Didsbury

For the town in Canada, seeDidsbury, Alberta.For the electoral wards of the City of Manchester, seeDidsbury East (ward)andDidsbury West (ward).

Didsbury
The Clock Tower in Didsbury village
Didsbury Location withinGreater Manchester
Population	26,788 (Census 2011)
OS grid reference	SJ847912
Metropolitan borough	Manchester
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	MANCHESTER
Postcode district	M20
Dialling code	0161
Police	Greater Manchester
Fire	Greater Manchester
Ambulance	North West
UK Parliament	Manchester Withington

Didsburyis a suburb ofManchester,England,on the north bank of theRiver Mersey,5 miles (8 kilometres) south ofManchester city centre.The population at the2011 censuswas 26,788.

Within the boundaries of thehistoric countyofLancashire,there are records of Didsbury existing as a smallhamletas early as the 13th century.Its early history was dominated by being part of theManorofWithington,a feudal estate that covered a large part of what is now the south of Manchester.Didsbury was described during the 18th century as a township separate from outside influence.In 1745 a section of theJacobitearmy including theDuke of Perthcrossed the Mersey at Didsbury in theJacobite marchsouth from Manchester to Derby.

Didsbury was largely rural until the mid-19th century, when it underwent development andurbanisationduring theIndustrial Revolution.It becamepart of Manchesterin 1904.

TheRoyal Society for the Protection of Birdswas formed in Didsbury in 1889.

History

Further information:History of Manchester

Toponymy

Didsbury derives its name from the Anglo-SaxonDyddi's burg,probably referring to a man known as Dyddi whose stronghold or township it wason a low cliff overlooking a place where theRiver Merseycould be forded. In the 13th century Didsbury was variously referred to as Dydesbyre, Dydesbiri, Didsbury or Dodesbury.

Parish church

Church of St James, Didsburyin 2013

A charter granted in about 1260 shows that a corn-grinding mill was operating in Didsbury, along the River Mersey,but the earliest reference to Didsbury is in a document dating from 1235, recording a grant of land for the building of a chapel.The church was namedSt James Churchin 1855. It underwent major refurbishment in 1620 and again in the 19th century, although most of the stonework visible today dates from the 17th century.A parsonage was built next to one of the two public houses that flanked the nearby village green, Ye Olde Cock Inn, so-called because of the cockfighting that used to take place there. The parsonage soon gained a reputation for being haunted; servants refused to sleep on the premises, and it was abandoned in 1850. Local alderman Fletcher Moss bought the house in 1865, and lived in it for more than 40 years. In 1902, he installed a gateway complete with wrought iron gates which he purchased from the soon to be demolished Spread Eagle Hotel in central Manchester which he once owned, at the entrance to the parsonage's garden, which, because of the building's reputation, became known locally as "the gates to Hell". The parsonage is now open to the community and used as exhibition rooms for various forms of art. The gardens are still open to the public.The area around St James' Church has the highest concentration oflisted buildingsin Manchester, outside the city centre.

River Mersey

Prince Rupertwho stationed his army at Didsbury in 1644

Blue Plaque on Didsbury Library commemorating Prince Rupert's advance

Didsbury was one of the few places between Stretford and Stockport where the River Mersey could beforded,which made it significant for troop movements during theEnglish Civil War,in which Manchester was on theParliamentarianside. TheRoyalistcommander,Prince Rupert,stationed himself at Didsbury Ees, to the south ofBarlow Moor.A section of the Jacobite army including theDuke of Perthcrossed the Mersey at Didsbury in 1745 in theJacobitemarch south from Manchester to Derby.Bonnie Prince Charlie crossed at Stockport.

Immigration from Europe

Jewish immigrants started to arrive in Manchester from the late 18th century, initially settling mainly in the suburbs to the north of the city. From the 1890s onwards, many of them moved to what were seen as the more "sophisticated" suburbs in the south, such as Withington and Didsbury.The influx of Jewish immigrants led to West Didsbury being nicknamed "Yidsbury" and Palatine Road, a main road through West Didsbury, "Palestine Road".

