Stretford

infobox UK place
country = England
map_type= Greater Manchester
latitude= 53.4466
longitude= -2.3086
official_name= Stretford
population= 37,455 (2001 Census)
population_density=Pop density mi2 to km2|9158|abbr=yes|precision=0|wiki=yes
metropolitan_borough= Trafford
metropolitan_county= Greater Manchester
region= North West England
constituency_westminster= Stretford and Urmston
post_town= MANCHESTER
postcode_area= M
postcode_district= M32
dial_code= 0161
os_grid_reference= SJ795945
london_distance= 163 mi (262 km) SSE
static_

static_image_caption=Trafford Town Hall in Stretford

Stretford (pop. 37,500) is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Lying on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal, it is convert|3.8|mi|km|1 to the southwest of Manchester City Centre, convert|3.0|mi|km|1 south-southwest of Salford and convert|4.2|mi|km|1 northeast of Altrincham. Stretford is contiguous with the suburb of Chorlton-cum-Hardy to the east, and the towns of Urmston to the west, Salford to the north, and Sale to the south. The Bridgewater Canal bisects the town.

Historically a part of Lancashire, during much of the 19th century Stretford was an agricultural village known locally as Porkhampton, with reference to the large number of pigs produced for the nearby Manchester market. It was also an extensive market gardening area, producing over convert|500|LT|sigfig=3 of vegetables each week for sale in Manchester by 1845. The arrival of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894, and the subsequent development of the Trafford Park Industrial Estate in the north of the town, accelerated the industrialisation which had begun in the late 19th century. By 2001, less than 1% of Stretford's population was employed in agriculture.

Stretford has been the home of Manchester United Football Club since 1910, and of the Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1864. Notable residents have included the industrialist, philanthropist, and Manchester's first multi-millionaire John Rylands, the suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, the painter L. S. Lowry, Morrissey of The Smiths, and Jay Kay of Jamiroquai.

History

The origin of the name Stretford is "street" (Old English "stræt") on a ford across the River Mersey. [Nicolaisen, Gelling & Richards, "The Names of Towns and Cities in Britain", p. 177.] The principal road through Stretford, the A56 Chester Road, follows the line of the old Roman road from Deva Victrix (Chester) to Mamucium (Manchester), crossing the Mersey into Stretford at Crossford Bridge, built at the location of the ancient ford.cite web |title=Townships: Stretford |work=A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 (1911), p. 329–335 |publisher=British History Online |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=41436 |accessdate=2007-04-07]

The earliest evidence of human occupation around Stretford comes from Neolithic stone axes found in the area, dating from about 2000 BC. Stretford was part of the land occupied by the Celtic Brigantes tribe before and during the Roman occupation, and lay on their border with the Cornovii on the southern side of the Mersey.Bayliss, "Historical Atlas of Trafford", p. 6.] By 1212, there were two manors in the area now called Stretford. The land in the south, close to the River Mersey, was held by Hamon de Mascy, while the land in the north, closer to the River Irwell, was held by Henry de Trafford. [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 12.] In about 1250, a later Hamon de Mascy gave the Stretford manor to his daughter, Margery. She in turn, in about 1260, granted Stretford to Richard de Trafford at a rent of one penny. The de Mascy family shortly afterwards released all rights to their lands in Stretford to Henry de Trafford, the Trafford family thus acquiring the whole of Stretford, after which the two manors descended together.

The de Trafford family leased out large parts of the land, much of it to tenants who farmed at subsistence levels. Although there is known to have been a papermill operating in 1765, the area remained largely rural until the early 20th-century development of Trafford Park in the Old Trafford district north of the town. [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 13.] Until then Stretford "remained in the background of daily life in England",Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 15.] except for a brief cameo role during the Jacobite rebellion of 1745, when Crossford Bridge was destroyed by Bonnie Prince Charlie's army during its abortive advance on London; the bridge was quickly rebuilt.

