Longsight

For eye imperfection, see long sight

Longsight
Population	16,007 (2011 Census)
OS grid reference	SJ865965
Metropolitan borough	City of Manchester
Metropolitan county	Greater Manchester
Region	North West
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
UK Parliament	Manchester Gorton

Longsight is a inner city area of Manchester, England, about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the city centre. Historically in Lancashire, its population is about 16,000.

Longsight was historically a wealthy and middle class neighborhood of Manchester, though in recent years has lost this status and population.

History

Main article: History of Manchester

Longsight has been known over the past for its gang related violence, similar to that of nearby Moss Side. Most of the violence came from tensions between 2 gangs, the Longsight Crew and their rivals, the Gooch Close Gang from nearby Moss Side. Both gangs fought turf wars between each other since late 90s, which resulted in many shootings and several deaths. The Gooch Gang were jailed in 2009, Consequently gun crime in areas of south Manchester has fallen dramatically, from a high of 120 gang-related shootings in 2006 to just 16 in 2011.

Anson Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1893. The club closed in 1919. The course continued to appear on maps until the 1930s.

Governance

Longsight has been in the parliamentary constituency of Manchester Gorton since boundary changes in 1983. Since then, Gorton has been represented in the House of Commons by the Labour MP, the Rt Hon Sir Gerald Kaufman. At the 2005 General Election, Labour won a majority of 5,808 with 53.2% of the vote. The Liberal Democrats came second with 33.2% of the vote, and the Conservatives third with 9.8%.

The area is represented on Manchester City Council by [Labour] Councillor Luthfur Rahman, [Labour] Councillor Abid Latif Chohan, and [Labour] Councillor Suzanne Richards.

Geography

Much of the housing stock of Longsight consists of red-brick terraced houses

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, Stockport Road) roughly bisects the area.

Demography

Further information: Demography of Greater Manchester

Longsight has a very ethnically diverse population. According to the 2011 UK census, 72.9% of the population is from non-white ethnic groups, a 20% increase over the 2001 figure of 52.7%. This includes 55.3% who describe themselves as Asian or Asian British (including 35.7% Pakistani, 11.4% Bangladeshi); and 9.7% Black or Black British. The largest religious group is Muslim with 53.8% of the population, compared with the 2001 figure of 34.7% Muslim and 38.6% Christian. Only 7.0% of the population declined to state a religion, with 12.7% stating no religion. The census tended to underestimate immigrant communities, and it is likely that these groups in Longsight were underestimated are now proportionately larger. There are a number of churches in the area, including a large Pakistani community centre, a Jain temple, the Russian Orthodox Church of the Pokrov, Saint Agnes' Church and Bethshan International Church.

Census table

Ethnic group	2011 Percentage	2001 Percentage
White; British	21.5%	39.9%
White; Irish	2.0%	4.3%
White; Gypsy or Irish Traveller	0.5%	n/a
White; Other White	3.1%	3.1%
Mixed; White and Black Caribbean	1.5%	1.7%
Mixed; White and Black African	0.6%	0.7%
Mixed; White and Asian	1.3%	1.4%
Mixed; Other Mixed	0.8%	0.7%
Asian; Indian	2.9%	2.7%
Asian; Pakistani	35.7%	24.6%
Asian; Bangladeshi	11.4%	7.2%
Asian; Chinese	1.9%	1.6%
Asian; Other Asian	3.4%	1.7%
Black; African	5.1%	3.7%
Black; Caribbean	2.7%	4.4%
Black; Other Black	1.9%	1.0%
Other; Arab	1.8%	n/a
Other; Any Other Ethnic Group	1.9%	1.3%

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.

Architecture and housing

Former First Church of Christ, Scientist by Edgar Wood

Slade Hall

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.

Larger Victorian period properties are predominantly clustered around the leafy western parts of Longsight, an area informally known as Westpoint. Many grand Victorian villas can also be found overlooking Crowcroft Park in the most southern part of Longsight.

Situated on Stockport Road near the main market of Longsight is Longsight Library. Run by Manchester City Council, it provides services such as borrowing books, adult education services and a child homework centre. Great measures have been taken to make the architectural view of new Longsight Library building aesthetically pleasing.

The Apollo Theatre, Longsight Market, Crowcroft Park and new Longsight Library are the important places in the Longsight area.

Transport

Train: The railway line from Manchester to Stockport — the West Coast mainline from London to Glasgow — passes through the area, though Longsight railway station closed in 1958. The nearest stations are now at Ardwick and Levenshulme. Longsight is the site of Longsight Electric TMD and Longsight Diesel TMD which service trains for Virgin Trains, Northern Rail and TransPennine Express. A plan to house Eurostar trains at Manchester International Depot was abandoned.

The earliest railway works was set up in 1842 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway (M&BR). 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 London and North Western Railway (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 Longsight steam locomotive depot provided engines for express trains to London and elsewhere, and for local passenger trains.

Bus: GMPTE bus route 192, according to the Stagecoach Group, is the busiest in Britain, with around 9 million passengers carried annually. The bus runs every 5–10 minutes daily until the late hours .

Notable residents

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. The pre-raphaelite artist Ford Madox Brown lived at the same address from 1883 to 1887.

Edwin Chadwick - a social reformer and liberal politician - was born in Longsight. He was later partially responsible for the 1848 Public Health Act and then the succeeding 1875 Public Health Act.

Ethel 'Sunny' Lowry, the first British woman to swim the English Channel, was born in Longsight in 1911.

The Manchester United player Danny Welbeck and Sunderland player Wes Brown are both from the area.

Harry Potter star Afshan Azad was also born in Longsight.

Keith Bennett, one of the Moors Murders victims, was from Longsight. He was 12 years old when he disappeared on his way from his house to that of his grandmother on 16 June 1964. His disappearance was reported to police the following morning, but in spite of endless police searches he was not found. 22 years later, in November 1986, Moors Murderers Ian Brady (who had also lived in Longsight) and Myra Hindley revealed that he was one of their victims; just as police had suspected when arresting them for three other murders in October 1965. Despite numerous searches for his body on Saddleworth Moor, it has yet to be found.

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. The song was written with Brown's former bandmate, guitarist Aziz Ibrahim, who still lives in Longsight. Brown also mentions the area in the Stone Roses song "Daybreak" which contains the line "From Atlanta, Georgia, to Longsight, Manchester".

External links

• Longsight Local Services Directory
• Longsight Memories Our Manchester