A growing population of German merchants and industrialists in the mid-19th century earned Manchester the nickname of "the German city". In the Didsbury area, the Souchays were a well-known merchant family ofHuguenotdescent with connections to Germany. John D. Souchay built Eltville House, a large residence on the corner of Fog Lane andWilmslow Road(a site bounded today by Clayton Avenue and Clothorn Road). The house, named afterEltvillein Germany, had a pair ofgate lodgesat its Wilmslow Road entrance and the Ball Brook ran through its large garden.Other members of the family, Charles (or Carl) and Adelaide (or Adelheid) Souchay, lived nearby at Withington House on Wilmslow Road (the present site of the telephone exchange at Old Broadway). The Souchays were related to Cécile Mendelssohn Bartholdy, wife of the German composerFelix Mendelssohn.In the 1840s, Mendelssohn made several visits to Britain and stayed with the Souchays; he wrote a number of letter to friends with "Eltville House, Withington" as the return address.The Souchays were members ofSt Paul's Church, Withington;Mendelssohn gave a recital on the newly installedpipe organthere in 1847, and the first wedding to take place there was that of John Souchay's eldest daughter in 1850. The Souchays are buried in St Paul's churchyard.Eltville House was purchased by Jame Clayton Chorlton in 1888 and he renamed it Didsbury Priory. The Chorltons often opened their private garden to the public during springtime.

Among the other German industrialists in Didsbury was Johann Georg Silkenstadt, a cotton merchant who moved to the area fromBremenin 1865. He and his wife Josephine Helene built Rose Bank on Palatine Road in West Didsbury in 1872. Their only daughter, Marie Louise, married William Murray Caldwell Greaves Bagshawe of Ford Hall inChapel-en-le-Frith,Derbyshire. The Silkenstadts built for Greystoke Hall as a wedding present for them next to their family home. Marie Louise died ofperitonitisin 1891, and her father died the following year. The grieving Josephine Silkenstadt created a 5-acre (20,000 m²) publicbotanical gardenopposite their house, namedMarie Louise Gardensin memory of her late daughter, and bequeathed it to Withington Urban District Council. The gardens and the Lodge were designed by the civil engineerJoshua Cartwright,and were formally opened in June 1903 byJames Kenyon.

19th and 20th centuries

Didsbury railway stationshortly after the erection of the Rhodes memorial clock, c.1910

During theVictorianexpansion of Manchester, Didsbury developed as a prosperous settlement; a few mansions from the period still exist onWilmslow Roadbetween Didsbury village andParrs Woodto the east and Withington to the north, but they have now been converted to nursing homes and offices. The opening of theManchester South District Lineby theMidland Railwayin 1880 contributed greatly to the rapid growth in the population of Didsbury. Easy rail connections toManchester Centralwere now provided fromDidsbury railway stationin Didsbury Village, and fromWithington and West Didsbury railway stationon Palatine Road. Didsbury station was also served by Express trains from Manchester toLondon St Pancras.Further expansion of the railways ensued when theLondon & North Western Railway'sStyal LinefromManchester London RoadtoWilmslowopened in 1909, introducing two new stations to the area,East Didsbury & Parrs WoodandBurnage.In 1910, A stoneclock towerand water fountain was erected outside Didsbury Midland Railway station in memory of local doctor and campaigner for the poor, DrJohn Milson Rhodes.

Louis Paulhan landing his biplane at Pytha Fold Farm in 1910

On 28 April 1910, French pilotLouis Paulhanlanded hisFarmanbiplane in Barcicroft Fields, Pytha Fold Farm, on the borders ofWithington,Burnageand Didsbury, at the end of thefirst flight from London to Manchester in under 24 hours,with one short overnight stop atLichfield.Arriving at 5:30 am, Paulhan beat the British contender,Claude Grahame-White,winning a £10,000 prize offered by theDaily Mail.This was the first powered flight into Manchester from any point outside the city. Two special trains were chartered to the newly built but unopenedBurnage railway stationto take spectators to the landing, many of whom had stood throughout the night. Paulhan's progress was followed throughout by a special train carrying his wife,Henri Farmanand his mechanics. Afterwards, his train took the party to a civic reception given by theLord Mayor of Manchesterin thetown hall.A house in Paulhan Road, constructed in the 1930s near the site of his landing, is marked by ablue plaqueto commemorate his achievement.

