Didsbury
index
community
May 2013
view the latest edition at www.communityindex.co.uk Delivered FREE to Didsbury homes
Basement Conversions home office • gym • playroom • wine cellar • bathroom • wetroom
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Call today to have your oven, hob, extractor or Aga professionally cleaned
Meetings 2013
Ian Glancy Mob Tel: 07580 765765
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The Didsbury Handyman
Monday June 3rd 12.30pm-1.30pm
City & Guilds multi skilled Tradesman
Tuesday 2nd July 7.30am-8.30am August –no meeting
Carpentry • Joinery • Electrical • Plumbing Kitchens • Fencing • Built in Furniture • Decks Gates • Shelves • Locks • Hardware
call Nick
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September Thursday 12th 6pm-7.30pm October Thursday 10th 6pm-7.30pm
0777 852 3088
Domestic & Commercial Small works always welcome
Public Liability Insurance Environmentally Aware
Wednesday May 8th 6pm-7.30pm at the Fletcher Moss with guest from Metrolink
November Wednesday 6th 12.30pm-1.30pm December Monday 2nd 6pm-7.30pm v
info@didsburytraders.co.uk
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7 PUBLISHER Community Index
Editor/Advertising Lesley Swann lesley@communityindex.co.uk
DESIGN EDITOR
HealthySpirit give us tips for a natural alternative to HRT
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WILLIAM BYRD SINGERS “The Byrds” are recruiting.. do you have the voice?
DIDSBURY 12 beth stokes PEOPLE: MARIA YOUR CHARITY SHOP STRIPLING 17 NEEDS YOU
may THE TEAM
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NATURAL MENOPAUSE
BOOK
REVIEWS What’s on the Community Index bookshelf this month
Our editor interviews local businesswoman Beth Stokes
A word from Didsbury RSPCA on why you should support your local charity shop
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MAY IN YOUR GARDEN Fat Grass Gardens with seasonal gardening tips for May
20 LOCAL SPORT
ADVERTISING
COVER IMAGE
Peter Gidman peter@communityindex.co.uk
Steve, Nicola & Helen at the Co-op on Burton Rd, Didsbury
Katherine Watson, Healthy Spirit, Deborah Grace, RSPCA Didsbury, Geoff Garnett, Theo Andrews
15th May 2013
CONTRIBUTIONS
Joe Beech design@communityindex.co.uk
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@commUNITYINDEX
Deadline for june Edition Contact Us
Tel : 0787 589 5604
lesley@communityindex.co.uk
Community Index, 2nd Floor, 583 Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton M21 8AE
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Didsbury People ommunity champion, Maria Stripling, is a human C dynamo whose boundless energy and passion for life and the arts are truly infectious. Didsbury Open Gardens,
set up by Maria five years ago, has so far raised more than £30,000 for local causes. A recipient of the 2011 Manchester City Council Be Proud Awards, Maria is also founder and Director of Didsbury Arts Festival, now in its fifth year and running from 22-30 June.
How and why did you get started on DAF?
Through Open Gardens I met a lot of people who were also interested in the arts. Up until then I’d no idea that there was such a huge wealth of artistic talent in Didsbury. So many people wanted to do something about it, but they lacked a vehicle. Having spent the last ten years organising projects and events for KPMG, I’ve gained the confidence to know that, given the right support and the right team, there is always a way to make what you want happen!
Tell us what you have planned for this year’s Festival.
A new fringe programme will give artists and venues the freedom to create their own events alongside the main programme. Festival highlights include contributions from the poet Simon Armitage and jazz musician, Matthew Halsall. Pianist Kathryn Stott and violinist Giovanni Guzzo are starring in a concert in aid
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of Francis House. Both festival weekends will feature exciting outdoor events for children and families, including crafts, live music and puppets. We even have a giant pig!
Which is your favourite Didsbury place?
The Parsonage gardens are beautiful and have provided a magical setting for a number of DAF events, including our moonlight Lantern Parade. The Old Parsonage, itself, has a fascinating history and wonderful atmosphere. It is, reportedly, haunted so it’s very appropriate that the house and gardens will provide the setting for a staging of Henry James’s ghost story, The Turn of the Screw, during DAF 2013!
Who, or what, is your greatest inspiration?
The American poet Linda Chase, who sadly died in April 2011, lived in Didsbury for more than 30 years and was responsible for bringing to Manchester the Poetry School and Poets & Players. Linda did so much valuable work in
the local community and was full of energy and excitement at the idea of new projects. She was a great friend and supporter of Didsbury Arts Festival and a huge inspiration to all of us who knew her.
How do you like to relax?
Working in the garden – there’s always a lot to do! Going for walks with my husband Robert and Midge, our labradoodle; cooking and chatting with friends.
Which single artistic gift would you most like to have? To be a world-class opera singer!
