The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response A large working-class residential area located to the north east of the city centre, Crumpsall is best known by many as the location of North Manchester General Hospital. It was first incorporated into the city of Manchester in 1890 and was a popular residential location for mill workers during the industrial revolution. Notable former residents have included Take That star Jason Orange and Moors Murderer Myra Hindley. Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayohits radiomanchesternewsPolice hunt for suspect following double-stabbing in CrumpsallTwo men have been taken to hospital Police are searching for a suspect following a double stabbing in Manchester on Wednesday night (06 November) Mary's Hall Road in Crumpsall at around 22:40GMT Both were taken to hospital where they remain in stable condition Greater Manchester Police confirmed no arrests had been made and that detectives would remain in the area while investigations continued A blue evidence tent was seen outside a block of flats on the junction of Crumpsall Lane and St Officers set up two further cordons outside buildings on Holland Road and Ardern Road on Thursday morning (07 November) First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) Harley is now fit and happy in a new home(Image: RSPCA)A man has been banned from keeping animals for five years after three Staffordshire Bull Terrier-type dogs were found living in filthy conditions in his flat was discovered by the RSPCA in May last year suffering from a severe ear injury admitted a charge of causing Harley unnecessary suffering by failing to provide prompt veterinary treatment Savage also pleaded guilty to a further welfare charge under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 relating to the needs of Staffies called Joker and Snowflake READ MORE: What really happened in town on Saturday afternoon The RSPCA attended his flat after a tip-off A spokesperson for the charity said after a sentencing hearing in court: "The court heard that the dogs were kept in an unhygienic environment and were not provided with clean water at all times or a clean and dry comfortable place to rest Savage failed to separate the dogs to prevent fighting as necessary and did not provide veterinary treatment for the dogs when required." described in a witness statement how Harley was in 'discomfort' and 'shaking' her head He said: "Once the dog was out in the daylight I was shocked by what I could see." Harley's left ear was said to be 'hanging on by a very small amount of skin' The RSPCA said a cage the dogs were locked up in was found in the front room with ripped up rubbish and bedding inside it The flat smelled of urine and dog faeces was found ARO Wickham added in his statement: "Joker was locked in the bathroom with a child gate so it couldn't get out of there In the bathroom was ripped up toilet paper and other stuff on the floor as well as a smell of dog urine coming from in there." Vets subsequently found both Joker and Snowflake to have multiple scars and wounds on their legs, face and neck. Greater Manchester Police then placed the dogs into the care of the RSPCA All three dogs have now been found loving new homes and are said to be thriving Savage appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court on November 19 after a case brought by the RSPCA. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order including 120 hours of unpaid work with £400 in costs. Vets told a court Harley was left to suffer(Image: RSPCA)After the hearing, RSPCA Inspector Deborah Beats said: "It was very tough to see Harley with such a horrible injury and for all three dogs to be living in such bad conditions, but I'm delighted that we could secure such a positive future for these dogs." Rayohits radiomanchesternewsPolice extend extra powers amid reports of gangs fighting in CrumpsallOfficers are able to carry out stop and searches without suspicion Police have extended stop-and-search powers amid reports of rival gangs fighting in Crumpsall which allow officers to search people and move groups along without suspicion were brought in following the stabbing of two men on Monday night (10 March) There have also been reports of several people walking streets in Crumpsall carrying offensive weapons Greater Manchester Police are also carrying out extra patrols in the area to provide reassurance to residents Superintendent Muz Kernain said: “Violence will not be tolerated on our streets and we will come after the offenders “We strongly believe these were deliberate targeted attacks with no wider threat to the public our officers are making significant progress as the investigation continues "Our officers will be in the area to reassure and support our communities who will understandably be shocked by the events." A brick was thrown through the window at Rainbow Surprise food bank in Crumpsall causing damage to the computer before thieves got away with cash and gift sets Charity chair Shakar Hussain says following the break in he has been joined by groups of volunteers to clean up and get the service working again Greater Manchester Police is investigating the incident Mr Hussain said: "I don't know if anyone will get caught for this sort the food bank out get it back open and start helping people again." Around 500 people a week rely on the charity that has been going for 10 years Rainbow Surprise food bank is based in the basement of Crumpsall Community Hall and Mr Hussein says they will now need to invest in more security including