In 1921, a war memorial was erected outside Didsbury Library, on the opposite side of the road to the Midland Railway station. Dedicated to the memory of the 174 local servicemen who fell inWorld War I,it was unveiled byEdward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby.AfterWorld War II,a further 67 names were added.

Further transport enhancements came in the form of two newarterial roadswhich were constructed at the peripheral edges of Didsbury 1928–1930:Kingsway(named after KingGeorge V) through East Didsbury; andPrincess Roadthrough West Didsbury. Both were laid out asdual carriagewaysfor motor vehicles with asegregated tram trackalong thecentral reservation.Manchester Corporation Tramwaysoperated atramline from Parrs Wood via Burnage intoManchester city centreuntil 1949, when the service was closed.

In the postwar years, passenger train services on the South District Line (now part ofBritish Rail) were gradually reduced, and in 1967 the line was closed as part of theBeeching cuts.For some years the old station building was in use as Station Hardware and DIY store, before it was demolished in 1982.

Governance

Formerly the "Ring o' Bells", the Didsbury Inn was at the heart of judicial and leisure activities in 18th century Didsbury.

Civic history

In the early 13th century, Didsbury lay within themanorof Withington, a feudal estate that also included the townships ofWithington,Chorlton-cum-Hardy,Moss Side,Rusholme,Burnage,DentonandHaughton,ruled by the Hathersage, Longford and Tatton families,and within thehistoric county boundariesofLancashire.Didsbury remained within the manor of Withington for several centuries.

By 1764, Didsbury was described as a township in its own right.It became acivil parishin 1866, and in 1876 was incorporated into the Withington Urban Sanitary District, superseded in 1894 by the creation of Withington Urban District.Withington Urban District was a subdivision of theadministrative countyof Lancashire, created as part of the provisions of theLocal Government Act 1894.In 1904, Withington Urban District was amalgamated into the city andcounty boroughof Manchester, and so Didsbury was absorbed into Manchester, although it remained a civil parish until 1910. Following theLocal Government Act 1972,Manchester became ametropolitan boroughof themetropolitan countyofGreater Manchester.

Political representation

Didsbury is in theparliamentary constituencyofManchester Withington,and is represented byJeff Smith MP,a member of theLabour Party.

Until 2004, most of the area formed the DidsburywardofManchester City Councilwith a section of West Didsbury contained within the Barlow Moor ward. However,boundary changesin 2004 resulted in Didsbury being split mainly between the two new wards ofDidsbury EastandDidsbury Westwhile a small section of West Didsbury was incorporated into the new ward ofChorlton Park.Didsbury East is represented by Labour councillors Linda Foley, James Wilson and Andrew Simcock.Didsbury West is represented by Labour councillors Debbie Hilal and Greg Stanton, and Liberal Democrat councillorJohn Leech.All wards within Manchester elect in thirds on afour yearly cycle.

Geography

Further information:Geography of Greater Manchester

Ordnance surveymap of Didsbury from 1905

Didsbury

class=notpageimage|

Didsbury, shown within Manchester

Didsbury, at53°24′59″N2°13′51″W(53.4166, −2.2311), is south of the midpoint of theGreater Manchester Urban Area,4+1⁄2miles (7 kilometres) south of Manchester city centre. To the north, Didsbury is bordered byWithington,Chorlton-cum-HardyandBurnage,to the west byNorthenden,to the east and south-east byHeaton MerseyandCheadle,and byGatleyto the south.