Please finish the sentence, ‘I love Didsbury because … ’ ‘ … of the great friends I’ve made over the years in wonderful Didsbury places; the Albert Tennis and Bowling Club, Fletcher Moss Park, the meadows beside the Mersey and all the lovely tucked-away gardens and buildings – Didsbury’s hidden jewels!’
DEBORAH GRACE
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Nicola Owen and her team have been offering quality dental care at The Dental Health Centre for over 20 years in Didsbury village. • New patients welcome. • Cosmetic and routine dental treatment. • Emergencies usually seen same day, even when patients are not registered at the practice. • Special care for nervous patients. • Please contact reception to book your appointment.
Spectacularour Summer Offer!Centre Also introducing NEW Whitening Dental Phobia HTo finally overcome ONLY your dental fear H Special care offered £199 Nicola Owen and have successfully managed Callher usteam for further details phobic patients for many years Don’t miss out! 1b School Lane, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 6RD t: 0161 445 5459, e: contact@didsburydentalhealth.com w: www.didsburydentalhealth.com
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Local Ethical Tree Work & Firewood We are a unique social enterprise that provides high quality arboricultural services, including planting, pruning, emergency call-outs, dismantling and felling, along with tree safety surveys. Our service is professional and sensitive both to our clients’ needs and to environmental concerns. We are SAFEcontractor accredited. And what other tree surgeons regard as waste, we regard as opportunity – everything is used, to make truly local hardwood firewood; timber for joinery; mulch for local allotments; compost; and biomass woodchip. Firewood from £85 per cubic metre including free local delivery – please contact us for details.
Greater Manchester TreeStation Ltd - A Society for the Benefit of the Community committed to combating climate change, FSA Mutuals registered number 31552R
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Physiotherapy Sports Massage Massage in Pregnancy Core Strengthening Podiatry Ergonomic Assessments
3 Warburton Street, Didsbury Village, Manchester M20 6WA 0161 448 7844 didsburyphysio@btinternet.com www.didsburyphysio.co.uk
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Book Reviews Wilkie Collins No Name
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ritten between his better known books ‘The Woman in White’ and ‘The Moonstone’, the little known ‘No Name’ will appeal no less to Wilkie Collins fans or to newcomers. It is also interesting because it highlights differences in Victorian and modern sensibilities. What will attract the modern reader the most is what appalled the Victorians, namely the principal character, the spirited Magdalen Vanstone, who will stop at nothing to claim for herself and her sister the legacy
that the law and her cruel relatives unfairly deprive them of. Drawn with remarkable psychological insight, she is a world away from Dickens’s weak and willing heroines. The novel also benefits from a
Kate Atkinson Life After Life
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hat if we had a chance to do it again and again until we finally did get it right? Wouldn’t that be wonderful? During a snowstorm in England in 1910, a baby girl is born and dies before she can draw her first breath… During a snowstorm in England in 1910, the same baby is born and lives to tell the tale … Kate Atkinson’s intriguing, new novel follows the fate – or fates – of Ursula Todd, destined to relive her life over
and over again. We see her first in a German café, about to change the course of modern history and save the world from catastrophe. In the next chapter we are present, twenty years earlier, at the moment of her birth and almost simultaneous death, a helpless little heart, beating wildly. A page later, the same scene is re-played,
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coherent structure and varied settings. It is divided into eight scenes taking place in different parts of the country, from Somerset to Dumfries via London, Essex, Suffolk and York. Instantly acclaimed for its convoluted plot at the time, the readers of today will probably find their credulity stretched by unlikely twists and turns and larger than life characters, including a female villain puts Count Fosco in ‘The Woman in White’ in the shade. Or, as one of the main characters but here the doctor arrives in time to snip the lethal cord that is wrapped around the baby’s neck. Thus, pivotal moments in Ursula’s life – a trip to the seaside, a chance encounter on the stairs, a night during the London Blitz – are repeated with drastically different outcomes. On one level, of course, this is a novel about writing novels. Atkinson’s playful experimentation with plot constantly disrupts reader expectation, but the effect is far
in the book says: ‘It’s like a scene in a novelit’s like nothing in real life’. It is, however, exactly due to these devices that once you start this book you won’t be able to put it down for long.
Theo Andrews
from distancing. Instead she succeeds in drawing us into a much larger, philosophical narrative about the choices we make, the role of chance in our lives and how we can never really get it right. Brilliant, poignant and disturbing!
DEBORAH GRACE
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NATURAL MENOPAUSE he menopause is a transition all women experience at some point in their lives signifying the end of their childbearing days.