Until the 1820s, one of the main cottage industries in Stretford was the hand-weaving of cotton. There were reported at one time to have been 302 handlooms operating in Stretford, providing employment for 780 workers, but by 1826 only four were still being used, as the mechanised cotton mills of nearby Manchester replaced handlooms. [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 38.] As Manchester continued to grow, it offered a good and easily accessible market for Stretford's agricultural products, in particular rhubarb, once known locally as Stretford beef. By 1836, market gardening had become so extensive around Stretford that one writer described it as the "garden of Lancashire". [Scola, "Feeding the Victorian City: the food supply of Manchester, 1770–1870", p. 97.] In 1845, over convert|500|LT|t|0|lk=on of vegetables were being produced each week for the Manchester market. [Scola, "Feeding the Victorian City: the food supply of Manchester, 1770–1870", p. 105.] Stretford also became well-known for its pig market and the production of black puddings, leading to the village being given the nickname Porkhampton. A local dish, known as Stretford goose, was made from pork stuffed with sage and onions. During the 1830s, between 800 and 1,000 pigs a week were being slaughtered for the Manchester market. [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 19–20.]

Situated on the border with Manchester, Stretford became a fashionable place to live during the middle of the 19th century. [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 23.] Large recreation areas were established, such as the Royal Botanical Gardens, opened in 1831. The gardens were sited in Old Trafford on the advice of scientist John Dalton, because the prevailing south-westerly wind kept the area clear of the city's airborne pollution. [cite web |title=Archive of the Royal Botanical and Horticultural Society of Manchester and the Northern Counties |publisher=The Archives Hub |url=http://www.archiveshub.ac.uk/news/0503rbhs.html |accessdate=2008-01-10] In 1857, the gardens hosted the Art Treasures Exhibition, the largest art exhibition ever held in the United Kingdom. [cite web |title=Manchester 1857, a City of Industry |publisher=Manchester Art Gallery |url=http://www.manchestergalleries.org/whats-on/art-treasures-in-detail/manchester-1857/ |accessdate=2008-01-15] A purpose-built iron and glass building was constructed at a cost of £38,000 to house the 16,000 exhibits. The gardens were also chosen as a site for the Royal Jubilee Exhibition of 1887, celebrating Queen Victoria's 50-year reign. The exhibition ran for more than six months and was attended by more than 4.75 million visitors.Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 107–110.] The gardens were converted into an entertainment resort in 1907, and hosted the first speedway meeting in Greater Manchester on 16 June 1928. [cite web |title=White City Track| publisher=UK Running Track Directory |url=http://www.runtrackdir.com/details.asp?track=manchester-wc |accessdate=2008-01-09] There was also greyhound racing from 1930, and an athletics track. The complex was demolished in the late 1980s, and all that remains is the entrance gates, close to what is now the White City Retail Park. The gates were designated a Grade II listed structure in 1987. [cite web |title=Entrance Portal and Lodges to Former White City Greyhound Track |publisher=Images of England |url=http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?id=212974 |accessdate=2008-01-09]

The arrival of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894, and the subsequent development of the Trafford Park industrial estate in the north of the town – the first planned industrial estate in the world [Nicholls, "Trafford Park: The First Hundred Years", p. xiii.] – had a substantial effect on the growth of Stretford. The population in 1891 was 21,751, but by 1901 it had increased by 40% to 30,436 as people were drawn to the town by the promise of work in the new industries at Trafford Park. [cite web |title=1901 Census of England and Wales |work=A Vision of Britain Through Time |publisher=Great Britain Historical GIS Project |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/census/table_page.jsp?tab_id=EW1901COU_M12&u_id=10075592&show=DB&min_c=1&max_c=5 |accessdate=2007-07-12] [Nevell, "The Archaeology of Trafford", p. 24.]