TheRiver Merseyforms Didsbury's southern and southwestern boundaries and certain stretches of the river also demarcate the boundaries of theCity of Manchester.The area is generally considered to be roughly enclosed by Princess Parkway to the west, Kingsway to the east and the Ball Brook, just north of Lapwing Lane/Fog Lane to the north. This northern boundary is marked by a boundary stone in the front garden wall of a house on the west side of Wilmslow Road. A "country trail" passes from West Didsbury to East, named the Trans Pennine Trail (National Cycle Route62). It was sited along a disused railway track, as part of a nationwide initiative to promote cycling.

Didsbury's built environment has developed around the areas of East Didsbury, West Didsbury, and Didsbury Village, which separates the two. The Albert Park conservation area, covering much of West Didsbury, places planning restrictions on development, alterations to buildings, and pruning of trees. The areas adjacent to the Mersey lie within the river's flood plain, and so have historically been prone to flooding after heavy rainfall.The last major flooding was in the late 1960s. In the 1970s extensive flood mitigation work carried out along the Mersey Valley through Manchester has helped to speed up the passage of floodwater.Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardenalso acts as an emergency flood basin, storing floodwater until it can be safely released back into the river.Parts of the local flood plain, much of Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden, the whole of nearbyDidsbury Parkand many of the listed buildings in the area are grouped into the St. James' Conservation area,which is centred on Wilmslow Road, just south of Didsbury Village.

Demography

TheUnited Kingdom Census 2001recorded Didsbury as having a population of 14,292, of whom 87% were born in the United Kingdom.A large majority of residents, 88%, identified themselves aswhite,8% asAsian,2% as mixed ethnicity, 1%blackand 1% Chinese or other ethnic group.The under-16s accounted for 17% of the population, and the over-65s for 15%. The population density in 2001 was 5,276/square mile (2,037/km²).In May 2021 a claim published by theDaily Mailthat Didsbury was among a number of "no-go areasfor white people "attracted media criticism.

Didsbury demography (as at 2019)

Ethnic group	Didsbury East	Didsbury West	City of Manchester
White	77.9%	84.1%	66.6%
Asian	13.6%	8.2%	17.1%
Black	2.1%	1.7%	8.6%
Arab	1.8%	1.5%	1.9%
Mixed/multiple	3.7%	3.5%	4.6%
Other	0.9%	1%	1.2%

Didsbury demography (2001 data)

UK Census 2001	Didsbury	Manchester	England
Total population	14,292	392,819	49,138,831
Born outside Europe	8%	10%	6%
White	88%	81%	91%
Asian	8%	9%	5%
Black	1%	5%	2%
Over 75 years old	10%	6%	8%

Economy

Sir William Siemens House,Siemens' UK head office in West Didsbury

See also:Economy of Manchester

As of theUK's 2001 census,Didsbury had an estimated workforce of 10,755 or 75% of the population. Economic status in Didsbury was: 48% in full-time employment, 11% retired, 10% self-employed, 8% in part-time employment, 4% full-time student (without job), 4% housewife/husband or carer, 4% permanently sick or disabled, 4% unemployed and 2% economically inactive for unstated reasons.Didsbury's 48% rate of full-time employment compares with 33% in Manchester and 41% across the whole of England.The area's 4% unemployment rate is in contrast to Manchester's rate of 9% and broadly in line with the 5% rate of unemployment for England.

In 2001, the main industries of employment in Didsbury were 20% property and business services, 15% education, 15% health and social work, 10% retail and wholesale, 9% manufacturing, 6% transport and communications, 5% financial services, 4% hotels and restaurants, 4% construction, 4% public administration and defence, and 8% other.These figures were similar to those from surrounding areas, but Didsbury did have a relatively larger education sector than other nearby wards, perhaps explained by the high density of schools in the area. A significant number of people (12%) commute to areas outside Didsbury; at the 2001 census there were 6,555 jobs in Didsbury, compared with the 7,417 employed residents.

Siemens' UK head office is in West Didsbury, occupying Sir William Siemens House and the Turing building, employing around 800 people here. The head office ofBA CityFlyeris in Didsbury.British Airwayshas an office with 300 employees in Pioneer House on the 292,000 square feet (27,100 m2), Dutch-owned Towers Business Park. In 2005, other tenants of the business park includedCisco,IWG,Logica,Trinity Integrated SystemsandThorn Lighting.