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For some women it can be an uncomfortable process lasting several years with unbearable hot flushes lasting several minutes throughout the day and also during the night, which can be both embarrassing and extremely uncomfortable. If you would like to try an alternative to HRT, you may want to consider supporting your body through this natural transition with something herbal, which you can
buy from your local health food shop, Healthyspirit. The herbs, Dong Quai, Red Clover, Sage, Astragalus and Avena Sativa are a few examples of some of the herbs that can aid in reduction of menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, nervous tension and headaches, without the side affects that can be experienced from taking conventional medication. Dong Quai
also has analgesic, nerve relaxing properties and circulatory benefits. Its photo-estrongenic activity may also be of benefit in helping to increase bone density. Hot flushes, palpitations, nervousness and joint and muscle pain can all be positively influenced with the aid of sage and vitamin E. Taking a daily essential fatty acid supplement such as Hemp Oil, can also help to support general hormone health as well as lubricating the joints and contributing to healthy skin, hair and nails. It is highly recommended that
you make an extra effort to look after yourself during the menopause by eating well, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of pure water and making the time to rest and get plenty of sleep. Avoid foods that put extra stress to the body, such as sugar, caffeine and alcohol. Drinking hot drinks can exacerbate the hot flushes so wait for drinks to cool down and notice which foods add to the symptoms you are experiencing. Call in to Healthyspirit and ask to speak to a nutritionist who will discuss the best supplements for you to consider as well as giving dietry advice.
events at Healthy Spirit Free Easibirthing Group Taster Session Saturday 4th May 3.00pm-4,30pm
Psychic Development Group Tuesday 21st May 7.30pm-9.30pm Cost £10
Healing Hands Every Tuesday 2.00pm-3.00pm Donations accepted
Laughing Yoga Saturday 11th May 11.00am-12.00pm Donations accepted.
Kundalini Yoga Every Monday 7.00pm-8.30pm Every Wednesday 5.30pm-7.00pm Cost £8
Spiritual Healing Saturday 11th & 25th May 2.00pm-3.00pm Donations accepted
Infinite Chi Kung Every Wednesday 10.00am-11.00am Cost £6
Reiki Share Group Thursday 9th May 7.15pm-9.15pm Cost £4
Oneness Blessing/ Deeksha Saturday 18th May 11.00am-12.00pm Minimum donation £2 Lemurian Healing Circle Saturday 18th May 2.00pm-4.00pm Cost £6
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Meditation Groups Every Monday 1.00pm-2.00pm Free Every Tuesday 10.30am-12.00pm Cost £5 Every Wednesday 7.30pm-9.30pm Free
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karl hutton fitted furniture
SERVING BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT SERVING BODY, MIND AND SERVING BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT SPIRIT Healthyspirit is a health and spiritual shop Healthyspirit is health and shop Healthyspirit is a ahealing health centre. and spiritual spiritual shop with a holistic We offer: with a holistic healing centre. We offer:
DIETARY Wholefoods DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS DIETARY dietary supplements SUPPLEMENTS SUPPLEMENTS FLOWER flowerESSENCES essences FLOWER ESSENCES FLOWER ESSENCES HOMOEOPATHIC HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES homoeopathicREMEDIES remedies HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES BOOKS BOOKS books BOOKS CDS (MEDITATION AND AND MUSIC) CDS cds(MEDITATION (meditation & MUSIC) CRYSTALS & GIFTS GIFTSAND MUSIC) CDS (MEDITATION music) CRYSTALS & WORKSHOPS CRYSTALS crystals & &GIFTS gifts WORKSHOPS WORKSHOPS
HOLISTIC workshops
HOLISTIC TREATMENTS HOLISTIC TREATMENTS MEDITATION CLASSES meditation classes MEDITATION CLASSES MEDITATION CLASSES SPIRITUAL HEALING SPIRITUAL HEALING spiritual healing & & GUIDANCE SPIRITUAL HEALING guidance & GUIDANCE DRU YOGA YOGAYOGA KUNDALINI DRU DEEKSHA BLESSING DRU YOGABLESSING DEEKSHA CHI KUNG ATTUNEMENTS DEEKSHA BLESSING ATTUNEMENTS attunements ATTUNEMENTS holistic treatments TREATMENTS
Visit our website for more Information or buy online:
Visit our website for more Information or buy online: Visit our website for more Information or buy online: WWW.HEALTHY-SPIRIT.COM
WWW.HEALTHY-SPIRIT.COM FREE POST AND PACKAGING WITH FIRST ORDER WWW.HEALTHY-SPIRIT.COM AND RECEIVE A £5 VOUCHER TO BE USED ON FREE POST AND PACKAGING WITH FIRST ORDER NEXT PURCHASE OVER FREE AND WITH FIRST ORDER ANDPOST RECEIVE APACKAGING £5 VOUCHER TO£25.00 BE USED ON AND RECEIVE A £5 VOUCHER TO£25.00 BE USED ON NEXT OVER OR CALL IN ANDPURCHASE CHAT WITH OUR FRIENDLY STAFF AT: PURCHASE OVERDIDSBURY, £25.00 37NEXT BARLOW MOOR ROAD,
MANCHESTER M20 6TW. TEL:FRIENDLY 0161 434 6784 OR CALL IN AND CHAT WITH OUR STAFF AT: OROPEN CALL37 INBARLOW AND CHAT WITHROAD, OUR STAFF AT: MONDAY-SATURDAY fromFRIENDLY 09.30am-5.00pm MOOR DIDSBURY, 37 BARLOW MOOR ROAD, DIDSBURY, MANCHESTER M20 6TW. TEL: 0161 434 6784 MANCHESTER M20 6TW.from TEL: 0161 434 6784 OPEN MONDAY-SATURDAY 09.30am-5.00pm OPEN MONDAY-SATURDAY from 09.30am-5.00pm
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THE William Byrd SINGERS
F
ounded 42 years ago, the William Byrd Singers are an excellent, wellestablished and friendly Chamber Choir, directed for many years by the composer, Stephen Wilkinson MBE.