CCTV cameras "which all cost a lot of money" Mr Hussain discovered the break in and said he felt "numb and gobsmacked" when he saw glass all over the floor and the til smashed open Around £900 in cash was taken along with some gift sets that had been donated "I feel sorry for them in a way," he said "I don't think it was a professional criminal I think it was someone who just needed some money for maybe their fix for the day "It may be someone who is into drugs or just saw the opportunity but if they needed help they just had to come to a place like us and we would have helped them anyway." Mr Hussain is still counting the cost of the break in but says along with the cash and supplies taken the damage to the computer and building will total about £5,000 The charity offer a food bank and community fridge as well as events like exercise classes and school holiday clubs A local giving page has been set up for the 'rebuild after robbery' fund, with a target of £10,000 set. has announced the sale of Higher Crumpsall Pharmacy in Manchester Built around You.Your expert business property advisers This community pharmacy dispenses circa 1,150 items per month and is located in the Manchester suburb of Crumpsall around three miles north of Manchester City Centre The business has been owned by Roger Lee (Bak Kwan Lee) since 1985 and was recently brought to market to allow him to pursue a well-earned retirement Following a confidential sales process with Tom Young and Jon Booth at Christie & Co the pharmacy was under offer within less than 48 hours of hitting the market a distance-selling pharmacy (DSP) owner in the local area who plans to fully refurbish the pharmacy unit and move his existing DSP operation into the single site “I invited Tom and Jon to give me some advice on the sale of my pharmacy in February 2023 and challenged them to find me a buyer and complete the deal so that I could retire ahead of my seventieth birthday in November of the same year I think we were all surprised with the result when we launched - a viewing on the first day and a deal done within 48 hours I am pleased to see the pharmacy go to an energetic young contractor with a well-thought-out plan for the future.” “It’s great to get this deal done and over the line it was perfect for me to realise my long-held plan of acquiring a standard hour’s contract pharmacy which I could essentially move my internet pharmacy business into and hopefully My team and I are looking forward to the challenge which begins with investing in the site to update and modernise the business from top to bottom I’d like to thank Roger for what has been a pretty straightforward handover and wish him all the very best in his retirement after so many years of service to community pharmacy.” Business Agent – Pharmacy at Christie & Co “We had an incredible response to the launch of this pharmacy opportunity – we received over 45 enquiries within the first few hours of marketing Nissar was very keen to view by the end of day one and “We have seen a marked increase in deals across Greater Manchester in the last few years to DSP owners often they just want a contract which is in a unit that offers them the space to move their existing operation into and they are willing to pay premium prices against other potential buyers illustrates that with the right approach to marketing a pharmacy business there is a buyer for opportunities of any shape and size.” Higher Crumpsall Pharmacy was sold for an undisclosed price Visit Christie & Co’s Business Search page to find out more about current medical listings. Keep up-to-date with our latest listings and more… © Christie & Co 2024 | A member of Christie Group We use necessary cookies that allow our site to work We also set optional cookies that help us improve our website For more information about the types of cookies we use, and to manage your preferences, visit our Cookies policy here. Search by keyword for literacy resources to support your teaching Literacy information and statistics for the UK Staff at Crumpsall Park Day Care in Manchester have taken part in our HELLO project to help strengthen the relationships they have with parents in order to improve the language skills of children who attend the playgroup The Helping Early Language and Literacy Outcomes (HELLO) improvement framework is a quality improvement tool for early years settings who want to improve their communication The National Literacy Trust delivered training and support in the use of HELLO to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority who are working to raise the levels of speech language and communication amongst local pre-school children through the Greater Manchester SLCN pathway Crumpsall Park Day Care used the HELLO tool to identify a disconnect in the relationships between parents and practitioners and so used the resources from the project to strengthen provision in this area 80% of the families have English as an additional language so making sure information is communicated in an accessible way to all parents can be a challenge for the staff The staff set out to better the ways in which they exchange information with parents and encourage them to observe and get involved in their home-based activities to support their child’s communication the playgroup used a screening tool called Wellcomm to assess the language and communication skills of 36 children and the results indicated that further support for parents was needed in order to develop these areas based on the level of language and communication the Wellcomm screening indicated for