Didsbury is considered to form a 'stockbroker belt',as it is Manchester's most affluent suburb.

Culture

The original site of Didsbury Village is in the conservation area now known as Didsbury St James,about half a mile (1 km) to the south of what is today's village centre. The old village green is now the beer garden of The Didsbury pub.

The traditional independent retailers are gradually being replaced by multi-national firms, raising fears that Didsbury may lose its individual identity and become a "clone town".However, independent traders continue to thrive, especially along Burton Road in West Didsbury, which celebrates its independent spirit each year with the two-day Westfest festival. The 200-year-old Peacock's Funeral Parlour, one of the few pre-Victorian buildings in the village and regarded by some as the centrepiece of the village,was demolished in the summer of 2005 to make way for a new branch ofBoots the Chemists.The owner,United Co-op,blamed changing demographics for the closure of the funeral parlour; with more and more homes being occupied by young professional people, the death rate was falling in the area.

Green areas

TheFletcher Moss Botanical Gardenis a 21-acre (8-hectare) recreational park south of the village centre. It is named after localAldermanFletcher Moss, who donated the park to the city of Manchester in 1919.In 2008, it won theGreen Flag Award,the national standard for parks and green spaces in England,an award it has held since 2000.

Alderman Fletcher Moss was also responsible for restoring the gardens surrounding the old parsonage of St James's Church. Today, the Parsonage Gardens are open to the public, and the former parsonage house is now in use as an art gallery and community building.

Didsbury Parkis a community park located close to the centre of Didsbury village, surrounded by residential housing. It is one of the first municipal planned parks in the city, redesigned in the 1920s to include recreational features for residents, such as bowling greens. Located within the St. James’ Conservation Area, it features preservation-order trees, grassland, woodland, and flora. An old air-raid shelter is rumoured to be beneath the football pitch.The park includes a children's playground, a football pitch, and bowling greens.Didsbury Parkwas also a winner of the Green Flag Award in 2008.The park is used for dog walking, recreational play, picnics, and hosts events like the Didsbury Festival and Classic Car show. 'Didsbury Good Neighbours', a charity, is based in the park's refurbished pavilion, and operates an on-site cafe.The upkeep of the park is managed by the volunteer group,The Friends of Didsbury Park.

Marie Louise Gardens is a relatively small park to the west of the centre of Didsbury, opened in 1903 in memory of Marie Louise Silkenstadt.The gardens are planted out with a number of rare and unusual tree species.The park was at the centre of controversy in 2007 after Manchester City Council proposed to sell a portion of it to a private property developer.

In the northern part of Didsbury lies Fog Lane Park, a large municipal green space which borders on Withington and Burnage. The park, which features playing fields and ornamental gardens, was established in 1926 by the Manchester Corporation. The park also contains basketball courts, tennis courts, a skate park and a children's play area. Fog Lane takes its name fromYorkshire-fog,a type of wild grass.

• Parks in Didsbury
• 
  Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden
• 
  Parsonage Gardens
• 
  Marie Louise Gardens
• 
  Fog Lane Park
• 
  Panorama ofDidsbury Park(March 2008)

Media

See also:Media in Manchester

Capitol Theatre, previously ABC Weekend Television's northern studios

Between 1956 and 1969, the oldCapitol Theatreat the junction of Parrs Wood Road and School Lane served as the northern studios of ITV stationABC Weekend Television.Programmes such asOpportunity KnocksandPolice Surgeonwere made in the studios. ABC ceased to use the site in 1968 when it lost its ITV franchise, on its merger with fellow ITV companyRediffusion.The site was then used briefly byYorkshire Televisionuntil its own facilities in Leeds were ready.In 1971, the studios were acquired byManchester Polytechnic,who used it for cinema, television studies and theatre.The building was demolished in the late 1990s to make way for a residential development,but the name lives on in the form of a new theatre space in the heart of the M.M.U. campus in the All Saints area along Oxford Road, just to the south of Manchester city centre.