During the Second World War, Trafford Park was largely turned over to the production of war materiel, including the Avro Manchester heavy bomber, and the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines used to power both the Spitfire and the Lancaster. [Nicholls, "Trafford Park: The First Hundred Years", p. 103–104.
"The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was made by Ford, under licence. The factory produced 34,000 engines, and employed 17,316 people."] That resulted in Stretford being the target for heavy bombing, particularly during the Manchester Blitz of 1940. On the nights of 22/23 and 23/24 December 1940 alone, 124 incendiaries and 120 high-explosive bombs fell on the town, killing 73 people and injuring many more. Among the buildings damaged or destroyed during the war were Manchester United's Old Trafford football ground, All Saints' Church, St Hilda's Church, and the children's library in King Street. [cite web | title=All Saints Church | work= Trafford Lifetimes | publisher= Trafford Council | url= http://www.trafford.gov.uk/content/tca/display_image.asp?ImageID=2630 |accessdate=2007-08-02] [cite web | title=St. Hilda's church showing bomb damage | work= Trafford Lifetimes | publisher= Trafford Council | url= http://www.trafford.gov.uk/content/tca/display_image.asp?ImageID=2403 |accessdate=2007-08-02] [cite web | title= Bomb damage to the children's library, King Street | work= Trafford Lifetimes | publisher= Trafford Council | url= http://www.trafford.gov.uk/content/tca/display_image.asp?ImageID=5428 |accessdate=2007-08-02] A memorial to those residents who lost their lives in the bombing was erected in Stretford Cemetery in 1948, over the communal grave of the 17 unidentified people who were killed in the blitz of December 1940. [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 156.]

Between 1972 and 1975, what is now the B&Q store in Great Stone Road was the 3,000-capacity Hardrock Theatre and Village Discotheque, hosting some of that period's major artists in their prime. Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Bob Marley, Elton John, Hawkwind, Yes, Chaka Khan, Curved Air and Lou Reed were amongst those who appeared. Tangerine Dream was the last band to perform at the Hardrock, on 19 October 1975.cite web |title=Stretford's 'Hardrock' down memory lane |date=2007-08-03 |first=Simon |last=Greenhalgh |publisher=Messenger Newspapers |url=http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/features/traffordthroughtime/display.var.1594782.0.stretfords_hardrock_down_memory_lane.php |accessdate=2008-12-08] In more recent years, Lancashire Cricket Club's Old Trafford ground, next door, has provided a concert venue for bands such as Angels & Airwaves, Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters, Oasis, Richard Ashcroft and The Strokes, with audiences in excess of 40,000. [cite web |url=http://www.drownedinsound.com/venue/view/745 |title=Old Trafford Cricket Ground music venue |author=Anon |publisher=Drowned in Sound |accessdate=2007-05-23] [cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/manchester/content/articles/2006/06/19/180606_foo_fighters_feature.shtml |title=Foo Fighters at Old Trafford Cricket Ground - 7/10 |author=Anon |publisher=Drowned in Sound |date=2006-06-19 |accessdate=2007-05-23]

Transport history

Stretford's growth was fuelled by the transport revolutions of the 18th and especially the 19th century: the Bridgewater Canal reached Stretford in 1761, and the railway in 1849. The completion of the Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway (MSJAR) in 1849, passing through Stretford, led to the population of the town nearly doubling in a decade, increasing from 4,998 in 1851 to 8,757 by 1861. [Nevell, "The Archaeology of Trafford", p. 25.]

Because Stretford is situated on the main A56 road between Chester and Manchester many travellers passed through the village, and as this traffic increased, more inns were built to provide travellers with stopping places. One of the earliest forms of public transport through Stretford was the stagecoach; the Angel Hotel, on the present day site of the Bass Drum public house, [cite web |title= Bass Drum | work= Trafford Lifetimes |publisher=Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council | url= http://www.trafford.gov.uk/content/tca/display_image.asp?ImageID=3342 |accessdate= 2007-07-11] was one of the main stopping places for stagecoaches in Stretford and the Trafford Arms was another. [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 40.] The stagecoach service through Stretford is believed to have ended some time in the 1840s, about the time that horse drawn tram cars arrived, in 1845; [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 36,40.] electric trams were introduced in 1902. [cite web |title=Historian reviews 1,000 years of town history |publisher=Sale and Altrincham Messenger |url=http://archive.thisistrafford.co.uk/2000/1/6/10109.html |accessdate=2008-01-10] After the Second World War the trams were replaced by buses. [cite web |title=A Short History of Road Passenger Transport in Greater Manchester |publisher=Greater Manchester's Museum of Transport |url=http://www.gmts.co.uk/history/history.html |accessdate=2008-01-10]

The MSJAR railway line through Stretford was electrified in 1931, and was converted to light rail operation in 1992, becoming part of the Manchester Metrolink tram network. The first Metrolink tram through Stretford ran on 15 June 1992. [cite web |title=History |publisher=Metrolink |url=http://www.metrolink.co.uk/pdf/past_present_future.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-16]