each child Staff wanted to better the Wellcomm results for the class by encouraging at least 50% of parents to get involved in home learning activities and by feeding their observations back once a week via a ‘WOW Moments Tree’ that the staff established in the playgroup entrance This tree was a way of showing and celebrating lots of small positive observations parents made at home as they were encouraged to jot down things their child communicated and did that were ‘WOW moments’ for them on a paper leaf and add it to the tree practitioners modelled activities and gave them to parents to take home to do with their child Examples of ‘WOW moments’ were given to show parents the things to look or listen out for when carrying out these activities at home and how to record their findings on their leaf the staff re-screened the children using WellComm and improvements were indicated through the traffic light scoring system (where green means no intervention is currently required amber means extra support and intervention is required and red means consider referral to a specialist speech and language service): 75% of children moved up a colour section completely with 30% of children moving from Amber to Green Although some children who speak English as a second language hadn’t quite reached the ideal level of development in language and communication they still showed huge progression within the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile said: “Using HELLO has helped us communicate with parents in a simple but effective way It has developed our understanding of children’s development at home as well as the nursery environment In turn this has improved the results on our WellComm screenings and assessments and promoted parental engagement As a result of this project we will continue to work with parents on a weekly basis both formally and informally and plan to arrange sessions with parents to demonstrate move visual activities for them to continue to support their child in their home environment In the meantime we will continue to support children’s language communication and literacy to the best of our ability and use our WOW tree to communicate skills and development with our parents and families.” Crumpsall Park Day care Centre plans to use the HELLO framework annually to continue to develop and evaluate their speech Supporting early years children to tell stories The National Literacy Trust is a registered charity no 1116260 and a company limited by guarantee no 5836486 registered in England and Wales and a registered charity in Scotland no Sign our campaign for a grant funding review The vehicle rental company intends to build three industrial units totalling 90,000 sq ft on land formerly occupied by AstraZeneca off Brightside Road at North Manchester Business Park Manchester City Council granted Salford Van Hire permission for the first phase of the project an MOT and maintenance facility on a 13-acre plot bordering the River Irk close to North Manchester General Hospital in Crumpsall The first phase is due for completion this spring The second phase comprises three units ranging from 19,400 sq ft and 40,000 sq ft on a 5.8-acre adjoining plot to the west of the first phase Fletcher Rae is the architect for the project the site was developed as part of the British Dyestuffs Corporation The buildings were demolished in the 1980s and Harrow Estates purchased the site from AstraZeneca in 2004 The land was then remediated before Salford Van Hire bought it in 2016 Read our comments policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The race is on to implement the planning permission for the 15-floor Store Street scheme before it expires later this year Having withdrawn earlier plans for 115 homes on a seven-acre former ironworks of Crabtree Lane the housebuilder has lodged fresh proposals for 194 houses and apartments Register for free North West property intelligence Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Join more than 13,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" The vehicle rental company will now start building three industrial units totalling 90,000 sq ft on land previously occupied by AstraZeneca at North Manchester Business Park The scheme, approved by Manchester City Council this week, comprises a trio of two-storey industrial and office units ranging in size from 19,400 sq ft and 40,000 sq ft on a 5.8-acre plot off Brightside Road The approved reserved matters application sets out the appearance It is the second phase of a scheme whose outline components were approved by the council in 2019 and have already seen Salford Van Hire construct the first phase – an MOT and maintenance facility on a 13-acre plot bordering the River Irk The second phase sits just west of the MOT facility, and the whole site is close to North Manchester General Hospital in Crumpsall, which has been earmarked for a £600m redevelopment Fletcher Rae is the architect for the salford Van Hire’s project The site was developed in 1917 by the British Dyestuffs Corporation which later became pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca The borough claims it has a ‘disproportionately high number of HMOs’ and is pursuing the introduction of measures to wrestle back control Last weekend’s work on the Bury line resulted in a major milestone for the Metrolink Trafford Park Line (TPL) extension – the new sidings tracks and overhead lines at Crumpsall have been completed Drone footage from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) filmed by contractors MPT gives a bird’s eye view