Until 2009 Didsbury was the base for one of theManchester Evening Newssubsidiaries, theSouth Manchester Reporter.

Transport

See also:Transport in Manchester

East Didsbury railway station

Didsbury Village tram stop

Roads

Didsbury is close to junction 5 of Manchester'sring road,theM60 motorway.

Air

Manchester Airport,the busiest airport in the UK outside London,is situated about 4 miles (6.5 km) to the south.

Bus

Didsbury is served by bus routes on theWilmslow Road bus corridor,said to be the busiest bus corridor in Europe. There are frequent bus services into Manchester city centre,The Trafford Centre,Northendenand other destinations. Services include:

• 23: Stockport – Didsbury – Chorlton-cum-Hardy – Stretford – Urmston – Trafford Centre.
• 42: Stockport – Didsbury – Withington – Manchester Royal Infirmary – Manchester.

Railway

The nearest commuter railway stations to Didsbury areEast DidsburyandBurnageon theStyal Line,which runs betweenManchester PiccadillyandManchester Airport.The stations were opened in 1909 by theLondon and North Western Railway.East Didsbury is served additionally by regional trains to destinations includingLiverpool Lime Street,Crewe,ChesterandLlandudno.

Until the 1960s, the suburb was also served by two stations on theSouth District LinefromManchester Central:Withington and West Didsburystation on Lapwing Lane (closed in 1961) andDidsbury station(closed in 1967, during theBeeching Axe). Both stations have since been demolished,although new stops on Manchester's Metrolink have since risen in their place.

Metrolink

Main article:South Manchester Line

The area is served by theManchester Metrolinklight rail/tramwith three tram stops atDidsbury Village,East DidsburyandWest Didsbury.

The tram route uses a reopened section of the former Midland Railway line. Proposals were first announced in 1984 to reopen the disused line as part of theProject Light Railscheme and the former Didsbury station was to reopen under the name of Didsbury Central or Didsbury Village.The first phase of theManchester Metrolinklight rail/tramsystem opened in 1992 but, due to funding problems, the oldtrackbedthrough Didsbury remained derelict for over 20 yearsuntil it was reopened in 2013. Rather than reopening at the site of the old Midland Railway station on Wilmslow Road, it was decided instead to locate the new Didsbury Village tram stop further down the line at School Lane.

Education

Further information:List of schools in Manchester

Fielden Park Campus, Manchester College

Didsbury has a non-selective education system, assessed by theSATsexam. There are sevenprimary schoolsand twostate comprehensive secondary schools.The Barlow RC High School is one of those chosen by Manchester Council to benefit from funding made available in wave 4 of the government'sBuilding Schools for the Futureprogramme, a national scheme for the refurbishment and remodelling of every secondary school in England.It is planned to replace all the current buildings, which date back to 1951. Parrs Wood and The Barlow were two of only six schools in Manchester to achieve the Manchester Inclusion Standard in 2007, awarded by Manchester Council to those schools doing innovative work to ensure that all their pupils are able to participate fully in the school's activities.

There is one centre of further and higher education in Didsbury:The Manchester College,(formerlyCity College Manchester) Fielden Campus, which was opened in 1972 byMargaret Thatcher,offers a variety of courses including communication and technology.Manchester Metropolitan University's Didsbury Campus, the formerDidsbury School of Education,was home to the faculties of health, social care, and education, along with theBroomhurst Hallof Residence.The University closed the campus and sold the land in 2014.

Primary schools

• Beaver Road Primary School
• Broad Oak Primary School
• Cavendish Community Primary School
• Didsbury CE Primary School
• St Catherine's RC Primary School
• West Didsbury CE Primary School
• St Ambrose RC Primary School

Secondary schools

• Parrs Wood High School

Parrs Wood, with about 2,000 pupils on its register, is much larger than the average, and is regularly over-subscribed in Year 7.In its 2007 inspection report by theOffice for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills(Ofsted) the school was criticised for "failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education", and for providing "unsatisfactory" value for money.However, in 2012 it came out of special measures and Ofsted deemed it a "satisfactory" school with aspects of "good teaching" and "good management".

