Longsight
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: 53°27′23″N 2°12′00″W / 53.456389°N 2.2°W
| Longsight | |
  Longsight shown within Greater Manchester |
|
| Population | 16,007 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Metropolitan borough | City of Manchester |
| Metropolitan county | Greater Manchester |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | MANCHESTER |
| Postcode district | M13, M12 |
| Dialling code | 0161 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Manchester Gorton |
| List of places: UK • England • Greater Manchester | |
Longsight is an area of the City of Manchester, in North West England. It is around 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Manchester City Centre, and has a total population of 16,007.
Contents |
[edit] History
The first edition of Top of the Pops was broadcast from a converted church in Longsight on New Year's Day 1964.[1] Longsight has been known over the past with its gang related violence, similar to that of nearby Moss Side.[2] Most of the violence came from tensions between gangs; Longsight Crew and their rivals Gooch Close Gang from nearby Moss Side. Both gangs fought turf war between each other since late 90's, which resulted in many shootings and several deaths.
[edit] Governance
Longsight is served in Westminster by the MP for Manchester Gorton, currently the Rt Hon Sir Gerald Kaufman.
The area is represented on Manchester City Council by Liberal Democrat Liaqat Ali, first elected in 2003, Abid Chohan elected in 2004 and Labour's Maryam Khan elected in May 2006.
[edit] Geography
Previously known as Grindlow Marsh, it was incorporated into the City of Manchester in 1890. The district is bordered by Ardwick to the north, Rusholme to the west, Levenshulme to the south, and Gorton to the east. Longsight is currently defined by Hyde Road, Grey Street, Stockport Road, Plymouth Grove, Richmond Grove, Hathersage Road, Anson Road, Dickenson Road, Beresford Road, Old Hall Lane, Stockport Road, East Road, Pink Bank Lane, Nutsford Vale, Buckley Road and Mount Road. The Old Roman Road to Buxton (the A6 or Stockport Road) roughly bisects the area.
[edit] Demography
Longsight has a very ethnically diverse population.[3] According to the 2001 UK census, 52.7% of the population is from non-white ethnic groups. This includes 36.1% who describe themselves as Asian or Asian British (including 24.6% Pakistani, 7.2% Bangladeshi), and 9.1% Black or Black British. Many of the white people are of Irish decent and the current Irish population stands at 4.3% of the local population - slightly higher than the Manchester average of 3.8%. The largest religious groups are Christian (38.6%) and Muslim (34.7%), with 23.6% of the population not stating a religion. [4] The Census tended to underestimate immigrant communities, and it is likely that these groups in Longsight were underestimated are now proportionately larger. There is still inward immigration and there is now a substantial West African community in the area. There are a number of churches in the area, a large Pakistani community centre, and a Jain temple.
As the 2001 census figures cited above demonstrate, the religious affiliation of Longsight ward residents is one-third Muslim and around one-third Christian. The area is therefore home to a number of mosques and also churches of varying denomination, which include the Russian Orthodox Church of the Pokrov, Saint Agnes' Church, Bethshan International Church and Saint Robert's Church.
As of 2001[5]
- White British - 39.85%
- White Irish - 4.31%
- White Other - 3.15%
- Asian or Asian British - 36.14%
- Black or Black British - 9.13%
- Chinese - 1.62%
- Other - 1.32%
- Mixed: White and Black - 2.40%
- Mixed: White and Asian - 1.37%
- Mixed: Other Mixed - 0.70%
[edit] Economy
The main shopping centre is near the corner of Stockport Road and Dickenson Road, and contains a library and supermarket as well as many smaller shops. The Longsight Market, one of the busiest markets in the North West of England, is located on Dickenson Road. It can be easily spotted by its brightly-coloured profiled roofs. The market hosts a general market every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and a second-hand market every Tuesday. There are a large number of takeaway food shops and restaurants and a very wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables and other supplies to cater for the interests of the various immigrant communities in the area.
[edit] Architecture
The area of Longsight contains many of the notable buildings of Victoria Park. Daisy Bank Road is a particularly good example, featuring Edgar Wood's Grade I listed First Church of Christ, Scientist and the Edwardian art nouveau Chadlington House, as well as the residences of Charles Hallé and Emmeline Pankhurst. Pankhurst's family house is also situated on the edge of Longsight at Plymouth Grove.
[edit] Transport
The railway line, from Manchester Piccadilly to Stockport, passes through the area, though there is no longer a station. The nearest stations are Ardwick and Levenshulme. Longsight contains the Slade Lane railway junction and is the site of several railway depots, which service trains for Virgin Trains, Northern Rail and TransPennine Express. The earliest railway works was set up in 1842 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway. Little is known about its early history, except that it produced fifteen single wheeler passenger engines to a design by Sharp Stewart and Company. In 1846 the M&BR was amalgamated with the LNWR under John Ramsbottom. One 0-6-0 was produced in 1858 but then the works closed down as the LNWR transferred its operations to Crewe. The large Longsight steam locomotive depot provided engines for express trains to London and elsewhere; also for local passenger trains.
[edit] Notable residents
No. 3 Addison Terrace, on the north side of Daisy Bank Road, Victoria Park, was the home of Charles Hallé, the founder of the Hallé Orchestra, in 1848 and the pre-raphaelite artist Ford Madox Brown lived at the same address from 1883 to 1887.[6]
Ethel 'Sunny' Lowry (born 1911 in Longsight)[7] was the first British woman to swim the English Channel.[8]
Wes Brown and Danny Welbeck, both Manchester United players
[edit] Cultural references
Longsight was immortalised in song by local singer Ian Brown formerly of The Stone Roses on his album Solarized. The song was titled 'Longsight M13' reflecting the postcode of the area, which begins with M13. Graffiti appeared locally saying 'Stone Roses RIP' when the band split up, and 'Free Ian Brown' when he was jailed.[9] The song was written with Brown's former Roses bandmate, guitarist Aziz Ibrahim, who still lives in Longsight.[10] Brown also mentions the area in the Stone Roses song "Daybreak" which contains the line "From Atlanta, Georgia, to Longsight, Manchester". In recent times Longsight has suffered like surrounding south inner-city areas, with gangs, drugs and high profile shootings.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "'Top of the Pops' shows". Observer Music Monthly (Guardian News and Media Limited). July 16 2006. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,1818023,00.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-06.
- ^ Tony Thompson (28 July 2002). "Gang warfare in Games city". The Guardian Unlimited. http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4470088,00.html. Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
- ^ Central Manchester: Background Information and Ethnic Profile, Race for Health. Retrieved 14 May 2006.
- ^ National Statistics Neighbourhood Statistics from the UK census, accessed 1 May 2006
- ^ http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=3&b=6077273&c=longsight&d=14&e=13&g=351581&i=1001x1003x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1225030026250&enc=1&dsFamilyId=47
- ^ http://manchesterhistory.net/bellevue/historylinks.html Retrieved 2007-11-15
- ^ http://victoriabaths.org.uk/sunny_lowry.htm Retrieved 2007-11-15
- ^ "Swimming the Channel: Between the wars". Dover Museum. http://www.dover.gov.uk/museum/resource/swim/swim4.asp. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
- ^ The Greatest (CD) - Ian Brown - sleevenotes
- ^ "Aziz Ibrahim's Biography". Aziz Ibrahim. http://www.throughboxit.co.uk/aziz.co.uk/htdocs/NewFiles/bio.html. Retrieved on 2007-11-15.
[edit] External links
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