of the works which are a crucial part of the transformation of Crumpsall Metrolink stop The new sidings tracks will allow future trams coming from the intu Trafford Centre to turn around and head back again Along with the tracks and new overhead line equipment the weekend’s work also included the installation and testing of new points machines ready to be put into use when the Trafford Park Line opens in 2020 Vice Chair of the Greater Manchester Transport Committee said: “The stop improvement works at Crumpsall are a vital part of the Trafford Park Line extension so it’s great to see it really coming together “This drone footage shows the scale of the works at Crumpsall and allows people to see just what a big project is underway and how dramatically different it looks compared to a few months ago the new line will bring Metrolink right into the heart of Europe’s largest industrial estate as well as some of our very best visitor attractions and will open up a wealth of job retail and leisure opportunities for many.” said: “TPL is currently our most prominent and challenging engineering project and the work at Crumpsall is no exception “We’ve taken care to plan the works so that disruption is kept to a minimum and I’d like to thank people for bearing with us “I know this can be inconvenient for some but in the long term passengers will benefit from a more frequent service from Crumpsall when the line opens The TPL is the city region’s first major project to benefit from the Devolution Deal signed by Greater Manchester leaders and central government The Crumpsall works are due to be completed in October with the new line to the Trafford Centre opening in the first half of 2020 A series of other improvement works that will make the network better for customers are also taking place this summer CCTV and equipment upgrades at both Cornbrook and Shudehill stops along with new shelters and crossing point at Shudehill and an improved stair/entrance area canopy extension and platform weather protection at Cornbrook Customers will be kept informed through social media TfGM is also liaising with local businesses to help mitigate any impacts For more information on Metrolink services visit www.tfgm.com call Metrolink Customer Services on 0161 205 2000 or follow @MCRMetrolink on Twitter for live travel updates Rail Business Daily’s market leading news and profile enhancement services enable your business to tell your story to the wider rail community Engage with thousands of readers via our rail news platforms including the hugely popular 7am newsletter rail news website and Rail Director magazine you agree to us sending you emails on behalf of railbusinessdaily.com Jenni Frazer Jenni Frazer mourns the closure of one of Manchester's landmark synagogues when we hear of the closure of a synagogue it is as a result of the fall in numbers of the community it served But the decision of Manchester’s Higher Crumpsall and Higher Broughton Hebrew Congregation to close down after more than 70 years as one of the city’s most iconic synagogues has other factors in play — and they are to do with the shifting demographics of the neighbourhood opened its beautiful white-domed building in 1928 it was a thing to marvel at both inside and outside which stretched from the city centre out into the northern suburbs but the Ashkenazi Jews had not yet moved north to Prestwich and Whitefield — let alone gone to the south side of Manchester But Cheetham Hill was the focal area of Manchester Jewry and the buildings that grew up around Crumpsall Synagogue reflected that — the Talmud Torah and neighbouring congregations such as Heaton Park and Higher Broughton The latter was to be subsumed into Higher Crumpsall in the early 1960s But it is a listed building for its interior which was different from almost every other synagogue in the city meaning there were no pillars in the way to block the eye-line and the women — particularly those on the front row — felt themselves full participants in the services The gigantic central light fitting was strongly rumoured to have been bought from an Odeon cinema that was closing down Generations of caretakers muttered darkly about how difficult it was to replace the bulbs in this monstrosity but that’s not what people went to Crumpsall for Higher Crumpsall was famous for its chazan and choir first Rev Solomon Hershman and then Rev Avraham Hillman was fond of inserting operatic melodies into Yom Tov liturgies and the trick was to see if you could recognise which opera he was singing Chazan Hillman had a symbiotic relationship with the choir which enabled him to know exactly where they were going with a chorus — even if he had his back to them He died in 2016 after serving Crumpsall for an astonishing 48 years The rabbis were scarcely less starry: Rabbi Kopul Rosen was Crumpsall’s minister in the early years of the Second World War and was often accompanied by the leading scholar Dr Alexander Altmann People flocked to the shul to hear what they had to say Crumpsall was marooned on the fault line between Jewish and Muslim north Manchester and its more well-heeled members had either moved north to affluent suburbs the area became dominated by the Strictly Orthodox community who will take over the premises to use as a yeshiva Crumpsall has been hanging on by its fingertips closure always on the horizon and the members that remained together with minister Rabbi Arnold Saunders defiantly determined to keep the shul open An English Heritage Lottery grant did not help as the sheer scale of building and maintenance work