• The Barlow RC High School

The Barlow RC High School is an average size secondary school, with about 1,000 pupils. It too is regularly over-subscribed. It was described in its October 2003 Ofsted report as "a successful and effective school that is providing a good education for its pupils".

Special and alternative schools

• The Birches School
• Lancasterian School

Religion

Further information:List of churches in Didsbury

Religion	Percentage of population
Christian	62%
No religion	20%
Not stated	7%
Muslim	6%
Jewish	2%
Hindu	2%

It is uncertain when the first chapel was built in Didsbury, but it is thought to have been before the middle of the 13th century. When theplaguereached the village in 1352 the chapel yard was consecrated to provide a cemetery for the victims, it being "inconvenient to carry the dead all the way to Manchester".

TheBBC Radio 4Daily Serviceprogramme of Christian worship – the world's oldest continuous radio programme – is often broadcast from Emmanuel Church, on Barlow Moor Road.Two of Didsbury's religious buildings areGrade II listed:Didsbury Methodist Church of St Paul(now an office building),and theNazarene Theological Collegewhich hosts theDidsbury Lectures.Didsbury was once the location of aMethodisttraining college, the Wesleyan Theological Institution; the Grade II*-listed building becameDidsbury School of Education,part ofManchester Metropolitan University.and has now been converted to private housing.

Didsbury is in theChurch of EnglandDiocese of Manchester, and theRoman CatholicDiocese of Salford.It is not as religiously diverse as some other areas of Manchester, but it has the second largestJewishpopulation in the borough and two synagogues: the Shaare Hayim Synagogue and the Sha'are Sedek Synagogue.

Didsbury has a medium-sizedMuslimpopulation in comparison with areas such asRusholme,LongsightandLevenshulme;a converted church in West Didsbury houses theDidsbury Mosqueand Islamic Centre.

Sport

Didsbury Cricket Club (2013)

Didsbury Sports Centre, on Wilmslow Road, is a part of theManchester Metropolitan Universitycampus. It provides a fitness suite with classes and facilities for badminton and tennis.

Didsbury has two rugby union clubs, Toc H R.F.C. and Old Bedians. Toc H, founded in 1924, plays at Simons Fields, on Ford Lane.Its first team plays in the North Lancashire and Cumbria league. The club runs four senior teams and a youth section; it has run a 10-a-side competition every May since 1951, as a charity fund raiser for local hospices. Old Bedians is based in East Didsbury and was founded in 1954. It regularly fields three senior teams as well as a junior section. Desmond Pastore, believed to be the oldest rugby player in the world, was a founder member of the club and later became its president.Formerly a player for Sale and Cheshire, Desmond played his last game for Manchester club Egor on his 91st birthday.Bedians AFC, an amateur football club that was founded in 1928, share the Underbank Farm ground with Old Bedians RUFC.

Didsbury Cricket Clubfields four Saturday teams, two Women's teams and a Sunday team.The 1st XI plays in theCheshire County ECB Premier League.The Women's teams compete in the Cheshire Womens Cricket League,and their junior section play in the Cheshire High Peak Junior Cricket League.

It is also home to Manchester WaconiansLacrosseClub and Didsbury Grey'sWomen's Hockey Team,which do not actually play at the site but at grounds inBelle Vue,that were designed for theXVII Commonwealth Games.

Northern Tennis Club, in West Didsbury, is one of Manchester's few racquet clubs; it plays host to anAssociation of Tennis Professionalstournament annually every July.

Public services

Withington Community Hospital,opened in 2005, occupies part of the site of the former (and much larger) Withington Hospital, developed on the site of aworkhousesome of whose buildings are still evident.

Didsbury is covered by the South Manchester Division of Greater Manchester Police.