Following February’s triumphant performance of Brahms’ “Ein Deutsches Requiem” with piano duet at the RNCM, the Byrds’ final programme of the season is being performed twice: in their regular venue, Christ Church, Darley Avenue, West Didsbury M20 2ZD on Saturday 11th May at 7.30 pm; and in the spectacular surroundings of St Agnes Church, Buckingham Avenue, Toxteth Park, Liverpool L17 3BA on Saturday 8th June, also at 7.30 pm. The concert, conducted by the singers’ current Musical Director, Keith Orrell, is entitled “Something like a Star”, and is based around themes of water, sleep and dreams. The programme includes some familiar settings by English composers, including Vaughan Williams’ “Three Shakespeare Songs”; and English madrigals by Morley, Wilbye and Weelkes.
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But the centrepiece of the programme is contrasting pieces by contemporary American composers. Randall Thompson’s setting of Robert Frost’s “Choose Something like a Star” gives the programme its title, while his delightful “Alleluia” may be better known to English audiences. The core of the programme features four contrasting settings by the current century’s best-known composer of choral music, the Californian Eric Whitacre. The singers will perform his settings of “Alleluia” and “Sleep”, alongside his now-famous “Water Night”. The programme will conclude with his “Her Sacred Spirit Soars”. The Byrds also run an annual “Sing Joyfully!” workshop at the United Reformed church, Montague Road, Sale M33 3BU. Join them on Saturday 6th July to explore Handel’s thrilling and challenging “Dixit Dominus”. There will be cake! If you like what you hear and
are interested in joining the choir, please contact them to arrange an audition. The Byrds’ extensive library of choral music is available for hire to other choral groups. It reflects the wide-ranging repertoire of the choir, and includes many compositions and arrangements not available elsewhere: such as Byrds’ commissions and Stephen Wilkinson’s arrangements. The choir also have three CDs available, including recordings of Scarlatti’s “Stabat Mater”; Bach’s “The St John’s Passion”; and a varied collection entitled “The Best of the Byrds”. For further information, please visit The Byrd Table at any event for a chat, or visit the website http://www. williambyrdsingers.org.uk/ They are a special choir with a long-standing reputation; so as part of the choir or part of the audience, please join them!
ELIZABETH WRIGHT
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Responsible financial advice for a world of difference We’re still here! With more than 20 years of providing ethical financial advice in South Manchester the Gaeia name will be known to many of you. Despite moving from Didsbury to central Manchester we continue to look after many loyal clients in the area. Since our merger with Castlefield, we’re now part-owned by a charitable foundation, our employees and even our clients – unusual in financial services! Whether you are an individual, business, charity or not-for-profit organisation, Gaeia can provide a financial planning service which incorporates both your ethical values and your financial needs.
• Ethical savings & investment advice • Prudent pensions & retirement planning • Income protection & health insurance • Ethical financial advice for businesses • Investment management for Charities and not-for-profit organisations
Contact us at our new office: 0161 233 4550, 1 Portland Street, Manchester M1 3BE. Visit us at www.gaeia.com SGCOMINDX/010413
Gaeia is a trading name of Castlefield Gaeia Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales No. 04605261. Registered office 3 Brook Office Park, Folly Brook Road, Emersons Green, Bristol, BS16 7FL.
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BETH STOKES
eth Stokes is the Director of Employee Matters, which specialises in providing HR advice to both individuals and businesses.
I met with Beth at the Beech Road Cafe and over a coffee or two we talked about her new business and living and working in Chorlton.
What’s your background?
I worked for over 15 years in Human Resources both in the public and private sectors. I left a position as HR Director at a global property company to start a family and set up Employee Matters in January this year.
What services do you provide?
Clients include both individuals and businesses. Employment Law is complex and we provide
simple and honest advice. For individuals facing a difficult and challenging situation at work such as redundancy or dealing with discrimination, it is important to know what your rights are. We offer personal, hands on and cost effective support and advice to help you get the best possible outcome. For businesses we provide professional HR services tailored to the needs of the business. We appreciate that businesses need a flexible approach to determine the level of commitment and service required so if you simply require ad hoc advice we can offer a ‘pay as you go’ service – we are here for you as and when you need us and charged by the hour.