Governance

Civic history

Poor Law Union in 1837, one of three such unions in Manchester, [cite web |title=Manchester Archives and Local Studies: A Guide to Poor Law and Workhouse Records |publisher=Manchester City Council
url=http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/PoorLawRecordsGuide.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=2008-01-09] before transferring to the Barton-upon-Irwell Poor Law Union in 1849. In 1867, Stretford Local Board of Health was established, assuming responsibility for the local government of the area in 1868. [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 88–89.] The board's responsibilities included sanitation and the maintenance of the highways, and it had the authority to levy rates to pay for those services. The local board continued in that role until it was superseded by the creation of Stretford Urban District Council in 1894, as a result of the Local Government Act 1894.

Stretford Urban District became the Municipal Borough of Stretford in 1933,cite web |title=Greater Manchester Gazetteer |publisher=Greater Manchester County Records Office |url=http://www.gmcro.co.uk/guides/gazette/gazzs.htm |accessdate=2007-07-02] giving it borough status in the United Kingdom. Stretford Borough Council was granted its arms on 20 February 1933. The roses are the red roses of Lancashire, and the lion in the centre 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.cite web |title=Civic Heraldry of England & Wales |url=http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/lancs_ob.html |accessdate=2007-05-20]

In 1974, as a result of the Local Government Act 1972, the Municipal Borough of Stretford was abolished and Stretford has, since 1 April 1974, formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester. Trafford Town Hall – previously Stretford Town Hall – is the administrative centre of Trafford.

Political representation

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, a member of the Labour Party, has been the MP since the constituency was created. At the 2005 General Election, Hughes won the seat with a majority of 7,851, representing 51.0% of the vote. The Conservatives took 30.4% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats 14.0%, the Respect Party 2.5%, and the United Kingdom Independence Party 2.2%. [cite web | title = Stretford and Urmston constituency election results | publisher = Guardian.co.uk | url = http://politics.guardian.co.uk/hoc/constituency/0,,-1347,00.html |accessdate=2007-08-04]

Stretford is one of the four major urban areas in Trafford; the other three are Altrincham, Sale and Urmston. The area historically known as Stretford, between the River Irwell in the north and the River Mersey in the south, has since 2004 been divided between the Trafford local government wards of Clifford, Longford, Gorse Hill, and Stretford. Each ward is represented by three local councillors, giving Stretford 12 of the 63 seats on Trafford Council. The wards elect in thirds on a four yearly cycle.cite web |title=Trafford Council Constitution 2007 |author=Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council |publisher=Trafford.gov.uk |url=http://www.trafford.gov.uk/cme/live/dynamic/DocMan2Document.asp?document_id=3B68B710-0F74-46D8-8766-9D41C4B49EC2 |accessdate=2008-01-06] As at 2007, all 12 of the councillors representing the Stretford area are members of the Labour Party.

Geography

climate chart|Stretford
1|6|70
1|7|50
3|9|60
4|12|50
7|15|60
10|18|70
12|20|70
12|20|80
10|17|70
8|14|80
4|9|80
2|7|80
float=right
source=cite web|url=http://weather.yahoo.com/climo/UKXX1027_c.html|publisher=Yahoo! Weather|date=2008|title=Records and averages
clear=bothStretford occupies an area of convert|4.1|sqmi|km2|1, just north of the River Mersey, at coor dms|53|26|48|N|2|18|31|W|city (53.4466, -2.3086). The area is generally flat, sloping slightly southwards towards the river valley, and is approximately convert|150|ft|m|0 above sea level at its highest point. [cite web |title=Stretford, United Kingdom |work=Global Gazetteer, Version 2.1 |publisher=Falling Rain Genomics, Inc |url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/UK/0/Stretford2.html |accessdate=2007-07-02] The most southerly part of Stretford lies within the flood plain of the River Mersey, and so has historically been prone to flooding. A great deal of flood mitigation work has been carried out in the Mersey Valley since the 1970s, with the stretch of the Mersey through Stretford being canalised to speed up the passage of floodwater. [cite web |title=Mersey Bank Park and the River Mersey |publisher=Mersey Valley Countryside Warden Service |url=http://www.merseyvalley.org.uk/site/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=55&Itemid=77 |accessdate=2007-07-02] Emergency floodbasins have also been constructed, Sale Water Park being a prominent local example, lying immediately to the south of Stretford.

