carter, Stephen Adshead and Bernice Garlick. All three of the councillors are members of the Labour Party.

History

The origin of the name Stretford is 'street' (Anglo Saxon straet) 'on a ford', the ford across the River Mersey. The principal road through Stretford, the A56 Chester Road, follows the line of the old Roman road from Chester to Manchester, crossing the Mersey into Stretford at Crossford Bridge, built at the location of the ancient ford.

Stretford in the nineteenth century was an agricultural village famous for its pig market and the production of black puddings, leading to the village being given the nickname 'Porkhampton'. By 1825 it was reported that six hundred animals a week were being killed for Manchester. Market gardening and handloom weaving had also been carried out in the area since the 18th century. In 1826, there were a reported 302 handlooms operating in Stretford, providing employment for 780 workers.

The growth of Stretford, like other towns in the area, was fuelled by the transport revolutions of the 18th and especially the 19th century; the Bridgewater Canal reached Stretford in 1761, the railway in 1849, and the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894.

At Great Stone Road, the current B&Q store was once the Hardrock/village rock venue which during the seventies hosted some of the decade's major artists in their prime, including Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Bob Marley, Elton John, Hawkwind, Yes, Chaka Khan, Deep Purple, Curved Air and Lou Reed. In keeping with that musical tradition, in recent years Lancashire Cricket Club's Old Trafford ground, just next door, has provided a concert venue to bands such as Angels and Airwaves, Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighter, Oasis, Richard Ashcroft and The Strokes, with crowds in excess of 40,000.

Demographics

Stretford Compared
2001 UK Census	Stretford	Trafford District	England
Total population	43,953	210,145	49,138,831
Foreign born	6.7%	8.2%	9.2%
White	91%	92%	91%
Asian	3.7%	4.6%	4.6%
Black	2.5%	2.0%	2.3%
Christian	77%	76%	72%
Muslim	3.4%	3.3%	3.1%
No religion	12%	12%	15%
Over 65 years old	16%	16%	16%

As at the 2001 UK census, Stretford, then made up of the four wards of Clifford, Longford, Talbot and Stretford, had a total population of 43,953.

In June 2004, Trafford adopted a revised set of ward boundaries. The ward of Talbot disappeared, to be replaced by the new ward of Gorse Hill. Re-aligning the 2001 census figures with the 2004 ward boundaries gives Stretford a population of 42,121.

Economy

Until the 19th century Stretford was an agricultural village. Today only 0.26% of the population is employed in agriculture.

The main shopping centre in the town is 'Stretford Mall' in the centre of Stretford, previously known as 'Stretford Arndale'. It was the first Arndale centre in the north west of England, the name being changed in late 2003 to reflect the new developments taking place inside. Stretford Mall was built on the site of Stretford's original shopping centre in the former King Street. It's rumoured that shoppers can still sometimes hear the sounds of horses and carriages on cobbles echoing around the mall.

To the north west of Stretford is The Trafford Centre, a large shopping and leisure complex that opened in September 1998. Frequent shuttle buses run between Stretford Metrolink tram station and The Trafford Centre, about 10 minutes away.

Culture

Landmarks and attractions

St Ann's Church

The finest building in Stretford is arguably St Ann's RC Church on Chester Road, designed by EW Pugin. It was built 1861-63 at the expense of Sir Humphrey de Trafford and remains largely intact. Features include a historic organ built by Jardine & Co (1867) and a good number of fine stained glass windows by Hardman & Co of Birmingham.

Longford Cinema

Longford Cinema, May 2007

The Longford Cinema, situated opposite the Stretford Mall on the eastern side of the A56 Chester Road, is perhaps the most visually striking building in the town. Designed by the architect Henry Elder, it was the height of Art Deco fashion when it opened in 1936. Its unusual "cash register" frontage was intended to symbolise the film industry's obsession with money and sex. The building incorporated many modern features; sound-proofing, under-seat heating and air-conditioning amongst them. It was also the first cinema in Britain to have neon lighting illuminating the aisles. It had a seating capacity of 2,000, with a further 146 seats in the café area.

During World War II the building was used for concerts, including one given by a young Julie Andrews. It also played host to the Hallé Orchestra after the orchestra's own home, the Free Trade Hall, was bombed and severely damaged during the Manchester Blitz of 1940.

In August 1950, after a change of ownership, the cinema was renamed the Stretford Essoldo. It continued to operate as a cinema until 1965, after which time it became a bingo hall until its closure in 1995. The building has remained empty and unused since then. It was designated a Grade II listed building in 1994.

The Great Stone

File:GreatStone640.JPG

The Great Stone, May 2007

The Great Stone, which gave its name to the Great Stone Road, is one of Stretford's most easily overlooked landmarks. The stone is composed of millstone grit and was probably deposited in the area as a glacial erratic. It is rectangular in shape, about 1.5 metres wide, 1 metre tall, with two rectangular slots cut into its upper surface. The slots may originally have held wooden or stone posts.