Are you enjoying working from home?
When I had my little boy in 2010, I soon realised that the type of position I held meant that it would have been a really difficult to juggle my family and work so I decided to take some time away from the corporate world and think about my future. Having spoken to a number of friends who were in the same position many of them had ‘taken the plunge’ and started their own business and I began to think that it would be the perfect solution for me - still doing what I loved but at the same time being able to work around my family’s needs. Admittedly, it has been a challenge starting up my own company and working from home but now I couldn’t see myself doing anything else!
HELPING INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES UNDERSTAND THEIR RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS
Having Problems at work? Struggling with Red Tape? We offer advice & support for individuals
HR expertise tailored to suit your business
Disciplinary and Grievances Redundancy Sickness issues Discrimination Maternity rights Performance Management Terms & conditions of your employment Termination of Employment (dismissal)
Recruitment and selection Terms & conditions of employment (inc. contracts etc) Absence Maternity Disciplinary and grievance Performance Management Redundancy Termination of employment Learning and development (training) HR Strategy
Call Beth Stokes on 0773 9911826 for more information www.employeemattersltd.co.uk
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Community Health & Wellbeing Oneness Deeksha Meditation Saturdays 11am-12 at The Didsbury Parsonage, Stenner Lane Didsbury M20 2RQ. Donation £2. Enquiries to Christine 07734 072040. Weekly Meditation Classes Held in Didsbury meditateinmanchester. org 0161 861 7012
Societies & Groups Acting For Fun Central Didsbury 431 4794 Didsbury Amateur Dramatics www.celestaplayers.co.uk Didsbury Arts Festival Big Night Out & Fundraiser Sat 18 May, 7pm until late at The Northern Tennis Club, Palatine Road, West Didsbury. Banish the winter blues with a night of food, wine, music and dancing. For tickets (£15) email: info@ didsburyartsfestival.org www.didsburyartsfestival. org Didsbury Civic Society www.didsburycivicsociety. org.uk Didsbury Cricket Club www.didsburyccsports. co.uk Didsbury Dinners http://didsburydinners. wordpress.com For general enquiries/ Community growing group: didsburydinners@ yahoo.co.uk Community cooking group: community. cooking@yahoo.co.uk
Didsbury Good Neighbours Every Tues 10-11.45am coffee morning. Didsbury Sure Start Centre, Didsbury Park 07749 504298 www. didsburygoodneighbours. com Didsbury Ladies Probis Club Meets on alternate Monday afternoons in East Didsbury. Please call Joan Woodall 0161 434 2532 for more information Didsbury Village East Residents Association www.dvera.co.uk Didsbury Village Women’s Institute www.didsburyvillagewi. co.uk Manchester Flower Lovers’ Guild First Monday of the month for flower demonstrations. Refreshments at 7.15 for 7.30 start. Visitors welcome £5 St Werburghs Church Hall, Chorlton M21 0TJ Anne 881 6591, collierann@btintnet.com flowersnorthwest.net Friends of Didsbury Park www.friendsofdidsbury park.co.uk Friends of Fletcher Moss Park Alan Hill 215 0971 awhill@globalnet.co.uk Friends of Marie Louise Gardens www.marielouisegardens. org.uk South Manchester Camera Club www.smcc.org.uk Didsbury Over 50s Group 247 2323 South Manchester U3A
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Meet on the 1st Tuesday of the month at 2pm, Emmanuel Church. Contact Edna 434 2509 South Manchester Dance School 107 Clyde Road West Didsbury, 445 5308 West Didsbury Bookgroup Meets every four weeks at 7.30pm. Lively mixed group of all ages. Call 445 4483 leaving your name, address & landline West Didsbury Residents Association Pam Siddons 445 5406 www.westdidsbury.org.uk
Arts & Crafts Wendy Levy Art Gallery 17 Warburton Street Didsbury, 446 4880
Music & Entertainment Jazz Tuesdays at 8.45pm at the Slug and Lettuce, 651 Wilmslow Rd, Didsbury. creativespaceinfo. blogspot.com Stax of Soul Wednesdays 9.30pm-12 Thursdays DJ Pip Rolfe Weekend warm up till 1am One Lounge Bar 1 Lapwing lane www.oneloungebar.co.uk 448 0101
Social & Support Groups Didsbury Social Group didsburysocial@live.co.uk www.didsburysocial. jigsy.com Social Circle Social and activity group. Walks, meals, weekends away, quiz nights, live
I N D E X15 music, dancing, theatre, comedy Tel: 0161 434 0098, or 07767 686 177 www. social-circle.co.uk New Family Social UK charity for LGBT adopters, foster carers and their children. Meets every month in south Manchester. newfamilysocial.org.uk email: nwdevelopment@ newfamilysocial.co.uk
Useful Numbers Didsbury Library 227 3755 Environment on Call 954 9000 Mersey Valley Countryside Warden Service 905 1100 Manchester City Council 234 5000
Didsbury East Councillors Andrew Simcock cllr.a.simcock@ manchester.gov.uk Andrew Taylor cllr.a.taylor@manchester. gov.uk Bridie Adams cllr.b.adams@manchester. gov.uk
Didsbury West Councillors Mark Clayton cllr.m.clayton@ manchester.gov.uk Carl Ollerhead cllr.c.ollerhead@ manchester.gov.uk David Ellison cllr.d.ellison@manchester. gov.uk
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y management department
aluation service
ThePurple
Pages
another agent you should check e instructing JP & Brimelow.