Stretford comprises the local areas of Old Trafford, Gorse Hill, Trafford Park and Firswood. Its climate 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.cite web |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/uk.html |author=Met Office |title=Annual UK weather averages |publisher=Met Office |date=2007 |accessdate=2007-04-23]

Stretford's built environment developed along the A56 road in two separate sections, corresponding to the original two manors. The area in the south, near to the border with Sale, grew around the church of St Matthew – an old alternative name for the town was Stretford St. Matthew. [cite web |title=A vision of Stretford Ch/CP |publisher=A Vision of Britain Through Time |url=http://vision.edina.ac.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10380765 |accessdate=2008-01-10] The northern part of Stretford was centred on Old Trafford, with undeveloped countryside separating the two areas. During the 19th century, both sections merged together. [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 20–21.]

The western terminus of the early medieval linear earthwork Nico Ditch is in Hough Moss, just to the east of Stretford (gbmapping|SJ82819491); it was probably used as an administrative boundary and dates from the 8th or 9th century. [Nevell, "The Archaeology of Trafford", p. 40–41.] clear

Demography

The date of the first church to be built in Stretford is unrecorded, but in a lease dated 1413, land is described as lying next to a chapel. Many of the present day churches in the area were constructed during the late 19th and early 20th century, as the population of Stretford began to grow.

Methodism was a significant influence in 19th-century Stretford, [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 11.] but of the 17 churches in the town today, only one is Methodist whereas five are Roman Catholic. The Catholic mission in Stretford was begun in 1859, in a small chapel on Herbert Street. [Massey, "A History of Stretford", p. 126.]

As at the 2001 UK census, 65% of Stretford residents reported themselves as being Christian, 12% as Muslim, and 2% as Sikh. No other religion was represented at higher than 1% of the population, with 12% reporting themselves as having no religion.

Stretford is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford, [cite web | title=Parishes of the Diocese |publisher= Catholic Diocese of Salford |url=http://www.salforddiocese.org.uk/parishes/masstimes.html |accessdate=2007-05-07] and the Anglican Diocese of Manchester. [cite web | title=The Church of England Diocese of Manchester |url=http://www.manchester.anglican.org/default.asp | accessdate=2007-05-07]

There are two Grade II listed churches in Stretford: the Church of St Anncite web | title=Church of St Ann |work=Images of England |url= http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?pid=1&id=212972 | accessdate=2007-08-12] and the Church of St Matthew.cite web |title=Church of St Matthew |work=Images of England |url= http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/details/default.aspx?pid=1&id=212968 |accessdate=2007-08-12] St Ann's is a Roman Catholic church, built in 1862–7 by E. W. Pugin for Sir Humphrey and Lady Annette de Trafford. It was officially opened by Bishop William Turner on 22 November 1863, and was consecrated in June 1867. [Massey, "A History of Stretford", p. 127.] Features include a historic organ built by Jardine & Co (1867) and a good number of fine stained glass windows by Hardman & Co of Birmingham. St Matthew’s church was built in 1842 by W. Hayley in the Gothic Revival style, with additional phases in 1869, 1906, and 1922.

ports

Stretford has been the home of Manchester United Football Club since 1910, when the club moved to its present Old Trafford ground, the western 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 that club's formation. The ground is on Talbot Road, Stretford, where it has been since 1856. Similar to its counterpart, one end of the Old Trafford cricket ground is called the Stretford End. It has been a test venue since 1884 and has hosted three The new cricket ground will be at the heart of a convert|750000|sqft|m2|0 development which will also include business space, residential, retail, hotel and leisure facilities. The preferred development scheme is scheduled to be announced early in 2008.cite web |title=Four-way agreement on Old Trafford future |publisher=Lancashire County Cricket Club |url=http://www.lccc.co.uk/index.php?p=news&id=1116 |accessdate=2007-08-16] Over £25 million 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. [cite web |title=Trafford Athletic Club |url=http://www.traffordac.co.uk/ |accessdate=2007-03-26]

The Stretford Leisure Centre, run by Trafford Community Leisure Trust, is next to Stretford High School and near to Old Trafford football and cricket grounds. The centre has a 25-metre pool, a 20-metre children's pool, a gym, two squash courts, eight badminton courts and a cafe. Trafford Water Sports Centre lies just across Stretford's southern border with Sale, about one mile (1.6 km) from Stretford town centre.