The Towers,formerly theShirley Institute,was once the home of engineerDaniel Adamson– the driving force behind theManchester Ship Canalproject – and the venue where the decision to build the canal was taken.The house was designed by Salford architectThomas Worthington,for the editor and proprietor of theManchester Guardian,John Edward Taylor.

Notable people

Further information:List of people from Manchester

Daniel Adamson

• Daniel Adamson,promoter of theManchester Ship Canal,lived at The Towers (blue plaque– once theShirley Institute) on Wilmslow Road from 1874 until his death in 1890. HisGrade II listedhome, designed byThomas WorthingtonforJohn Edward Taylor,the editor and proprietor of theManchester Guardian,was the venue for the 1882 meeting at which it was decided to construct the ship canal project.
• Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw,mathematician, local politician, co-founder of theRoyal Northern College of Music
• Emily Williamson,a pioneer of wildlife protection, was a resident of Didsbury from 1882 to 1912. She founded the Plumage League in 1889 and went on to co-found theRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds(RSPB) in 1904. In 1989 a plaque was placed on her former home,the Croft,to honour the centenary of the organisation, although it did not actually mention Williamson by name.
• Sidney BernsteinandDenis Formanwho createdGranada Television Manchesteralso lived in Didsbury during their work requirements at theGranada Studiosin Manchester.
• Plant ecologistVerona Conwaywas born in Didsbury in 1910.
• LordMarcus Joseph Sieff,the chairman ofMarks & Spencerfrom 1972 to 1982, was born in Didsbury in 1913.
• Francis French,author and noted space historian, grew up in Didsbury, and attended the same school as noted poet and novelistSophie Hannah.
• Carol Ann Duffy,the first femalePoet Laureate,lives in West Didsbury as of 2009.
• Nigel Henbest,astronomer, author and television producer, was born in West Didsbury in 1951.
• Philip Irwin,cricketer and Royal Navy officer, was born in Didsbury in 1884.
• Martin Lewis,journalist, was born inWithington Hospitaland spent his earliest years growing up in Didsbury.
• Howard Spring– novelist and journalist forThe Manchester Guardianlived in Didsbury 1915–1930 whilst working for the Guardian. Several novels includingShabby Tigerwere based in Manchester.
• Broadcaster and humanitarianOlive Shapleylived on Millgate Lane 1953–1981, where she ran a refuge forsingle mothers,and later forVietnamese boat people.A street in Didsbury is named after her, Olive Shapley Avenue.
• ActressHolliday Graingerwas born in Didsbury.
• Rik Mayalllived in East Didsbury whilst attending Manchester University in the mid-1970's.
• Comedian and writerCaroline Ahernelived in Didsbury with her musician husbandPeter Hookin the mid-1990s.

See also

• Listed buildings in Manchester-M20

References

Bibliography

• Cooper, Glynis (2003),Hidden Manchester,Breedon Books Publishing,ISBN1-85983-401-9
• Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2004).Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East.Yale University Press.ISBN978-0-300-10583-4.Archivedfrom the original on 30 October 2021.Retrieved20 June2021.
• Haywood, Russ (2009).Railways, Urban Development and Town Planning in Britain: 1948–2008.Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.ISBN9780754673927.Retrieved19 June2018.
• Sussex, Gay; Helm, Peter (1988),Looking Back at Withington and Didsbury,Willow,ISBN0-946361-25-8
• Rudyard, Nigel; Wyke, Terry (1994),Manchester Theatres,Bibliography of North West England,ISBN0-947969-18-7
• Scholefield, R. A. (2004), "Manchester's Early Airfields, an extended article in Moving Manchester",Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society,Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society,ISSN0950-4699
• Suggitt, Gordon (2004).Lost Railways of Merseyside and Greater Manchester.Countryside Books.ISBN978-1-85306-869-0.
• Vivian, E. Charles (2004),A History of Aeronautics,Kessinger Publishing,ISBN1-4191-0156-0
• Zenner, Walter P. (2000),A Global Community: The Jews from Aleppo, Syria,Wayne State University Press,ISBN0-8143-2791-5