proved overwhelming And so Crumpsall held its last Shabbat service last weekend going out in style with a celebratory Kiddush Grand cathedral-style shuls are no longer fashionable but in its day Crumpsall was a magnificent creation and will be remembered with warmth and affection Japan art: English working-class and Crumpsall workhouse in Manchester focuses on the English working class in her latest art piece This concerns a real photo image of the late nineteenth century related to two children at the Crumpsall workhouse in Manchester Other ethnic groups also resided in Manchester in the late nineteenth century the children in the workhouse in Crumpsall were mainly indigenous “The new Manchester Workhouse opened in Crumpsall in 1858 Child workers fed the Industrial Revolution – so much for “privilege” that is endlessly used against the British indigenous in recent times The Independent reports on the findings of Oxford’s Professor Jane Humphries Her findings specify that roughly 35 percent of working-class boys aged 10 worked during most of the eighteenth century after the inroads of the Industrial Revolution this figure reached 55 percent between 1791-1820 This further increased to 60 percent of children in the same social and age bracket between 1821-1850 (Children below at Crumpsall workhouse – late nineteenth century) “The new research shows the extent to which Britain’s Industrial Revolution – the first in the world – was initially dependent They weren’t paid – simply fed and given dormitory accommodation tens of thousands of such unpaid child workers.” In Utsumi’s latest art piece (the real photo of the two children is below – the late nineteenth-century workhouse) she seeks to connect with an issue that is neglected historically – and where the indigenous poor continue to be neglected in modern times The Guardian reports (2019 – modern United Kingdom) “More than half of universities in England have fewer than 5% of white working-class students in their intakes “White British disadvantaged boys are the least likely of any large ethnic group to go to university We need to ask ourselves why that is and challenge government outreach activity and admissions policies to make sure they are improving their access and successful participation.” Friedrich Engels – concerning the nineteenth century – said “THE GREAT MORTALITY AMONG CHILDREN of the working class and especially among those of the factory operatives is proof enough of the unwholesome conditions under which they pass their first years but not quite so powerfully as upon those who succumb...“ Utsumi provides a glimpse into the world of the late nineteenth century in her latest art piece titled “English working-class workhouse through Japanese eyes.” Educationally the indigenous working class continues to be marginalized in modern times – notably at elite universities with more ethnic groups entering the United Kingdom it seems that the indigenous working-class and a few others will fall further down the ladder: while the indigenous don’t appear to have support groups to address this important issue when issues prop up concerning “privilege,” it certainly doesn’t apply to the indigenous working class historically and concerning the ongoing marginalization that continues today http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi’s website https://fineartamerica.com/featured/english-working-class-workhouse-through-japanese-eyes-sawako-utsumi.html English working-class workhouse through Japanese eyes https://fineartamerica.com/featured/lowry-in-japanese-bloom-sawako-utsumi.html – Lowry in Japanese Bloom http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/sawako-utsumi.html – Sawako Utsumi and where you can buy her art individuals can contact her for individual requests https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/b489e047-e6b1-3992-aaa3-5e40e2147729?component=833b3711-e277-348d-a164-75f579d89ebc https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447946/ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/revealed-industrial-revolution-was-powered-by-child-slaves-2041227.html Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group http://moderntokyotimes.com Modern Tokyo Times – International News and Japan News http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi’s website and Modern Tokyo Times artist https://moderntokyonews.com Modern Tokyo News – Tokyo News and International News https://twitter.com/MTT_News Modern Tokyo Times http://facebook.com/moderntokyotimes Manchester City Council has appointed the contractor to deliver the Abraham Moss Library and Leisure Centre The facility will also have a six-lane swimming pool It forms part of the Abraham Moss Community Campus Manchester announced its intention to replace the 1973-built 160,000 sq ft Abraham Moss centre in 2019 Laing O’Rourke has started on the structural demolition of the existing buildings on site The demolition period follows a collaborative design period with Manchester City Council during which the team drew upon its previous experience of delivering leisure and other facilities at Hough End Crown House Technologies will provide mechanical electrical and plumbing (MEP) modules and plant equipment These will be delivered to site on a ‘just in time’ schedule and installed to service the entire building Concrete specialist Expanded Geotechnical will construct the substructure drainage and landscaping elements of the building It will deliver the reinforced concrete pool structures and raft slabs that utilise the existing basement substructure Stone and