Welcome... To JP & Brimelow’s Purple Pages. This month we introduce you to David Potts AKA Pottsy, Lettings Negotiator at the Didsbury Lettings office. Also six of the best properties let in recent weeks by the team. To arrange a market appraisal give Didsbury Lettings a call on 0161 445 2300.
www.jpbrimelow.co.uk
THE CREAM OF MANCHESTER ESTATE AGENTS If you’re considering a move, call your leading independent estate agent and we’ll explain why we take some topping. Extensive coverage with our unique inter-office networking Property website updated daily along with Rightmove Local press advertising in colour per office SMS text alerts and email updates Floorplans as standard Accompanied viewing 7 days a week Competitive and flexible fees - No Sale, No Fee Lettings and property management department Free, no obligation valuation service If you have already instructed another agent you should check the terms of agreement before instructing JP & Brimelow.
JP&Brimelow, cream of the crop!
Rebecca Whitehead MARLA Director
Meet David
Have you spotted Daisy, our new fleet car?
Didsbury Lettings Negotiator
GRAB YOUR FREE BAG
How long have you worked at JP & Brimelow? I’ve worked for the company for 10 years spending time in both Didsbury sales and lettings.
We’re passionate about M20. So much so, we’ve emblazoned our appreciation for all things Didsbury on our very own eco-bags. So, come into our office today and grab yourself a bag, for FREE! Use it for your Cheddar from the Cheese Hamlet, or your Angus Beef from Axons...Go on show your love for M20!
Describe your job role. I am based in the lettings department as a negotiator and my main roles are to accompany viewings and negotiate offers with tenants and landlords. What’s special about Didsbury as a place? I’ve lived here for 22 years and know the place like the back of my hand, that must show how much I like the people and area. A safe friendly atmosphere with great bars, restaurants and amenities on your doorstep – what more could you ask for?!
DIDSBURY LETTINGS 721 Wilmslow Rd Didsbury M20 6WF
Where’s your favourite restaurant or café in Didsbury for a meal? There are so many to choose from but my ultimate favourite Didsbury restaurant would have to be The Great Kathmandu. I had my first meal there is 1989 and have been going ever since. What are your hobbies and interests out of the wonderful world of JP & Brimelow?
years. I also am a keen runner and recently completed a marathon, my knees held out…just! Travel is also an imperative to me, I always make sure I have a new trip on the horizon to look forward to. If you’d like to talk to David about letting your property in Didsbury, give him a ring on 0161 445 2300.
I am a musician, I have been writing and performing for many
0161 445 2300 lettings@jpbrimelow.co.uk www.jpandbrimelow.co.uk
@jpandbrimelow
st be r... he ea f t is y xo h Si TS t LE
Kingston Road
Dene Road
Elm Road
Raleigh Close
Old Lansdowne Road
Old Oak Street
0161 448 0622 DIDSBURY SALES 748a Wilmslow Rd didsbury@jpbrimelow.co.uk Didsbury M20 2DW
Offices also in: Chorlton 0161 882 2233 chorlton@jpbrimelow.co.uk Withington 0161 445 9700 withington@jpbrimelow.co.uk
Open Photography Competition hey say beauty is in the T eye of the beholder; can you reveal something unseen with your camera?
Entries are now open for the Didsbury Arts Festival 2013 Open Photography Competition. The theme of this year’s competition is ‘Hidden’ and entries are welcome from both amateur and professional snappers. The winners will be selected in June by a panel of four judges headed by Manchester photographer and writer Len Grant. The top ten shortlisted entries will be
exhibited during Festival week (22-30 June). Entries should be submitted no later than 1 June. DAF 2013 is sponsored by Aba Quality Monitoring Ltd, Manchester City Council and Siemens.