Culture and cultural references

Although Stretford town centre is busy during the day, there is very little in the way of a night-time economy.cite web |title=Stretford Ward Profile |publisher=Trafford Council |url=http://www.trafford.gov.uk/cme/live/dynamic/DocMan2Document.asp?document_id=6C022A5E-3653-424B-AF38-0F34BF8C3228 |accessdate=2007-05-08 ] There are no restaurants or other entertainments except for a number of public houses and members-only social clubs. There are two public libraries, Lostock Library and Stretford Library, run by Trafford Council.

The Stretford Pageant is an annual Rose Queen festival held on the last Saturday of June; the inaugural pageant was staged in 1919. [Masterson and Cliff, "Stretford: An Illustrated History", p. 115.] There is a procession of decorated floats through the streets, collecting money for local charities and ending at Longford Park, where the Rose Queen is crowned. The tradition of the Rose Queen derives from an earlier event organised by St Peter's Church from 1909 until the pageant began in 1919. Various other entertainments are provided in the park on the day of the pageant, such as a fun fair and a car boot sale. Stretford Pageant, along with similar events in other parts of Trafford, is under threat because of the council's proposals to reduce funding and support for such events in the future. [cite web |title=Brassed off over Festival Funding |first=Katherine |last=Vine |publisher=Manchester Metro News |date=2007-10-26 |url=http://www.metronews.co.uk/news/s/1021623_brassed_off_over_festival_funding |accessdate=2008-01-17]

"The Stretford Wives" is a television drama that was broadcast by the BBC in August 2002, watched by 5.7 million viewers. [cite web |title=Bond shakes off Ripley drama |date=2008-08-22 |first=Jason |last=Deans |publisher=MediaGuardian |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2002/aug/22/overnights |accessdate=2008-01-10] Written by Danny Brocklehurst, it is the story of three sisters living in Stretford, although most of the filming took place in nearby Salford. The programme received a mixed critical reception. [cite web |title=Last Night's Television |first=Thomas |last=Sutcliffe |publisher=The Independent |date=2002-08-22 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20020822/ai_n12638952 |accessdate=2008-01-10] [cite web |title=In My View – Stretford Wives |first=Eric |last=Jackson |date=2002-08-22 |publisher=Manchester Evening News |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/entertainment/film_and_tv/s/17/17530_in_my_view__stretford_wives.html |accessdate-2008-01-10]

Invention and discovery

The Stretford process was developed at the North-Western Gas Board's laboratories in Stretford, during the 1940s. It was the first liquid phase, oxidation process for removing hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) from town gas to gain widespread commercial acceptance. Many Stretford plants were built worldwide. [cite web |authorlast=Nagl |authorfirst=Gary J |title=The State of Liquid Redox |work=Gas Technology Products |publisher=Merichem Company |date=2005 |url=http://www.gtp-merichem.com/support/technical_papers/liquid_redox.php |accessdate=2007-05-23]

Public services

Home Office policing in Stretford is the responsibility of the Greater Manchester Police, who have their headquarters in the town. [cite web |title=A History of Greater Manchester Police: 1974–2004 |publisher=Greater Manchester Police
url=http://www.gmp.police.uk/mainsite/0/1A2F40969DD55F7880257176003AD2C9/$file/GMPHistory74-04.pdf |format=PDF|accessdate=2008-03-28] The force's "M" Division, responsible for policing in Trafford, is also based in Stretford, close to Trafford Town Hall.Harvnb|Greater Manchester Police|1989|p=45.]