Several hypotheses have been suggested for the Great Stone's origin. It may have been used a plague stone, when the holes in the top would have been filled with disinfectant — perhaps vinegar — to disinfect any money passed between plague victims and the rest of the population. There were certainly plagues in Manchester from the 14th century onwards, but although the stone may have been used a plague stone, the depth of the holes is too great for that to have been its original purpose.

Alternatively the Great Stone may originally have been a road marker on the Roman road between Chester and Manchester, marking where the road made a change of direction to take it on the final two miles to the settlement of Manchester. It may also have been some kind of a boundary marker.

In 1925, the stone was moved from its original site on Great Stone Road to its current location outside the North Lodge of Gorse Hill Park, where it can be found today.

Longford Park

Stretford House

Longford Park is the largest park in Trafford at 22 hectares. It includes a pet's corner, botanical garden, bowling greens and children's play areas. It is also the finishing point of the annual Stretford pageant, which has been held since 1919. Longford Park was the home of John Rylands, philanthropist, and one of the largest textile manufacturers in England. The hall was demolished in 1995, after an unsuccessful attempt to save it from demolition. Today only the front porch, the coach house and the stable buildings remain.

Sport

Stretford has been the home of Manchester United Football Club since 1910, when the club moved to its present Old Trafford ground, one end of which is still unofficially called the Stretford End.

Old Trafford was originally the home of Manchester Cricket Club, but became the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club in 1864 upon the clubs formation. The ground is on Talbot Road, Stretford, where it's been since 1856 and has been a test venue since 1884 and has since hosted three World Cup semi-finals. After the 2005 Ashes Test where more than 20,000 fans had to be turned away, the decision was made to expand the ground. The redevelopment plans to expand seating from 20,000 to 25,000 but possibly move to a new site. Though the site of Stretford Town Hall – which had been considered as a possible site – is no longer available, Lancashire Chief Executive Jim Cumbes insists that he wants Lancashire’s ground to remain in Trafford. Nearly £25m is expected to be invested in the redevelopments at Old Trafford.

Stretford Stadium, adjoining Longford Park, is the home of Trafford Athletic Club. Trafford is one of the UK's top athletic clubs, with over 100 members having competed at international level.

The Stretford Leisure Centre is situated outside Stretford town centre towards Old Trafford and features a 25 metre pool, a children's pool, a gym and several other sporting facilities.

The Trafford Water Sports Centre lies just across Stretford's southern border with Sale, about one mile from Stretford town centre.

Education

Further information: [[:List of schools in Trafford]]

Along with the rest of Trafford, Stretford maintains a selective education system assessed by the Eleven Plus examination.

One of Trafford's grammar schools, Stretford Grammar School, is located within the area. The proportion of pupils leaving Stretford Grammar School with five or more GCSEs at grades A-C in 2006, was 98.3%, compared to an average of 66.7% for all secondary schools in Trafford and a national UK average of 61.3%. Over half of the school's pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, and approximately a quarter of all pupils have a first language other than English, significantly above the national average. Stretford Grammar was awarded specialist science college status in September 2005. The school was assessed as "satisfactory" in its March 2006 Ofsted report. Actor Ian McShane and singer Peter Noone, of Herman's Hermits, were pupils at Stretford Grammar school, as was Ernest Marples, UK Conservative Minister of transport from 1959 to 1964. Marples was responsible for introducing parking meters, yellow no-parking lines and motorways..

Stretford High School Community Languages College, like Stretford Grammar, has a much higher proportion than average of pupils with a first language other than English, a high number of them being either asylum seekers or refugees. In 2004 Stretford High School was made subject to special measures, as it was considered not to be providing an adequate education for its pupils. Very substantial improvement has taken place since then; the school was assessed as "satisfactory" in its November 2005 Ofsted report and was removed from special measures.

Religion

Further information: [[:List of churches in Stretford]]

Stretford is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford, and the Church of England Diocese of Manchester.

Transport

Transport links are very good; buses are as common as in many other areas of Manchester.

Stretford has its own Metrolink tram station on the Altrincham to Bury line, convenient for Manchester city centre and beyond. The town also has good access to the motorway network, being located next to junction 7 of the M60. The A56 gives easy access to the south as well as to Manchester city centre in the other direction. Cycle paths exist as part of the Trafford cycle initiative.

Trafford Park railway station is located in the north of Stretford, on the Liverpool to Manchester line. Services are roughly every two hours in each direction, with extra services calling during the peak-hours.

Manchester Airport, the largest UK airport outside London, is situated approximately nine miles to the south of Stretford.

The Bridgewater Canal runs through Stretford (parallel to the tram tracks), and is navigable by pleasure craft.

Notable residents

• Morrissey, front man of 80s alternative rock group The Smiths.
• Jay Kay, lead singer and songwriter of Jamiroquai.
• John Rylands, industrialist and philanthropist.
• John Holker, one of the world's first industrial espionage agents and a Jacobite spy for the French was born in Stretford in 1719.
• Edward (Ned) Painter, a popular pugilist of the early 19th century was born in Stretford in 1784.
• L. S. Lowry was born in Stretford in 1887.

External links

• Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council
• History of Stretford
• Bridgewater Canal
• Edwin Waugh's journey to Stretford 1857
• Longford Cinema