For more details visit : www.didsburyartsfestival.org
Chorlton Trade Paints With our designer tinting machines we can mix 1,000s of colours in a wide variety of finishes and sizes while you wait Tel: 0161 881 8337 Friday 10th May 2013
Suppliers to trade and general public
7:30-9:00pm St James and St Emmanuel Church
Unit 2a Albany Trading Estate, Albany Rd, Chorlton, M21 QAZ
£7.00 adults / £5.00 children & concessions
6 Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury M20 6TR
A glittering, spring-themed selection of opera arias and show tunes. All proceeds go to homeless charity Streetwise Opera’s work at The Booth Centre in Manchester.
Free Parking and Free Delivery locally on orders over £50
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Buy tickets online at www.streetwiseopera.org/night-opera or on the door Call 020 7730 9551 for more information
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RSPCA
YOUR CHARITY SHOP needs you! D
idsbury has a great selection of charity shops, yet many people don’t realise just how vital shop income is to small charities. The same applies to the RSPCA Manchester & Salford Branch – quite simply, we would not survive without our shop profits. Most people also don’t realise that we are an independent charity, entirely self-funding and separate to the National RSPCA. We have strong connections with the RSPCA inspectors, but we must raise our own funds to help our own rescued animals. This means that when our charity shops suffer a dip in sales, we don’t have the money we need to help more animals. It really is as brutal as that. Since opening, our Didsbury shop has become very much part of the community, but we need help now more than ever. The demand on resources is growing with increasing numbers of animals being rescued from cruelty in the Greater Manchester area. By giving us your donations you’ll be helping animals such as Bella (pictured). Bella is a Doberman who was badly neglected and repeatedly used as breeding stock. Thankfully, she was signed into our care so
we could give her the medical care and rehabilitation she needed. Without our shops providing steady income we simply couldn’t help animals like her. Bella costs us £8 per day in kennel fees, and her veterinary care will run into hundreds of pounds even before we get to the routine neutering, microchipping, and vaccinations which cost in excess of £200. When you look at the figures to rehabilitate just one dog you see how vital our charity shops really are.
animals like the rabbits Kihei and Gina (pictured) who were rescued separately by the branch, bonded together and are now living as a happy house bunny couple. Kihei was found straying near a busy road, and Gina was dumped in a box outside a local farm. After our five-star treatment, we were able to rehome them into a life that all domestic rabbits deserve. Help us help more animals by bringing your unwanted clothes, books, CDs, DVDs, bric a brac and furniture to us! The only items we can’t take off your hands are electricals – everything else is fair game. And if you are having a big spring clean we can arrange for large amounts to be collected if you live locally. Just call us on 0161 882 0680 or email rspcamcr_salford@btconnect. com. In the meantime, check out our website www. rspca-manchesterandsalford. org.uk, follow us on Twitter @rspcamcrsalford, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ RSPCAManchesterandsalford
We have many great success stories and we have every faith that Bella will have her own happy ending. The successes keep us going. It is immensely rewarding to have helped
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Focus on Cecile Elstein ecile Elstein is well-known for her work C as sculptor, printer and environmental artist. She is also co-founder of Didsbury Drawing, which started on September 11 2001.
The day we began was the day of the Twin Towers terrorist atrocity. It was very strange, such a cataclysmic day in the history of the world and this very insignificant thing of starting a drawing group. All we wanted to do was to live and to celebrate living; what happened in New York that day was the very opposite of our aims. We gather together once a week at Emmanuel Church to draw from a model. We are a very unique group. There are no entrances, no exits and no teacher. Life drawing is the basis of all art and over the years we have attracted people from different areas of the visual arts - a theatre painter, fibre artists, sculptors, graphic designers. The one thing that draws us together is the observation of life. Because there is no teacher, there
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DIDSBURY FOOT CLINIC
•• • • •
General Chiropody Treatments Corns & Callus Removal
Nail Cutting & Ingrown Toenails
Heel Pain, Arch Supports, Insoles & Orthotics Registered HCPC Podiatrist
701 Burnage Lane, M19 1RR Tel: 0161 286 3480 Mob: 07931 900 116 www.didsburyfootclinic.co.uk
is no-one scrutinising your work, looking over your shoulder. There is just personal growth, space and freedom.