Waste management is co-ordinated by the local authority via the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority. [cite web|url=http://www.gmwda.gov.uk/|title=Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA)|publisher=gmwda.gov.uk|author=Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority|date=2008|accessdate=2008-02-08]

Notable people

John Rylands, industrialist, philanthropist, and Manchester's first multi-millionaire, [Parkinson-Bailey, "Manchester: An Architectural History", p. 123.] constructed and lived in Longford Hall, where he died in 1888. Fittingly for an area so close to Trafford Park, the world's first planned industrial estate, one of the world's first industrial espionage agents, John Holker, was born in Stretford, in 1719. [cite web |title= Holker, John (1719–1786) |author=Harris, J. R.|work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |publisher=Oxford University Press |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/13507?docPos=2 |accessdate=2008-01-10] [cite web |title=Science and Technology in the Early French Chemical Industry |first=John Graham |last=Smith |publisher=University of Leicester |url=http://www.le.ac.uk/hi/teaching/papers/scitech.html |accessdate=2008-01-11]

Perhaps two of Stretford's more famous residents were the sufragette Emmeline Pankhurst and painter L. S. Lowry. The 1881 English census records Pankhurst and her family living at 3 Chester Road. Lowry was born in Barratt Street, Stretford in 1887. [cite web |title= Lowry, Joseph Wilson (1803–1879) |author=Levy, Mervyn rev. Spalding, Julian|work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |publisher=Oxford University Press |url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31378?docPos=5 |accessdate=2008-01-10]

Award winning artist Frances Lennon lived in Stretford for nearly sixty years, prior to moving to Flixton in the 1970s.

Musicians who have lived in the area include Morrissey, the front man of 80s alternative rock band The Smiths, whose family moved to 384 King's Road, Stretford, when he was 10 years old. Joy Division singer and lyricist Ian Curtis was born in Stretford in 1956. [cite web |url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1831 |author= |title=Ian Curtis |publisher=Find-a-grave |accessdate=2008-03-26] Jay Kay, lead singer and songwriter of Jamiroquai, was born in Stretford in 1969. Oldham Athletic manager and former Éire and Sheffield Wednesday footballer John Sheridan was born in Stretford. [cite web |url=http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=7237 |author= |title=John Sheridan |publisher=Soccerbase |accessdate=2007-08-25] clr

References

Notes

Bibliography

*cite book |first=Don |last=Bayliss |date=1996 |title=Historical Atlas of Trafford |publisher=Don Bayliss|isbn=0952930005
*citation |last=Greater Manchester Police |title=The Police! 150 Years of Policing in the Manchester Area |publisher=Archive Publications |location=Runcorn |year=1989 |isbn=0948946490
*cite book |first=Samuel |last=Massey |title=A History of Stretford |publisher=John Sherratt and Son Ltd |place=Altrincham |year=1976 |isbn=0854270469
*cite book |first=Vicki |last=Masterson |coauthors=Cliff, Karen |title=Stretford: An Illustrated History |place=Derby |publisher=The Breedon Books Publishing Company |year=2002 |isbn=1859833217
*cite book |first=Mike |last=Nevell |year=1997 |title=The Archaeology of Trafford |publisher=Trafford Metropolitan Borough with University of Manchester Archaeological Unit |isbn=1870695259
*cite book |first=Mike |last=Nevell |year=1998 |title=Lands and Lordships in Tameside |publisher=Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council with the University of Manchester Archaeological Unit |isbn=1871324181
*cite book |first=Robert |last=Nicholls |title=Curiosities of Greater Manchester |publisher=Sutton Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=0750936614
*cite book |first=Robert |last=Nicholls |title=Trafford Park: The First Hundred Years |publisher=Phillimore & Co Ltd |year=1996 |isbn=1860770134
*cite book |author=Nicolaisen W. F. H., Gelling M., & Richards M. |title=The Names of Towns and Cities in Britain |publisher=B. T. Batsford Ltd |year=1970 |isbn=0713401133
*cite book |first=John J. |last=Parkinson-Bailey |title=Manchester: An Architectural History |publisher=Manchester University Press |place=Manchester |year=2000 |isbn=0719056063
*cite book |first=Douglas |last=Rendell |year=1998 |title=Cinemas of Trafford |publisher=Jarvis Print Group Limited |isbn=0951256017
*cite book |first=Roger |last=Scola |year=1992 |title=Feeding the Victorian City: the food supply of Manchester, 1770–1870 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=0719030889

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/larwilson2001/history_of_stretford.htm History of Stretford]
* [http://www.geocities.com/tanelorn_1/Stretford_Village.html Edwin Waugh's journey to Stretford 1857]