WILMSLOW

'Wilmslow' is a town in the Borough of Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. It lies to the south of the city of Manchester between Alderley Edge and Handforth. Most housing is large and expensive in nature.

Contents

Geography and administration

History

Etymology

Events

Present day

Transport

Industry and commerce

Communal facilities

Notable residents

Trivia

References

Places of interest

See also

External links

Geography and administration

Wilmslow town centre is focussed upon Bank Square, Grove Street and Water Lane. Although Bank Square has traditionally provided the location for many of the town's banks, the name in fact originates from the bank, or slope, leading down to the ''Carrs'' recreational fields and up towards the railway station. The River Bollin flows through the ''Carrs'' and once provided the power source for nearby Quarry Bank Mill, now a National Trust site, as well as enjoyment for the local population.
Before the railway came in 1842, Wilmslow comprised only a few farms and a church.
For purposes of the Office for National Statistics, Wilmslow forms part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area.

History

Etymology

Its name came from Anglo-Saxon ''Wīghelmes hlāw'' = "mound of a man called Wīghelm"

Events

Wilmslow was in the international media in March 1997, when an IRA bomb exploded at the railway station. Nobody was hurt.^[2]
In the general election of the same year, the parliamentary constituency of Tatton, in which Wilmslow falls, made headlines as part of the "sleaze" accusations levelled against the then Conservative Government. Tatton MP, Neil Hamilton, was accused of accepting cash for tabling Parliamentary questions, and subsequently defeated in the election by independent candidate Martin Bell.

Present day

Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich Manchester businessmen. Wilmslow is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Hale and Bowdon. It grew in popularity in the Victorian era as a most desirable area for wealthy Manchester businessmen to move out to once the railways arrived and connected the towns.

Transport

Wilmslow railway station is situated where the electrified line from Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly divides. One line continues to Manchester via Handforth and Stockport, the other continues via Styal, Manchester Airport and Heald Green. The latter route is commonly known as the Styal Line. There are frequent services to Manchester, Stockport and Crewe plus an hourly service to Shrewsbury and Cardiff. There are a few trains to London Euston (although an hourly service is planned from December 2008). The A34 Manchester to Newcastle-under-Lyme and Winchester road now bypasses the town centre to the east. Manchester Airport lies just four miles to the northwest, but Wilmslow lies away from the approach and departure routes and therefore suffers only slightly from aircraft noise.^[3]

Industry and commerce

Wilmslow is home and founding location of clothing giant Umbro who have their headquarters in the area^[4] It is also home to the food technologists of Sainsbury's, and is the centre of operations of the life insurance and pensions firm, Royal London Mutual Insurance. The Information Commissioner's Office, one of the government's executive agencies is also based in Wilmslow.

Communal facilities

Wilmslow has a municipal leisure centre located near the train station. It offers a range of indoor facilities including courts, gym equipment and two indoor pools, one of which is a heated children's pool.
Wilmslow High School is the only secondary school in Wilmslow and is a large comprehensive school that also includes a 6th form for A-level studies. The town has many primary schools, both comprehensive and private (including single sex schools).
The Wilmslow Guild is an independent adult education centre that provides courses in many subjects as well as societies, clubs and theatre productions.
Wilmslow also contains a public library, fire station and police station.
Two free weekly local papers are distributed to the residents of Wilmslow, they are the ''Wilmslow Express'' and the ''Manchester Metro News''.
Wilmslow holds one of the largest annual charity fireworks displays in the area. Run by the local Round Table, this attracts over 6000 people each year and raises around £10,000 each year for local charities.

Notable residents

Alan Turing, the driving force behind the Colossus machine for cracking the German Enigma cypher, is perhaps Wilmslow's most notable resident. Turing committed suicide in his Wilmslow home on 7th June 1954 by eating a cyanide-laced apple.^[5]
Wilmslow has featured in the novels of the writer Alan Garner, with the Black Lake (Lindow) apparently housing a witch. Garner is perhaps best known for his books ''The Owl Service'', ''The Weirdstone of Brisingamen'' and ''The Moon of Gomrath'' which are set in nearby Alderley Edge.
The British indie rock band Doves met at Wilmslow High School in the 1980s. Their song 'Black and White Town' was inspired by Wilmslow and its contradicting 'rich-poor' divide^[6]
Simon Gregson, who plays taxi boss Steve McDonald in Coronation Street, lives on Gravel Lane.^[7]
William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow in Coronation Street, lives on Meadow Way.
Alex Ferguson, Manager of Manchester United, lives on Sherbrook Rise.^[8]
Coventry City's keeper Andy Dibble Lives in Wilmslow with his sons Christian and Marcus Dibble.
Manchester United F.C. Wayne Rooney lives in Wilmslow Park with his wife Colleen.
Helen Pretty a woman recently in the news regarding a controversy over bone marrow donations lives in Wilmslow [1]
Thomas Spawton The director and creator of the successful ZLAB movie saga lives near Lacy Green [2]
Kerry Katona (Former Atomic Kitten Star)
Martin Edwards, former chairman of Manchester United lives on Hough Lane.

Trivia

★ Stratstone, Wilmslow is accountable for one fifth of all £100,000 Aston-Martin sales nationally.

★ Romany's Caravan, located near to the library is Britain's smallest tourist attraction

★ More champagne is sold in Wilmslow and Alderley Edge each month than in any other place in the UK

References

1. Wilmslow's official census profile
2. After the last ceasefire ended
3. Network Rail - West Coast
4. Umbro - History
5. Alan Turing: a short biography - 8
6. Doves fly to top
7. Street star caught drink driving in Prestbury
8. Alex Ferguson trademark decision

Places of interest

Romany's vardo

See also

★ St Bartholomew's Church, Wilmslow

★ Wilmslow Hockey Club

★ Wilmslow High School

★ Wilmslow railway station

External links

★ Wilmslow Rugby Website

★ Wilmslow Website

★ Wilmslow High School

★ Wilmslow Express Website

★ Wilmslow Library

★ Wilmslow Green Room Society Website