The work of the ‘Didsbury Drawing’ artists will be the focus of an exhibition at the Old Parsonage Gallery this summer. ‘Drawing Matters: Didsbury Summer 13’ will feature as part of Didsbury Arts Festival 2013 (22 – 30 June)
673 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 6RA
0161 445 8243
www.andrewgrahamshoes.co.uk
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MAY in your Garden here is a great deal of folklore associated with the month T of May – such as never buy a broom or wash a blanket – and not surprisingly, as it heralds the start of rampant growth in gardens and signals finally the end of winter. Those of you following the recent ‘good life’ trend of having urban chickens will be pleased to learn that it is also International Respect for Chickens month (although coverage has been poultry). Jobs that need doing this month include
pruning of spring flowering shrubs including common specimens: Forsythia, Ribes, Spirea, winter flowering Jasmine, Pyracantha, Kerria and evergreen Ceonothus. If you are clipping back ivy this month particularly from trees, be careful to check for nesting birds. You can also prune some clematis - referred to as ‘group one’ in horticultural texts. The pruning of clematis seems to be a bit baffling so here are a few tips. Group one refers to all the varieties that flower early on shoots developed in the previous season. These include the popular C.alpina, C.cirrhosa and C.armandii – if you don’t know their names go with when they flower and in this case they
already have. Group two refers to the large flowered cultivars that flower May-June and should already have been pruned in late winter - February ideally (so do it next year if you’ve forgotten). C. florida are part of this group if you’ve still got the label. The final group are late summer flowering (e.g. C. viticella) and grow from the base each year so can be hard pruned again around February time. Clematis, like so many other species, can be prone to wilt so keep an eye out for badly browned leaves and stunted growth and remove all infected areas. You could also try some of the herbaceous types of clematis that tend to be resistant to the fungus. These look great in any border, are reliable and easy to prune in late winter. Some varieties to try are: C. recta ‘Purpurea’; C. integrifolia ‘Alba’; C. jackmanii; C. tubulosa ‘Wyevale’
Katherine Watson, Fat Grass Garden Designs
Garden Design Planting Advice Consultation Service Project Managment
07989968841 www.fatgrass.co.uk WWW.COMMUNITYINDEX .CO.UK
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Community Index Sport TOUGH START FOR DIDSBURY CRICKET CLUB idsburyCricket Club begin another hectic season by D visiting one of the Cheshire ECB Premier League’s top teams in Hyde who play on the highest ground in Cheshire at the top of Werneth Low.
Pics – The anniversary But led by skipper Nick banner and the clubhouse Anderson, Didsbury Didsbury seconds visit Hyde on will be confident in the same day and their other having a good season to retain senior teams will also soon be their coveted top spot in the in action. area with their young team composed largely of local Didsbury are also in action in players brought through their the RedInsure T20 competition pro-active junior system. with group games against Urmston, Cheadle Hulme and
Stockport and will also feature in the Cheshire Cup during the season. The club are one of the oldest in the region being formed over 150 years ago and their trim and attractive ground on Wilmslow Road will see action for their four senior teams, a ladies’ team and several junior sides while a fifth team will play at Sale Moor until a new facility opens at Simon PF. As well as cricket Didsbury CC, has a busy social scene in their excellent clubhouse and is also the base for the Manchester Lacrosse Club and the high-flying Didsbury Greys ladies’ hockey team who had GB Olympic Captain Kate Walsh playing for them in her teens.
BEDIANS FACE THE DROP
edians FC, who play at the superb Old Bedians Sports B Club in East Didsbury are seeing their four teams having mixed results this season. The first team, who play in the prestigious Lancashire and Cheshire AFL Premier division, face a tricky end to the season going into their last four games urgently needing wins to escape relegation. They are locked in a five-team
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battle to avoid the drop after enjoying several seasons with great success in the top flight. Bedians seconds also need points to stay in division three and the thirds are bottom of division B.
But the fourths are flying high in division F and will have the title in their hands if they win their remaining games. They are also through to the quarter finals of the Hellawell Shield.
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Alexander Technique individual sessions and groups
Sue Fleming MSTAT www.alexanderteaching.co.uk ☎ 861 8848 mob 07796470163 The Burton Road Clinic Didsbury Chequers Road Chorlton cycle-technique
one-day workshops
May 4th and June 1st, Chorlton
Pauline Leng
MSTAT
www.alexandertechniquemanchester.net
☎ 445 8530 mob 07821470349 The Didsbury Holistic Centre and Lidgate Grove Didsbury
Lawyers for your business • • • •
Partnership and LLP Matters Company Matters Shareholder Disputes Mergers and Sales
• • • •
Trading Terms and Conditions Professional and Regulatory Employment Issues Directors' Rights and Duties
Come and talk to us Adrian Anderson on 0161 832 6131 or email adrian.anderson@ralli.co.uk www.ralli.co.uk www.rallipartnership.law.co.uk
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evolve joinery Wooden & UPVC windows Internal & external doors Engineered & solid wood floors Stud partition & plasterboard work All aspects of internal joinery
M & H BUILDING CONTRACTORS City & Guilds qualified tradesman with over 10 years experience
• Extensions • Renovations • Plastering General building repairs • Garden wall Re-pointing • Patios • Bricklaying/block work Cheap rates, excellent quality & reliable friendly team
Tel: Stephen Harrison 07912351114 Joe Murphy 07525415612 email: stee_harrison@hotmail.co.uk
Decking & fencing
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High quality work for a competitive price For a free quote contact Pete
07947 242 339 0161 427 9317 evolvejoinery@yahoo.com
M Duffin Property Repairs Chimneys Pointing Roofs Gutters Free Estimates
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