tiling specialist Vetter UK will screed and tile the new pools Laing O’Rourke was selected as preferred contractor through the North West Construction Hub said: “Our experience on leisure centres across Manchester was key to our appointment to bring the visions for the Abraham Moss library and leisure centre to life It is great to be on site and it has been an exciting start.” executive member for neighbourhoods at MCC said: “This is an exciting stage of the project now that Laing O’Rourke has been appointed and work is beginning to demolish the old facility to make way for the new build improved leisure facilities to the community around Crumpsall is one step closer now that work is beginning on the new Abraham Moss Community Campus.” The council last year admitted that the cost of the project had climbed due to Covid delays with additional funding of £2.7m being allocated in September The global consulting firm has hired Chris Balshaw to establish a cost consultancy and management services offer in Manchester Manchester City Council signed off Salboy’s 76-storey Viadux Two skyscraper and Vita’s latest student scheme on First Street – adding nearly 2,000 beds to the city centre across a total of 153 floors You are Here: Home » News » Main News » Pair charged in firearms probe following police raids in Failsworth and Crumpsall Two men have been charged in connection with firearms incidents in Manchester earlier this year The two 28-year-old men were arrested during dawn warrants executed in the Failsworth and Crumpsall areas They have since been charged with possession of firearms with intent to endanger life and are due to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court today (Thursday) Detectives from South Manchester’s Challenger Unit have been investigating a series of firearms discharges that occurred in the Stockport and Burnage areas and yesterday (Wednesday), along with members of GMP's Tactical Aid Unit attended and arrested the males - one at his home address and the other at a hotel A meticulous investigation has resulted in these arrests following the firearms discharges on Wilmslow Road in Stockport and at the DRIP burger bar (formerly Burger Bae) on Kingsway DRIP has since been closed by the local council and GMP Detective Inspector Lee Newburn said "These arrests are the result of an intensive and ongoing investigation into the incidents of firearms discharges in Stockport and Manchester in April and May.  "We do not tolerate firearms being used at all in Greater Manchester and in particular within communities where people are trying to live their lives peacefully "We want the members of these communities to know that we are actively pursuing those who we believe are in possession of firearms and they will be severely dealt with." Anyone with any information is asked to contact Greater Manchester Police via 101 or by calling the independent charity - Crimestoppers - anonymously on 0800 555 111 © Oldham Chronicle - all rights reserved About  Advertise  Contact Manchester-born Joan Whiteley and her best friend They met as nurses at Leeds General Hospital and applied to Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps an elite organisation that traces its heritage back to the exploits of Florence Nightingale only posting to the exotic climes of Hong Kong It was a pivotal moment for Joan and Brenda What happened subsequently was little discussed by Joan herself but she kept mementos of her time in Hong Kong in a battered old suitcase When her granddaughter Jo Price rummaged through the suitcase as a child it sparked an interest in her Gran’s story that has now become a book “It was a story that we always knew about growing up as kids,” says Jo, who was born and raised in Burnage and now lives in Didsbury “We knew she had been a prisoner of war of the Japanese and I had this fascination with the story “I always told her I would write it and she always said no one would be interested But very few people know about the history of what happened in Hong Kong Everyone has heard of the Fall of Singapore but no one knows that Hong Kong and Pearl Harbour were attacked just four hours apart in December 1941.” Joan and Brenda arrived in Hong Kong in September 1940 and enjoyed an idyllic fifteen months amongst the colonial elite of Britain’s Far-Eastern jewel of the Empire and settled into a life of nursing and endless parties But the storm clouds of war from an aggressive Japan were dismissed by the typical British ignorance of the day The Japanese were considered inferior; there was a theory they would never launch an attack on Hong Kong island at night because ‘they can’t see in the dark’ December 25th 1941 forever known as Black Christmas to those who experienced it When Joan Whiteley died in 2004 it spurred Jo into action “It was important to me that the story wasn’t lost I got completely drawn into it and spent ten years researching I was working full-time and had two small children I realised there was so much to uncover and piece together to put real events alongside my Gran’s diaries “Joan and Brenda were really young girls at the start of their nursing careers They were so excited by the idea of doing their bit for the country and I was always impressed with how brave they were would have coped if faced with the same situations.” It soon became clear there was too much story for a single volume She now calls the project The Suitcase Diaries and has published her first book which tells the story up to the point at which Joan was imprisoned by the Japanese in August 1942 The second book has a working title of The Promise and details her time as a prisoner of war “The Suitcase is all about the glitz and glamour of girls on an adventure right up until the point the Japanese arrive The Promise is about how imprisonment changed them There is a large element of women’s solidarity in there “It’s very much a story about human resilience and how It was a civilian camp and the men who had been in office and running Hong Kong went from being the most powerful men on the island to scrapping around and stealing cups of oats just to survive “By contrast the women got the camp up and running and kept it going The Promise is about that strength of character and this gang of women pulling each other through.”  “There is definitely a bit of tough Mancunian in there My Gran was a very strong character and very determined She absolutely comes under the category of ‘strong woman’ Jo is currently in the middle of writing The Promise and has a third book in mind for when her Gran returned to the UK Publishing The Suitcase has given her the bug “I’ve been overwhelmed by how my book has been received I’m still surprised and humbled when people say how much they’ve enjoyed it “Historical fiction is definitely my thing because I love the research element and some of these stories cannot be lost I think we are in danger of that happening “I can’t claim complete credit for the story It’s someone else’s story that I have written It’s my Gran’s life story; it’s not come out of my head The Suitcase by Jo Price is available on Amazon Did we miss something? 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Subscribe to our newsletter now We respect your privacy Have your visit to the website make a difference in Greater Manchester… The I Love MCR Foundation raises vital funds to help improve the lives and prospects of people across Greater Manchester – and we can’t do it without your help The official I Love MCR Shop not only spreads Manchester love across the world but it also helps keeps the lights on so we can support the city region Taking on a challenge? Why not fundraise for our Foundation. We’ll even throw in some merchandise to wear Raising funds for great causes is priceless Advertise online to reach millions of inspired people who are subscribed engaged and use our channels on a daily basis Regional out-of-home media makes advertising on digital billboard screens across Greater Manchester affordable Join the mobile Manchester community… iPhone Android DiscoverNews StoriesShopSubscribe Licensing Information Terms and ConditionsPrivacy PolicyMake An Editorial Complaint Charity FoundationDonateFundraise AdvertiseOut-of-Home MediaAdd a ListingAdvertising Terms and Conditions Environmental PolicyEthical PolicyPrinting MethodDelivery InformationFAQs Copyright © 2009 – 2024 I Love MCR® All Rights Reserved About  Advertise  Contact After criticism of its delivery of affordable housing hit the national media earlier this year Manchester City Council has recommended a 100% shared ownership scheme in Crumpsall for refusal in a move backed by council leader Sir Richard Leese The project has been put forward by Bowsall Developments for a plot off Linn Street to the rear of Crumpsall Constitutional Club the proposals cover a site formerly used as a bowling green and feature 28 apartments for shared ownership with eight units on the ground floor and 10 on the first and second along with new boundary treatments around the site The scheme has also been part-funded by Homes England and has attracted interest from a number of registered providers; the apartments on the site are likely to be pitched towards key workers The bowling green on the site has not been used for a number of years and has been contaminated with Japanese Knotweed Despite the developer arguing that “there is a real and substantial affordable housing need in Crumpsall” the proposals have been recommended for refusal by planners at next week’s committee There have also been objections to the proposals from three local councillors including leader of the council Sir Richard Leese The councillors argued the proposals were “not in keeping” with the surrounding area and argued the application “has not provided any affordable housing” despite the apartments being offered for shared ownership and Riasat added: “These proposals are an over development of a site in a residential area which would be ideally suited to affordable housing with a loss of sports facilities and green spaces.” Planners argued the site should be brought forward as affordable family homes rather than as apartments and said the developer had “not made the case for high density development” The report to committee also criticised the design as “bulky” with an “imposing presence” which would have “a detrimental impact on the character of the area” The planners’ report said: “The proposed development is considered to be an inappropriate form of development which represents overdevelopment of the site and does not take into account the context of the site and is not informed by its surroundings having a poor relationship with adjoining residential properties overdeveloped site would be seriously detrimental to the character context and visual amenity of the neighbourhood and surrounding area and would not result in the positive and successful regeneration of the area.” Planning officers recommend refusing the scheme on the basis of policies SP1 the developer sent a letter to members citing an independent viability assessment which it claimed showed that alternative housing development on the site was “not viable” and “would not help the city meet its affordable housing targets” managing director of Bowsall Developments said: “We are deeply disappointed that officers have failed to recognise the opportunity to deliver 28 100% affordable homes in the City “Given the pressure that Manchester is under to build genuinely affordable homes we are at a loss to understand why it has not been possible to work positively with the City Council thus far – despite repeated attempts to do so “We remain convinced that the scheme is the only viable option for the contaminated site Given the recent debate around affordable housing delivery in the City it is our view that this application is timely “We hope that planning committee members carefully consider the message they would be sending to residents by following the officer’s recommendation to refuse.” The city council’s delivery of affordable housing came under fire earlier this year with The Guardian claiming that none of the 15,000 homes planned in central Manchester were classed as affordable Manchester City Council refuted this claim arguing that if homes approved under delegated powers were included the city would have delivered 4.5% of its total homes as affordable 3,000 affordable homes have either already been delivered or are in the pipeline with the full quota to be delivered by March 2021 and a further 3,400 affordable homes will be built by March 2025 – at least 1,000 of which will be social rent Not in keeping with the local area- What in Crumpsall does that mean Clearly only get things passed MCC if they are over 60 floors and look more or less the same as the Beetham tower (built 10 years previous) Terrible call from the case officer clearly under undue infuence by planners It’s being refused as it’s over development of the site There is a preference for houses here not apartments Over development is fine all over Manchester Leese is obviously outside the rules he dictates and this one party Labour council is failing our city because they know whatever they do Shared ownership apartments are not ‘affordable housing’ given the rent payable on the unsold percentage and the service charge which is payable whether you own 25% or 100% Shared ownership as a product is an affordable solution but only when they are houses and not apartments It doesn’t look particularly over-developed to me He needs to go and Labour here need to take a motion against his appalling leadership along with other terrible “leaders” and officers So at best they’re delivering 4.5% of the target…yet this is rejected There is absolutely nothing wrong with this scheme a merciless attempt to control what is accomodated on infil sites If you vote Labour in Manchester; this is what you get The Labour totalitarians once again wield their power If it was a Tory led council there would be uproar the way the council act If this scheme was by one of their “mates” then they would have waved it through Plus Crumpsall is largely family-housing and the little apartment stock in the area is often poor quality IMHO-style in big old Victorian piles so there is a shortage of decent non-family stock However I do wish it was “proper” affordable housing How can this be seen as detrimental to the character of crumpsall when it will be in the centre of a circle of Victorian houses that many are now hmo’s and newer alparmets that are multi storey It seems most of the people commenting don’t live in Crumpsall I live in Crumpsall We need affordable family homes not these scrappy flats I’m fed up of,these developers pushing flats on every bit of land when it clearly isn’t suitable Well done local councillors for listening to local people and stopping this The consultancy has received positive verdicts on two Greater Manchester planning applications with housing set to move forward in Partington and Crumpsall The larger of the schemes is the 71.6-acre former National Grid site in Partington which was used for the storage of liquefied natural gas on behalf of development vehicle Heath Farm Lane will see the regeneration of this brownfield site to provide 600 homes Detailed consent has been secured for phases one and two The partners in the scheme are housebuilder Linden Homes and Laurus Homes working alongside The Environment Partnership Heath Farm Lane’s proposals as a whole comprise two three and four bed homes built within defined character areas of which 100 will be affordable secured through Homes England grant funding The project includes four large areas of public open space The Crumpsall application was also a hybrid application and will see the redevelopment of the GMB Whitehouse Club site on Middleton Road will see the redevelopment of the existing club along with up to 74 homes built on land to the rear of the existing buildings on site The residential development comprises a total of 24 two-bed apartments in two blocks alongside up to 50 three and four bed family homes 20% of the properties built will be affordable The developer for the Crumpsall scheme is Dappa Homes partner at Barton Willmore said: “Not only is this a fantastic team achievement it is brilliant news for the region as collectively the approved schemes will deliver much needed new homes and community facilities.” The site in Crumpsall will house a redeveloped club The housing association is working with main contractor Caddick to build 69 social rent homes for over 55s and a GP surgery on 2.5 acres of disused land on Arrow Street in Broughton Bernard Greep joins the firm’s planning division as equity partner and Michael Gilbert as partner