An introduction, of sorts.

You should by now have heard the sad news that Matt and family are upping sticks and leaving Levenshulme. Sad news indeed if you, like me, have enjoyed his blogs over the last few years. Matt was proud to bring up his family in Levenshulme, and LoveLevenshulme has been a fantastic celebration of that. When he first started the blog it was with the aim that it be “a place to be positive about the place where we live”, that was two years ago and it still resonates with me. So when Matt appealed for a new “owner” of the blog I stepped up without a second thought.

I’ve lived in Levenshulme (more or less consistently) for the last 7 years. It always makes me laugh when I meet new people and they tell me it’s The New Chorlton. I’ve been being told that for 7 years now and, despite some exciting developments in that direction, it’s not yet materialised. But then I’m not sure I want it to - as Matt said last year “It’s sort of like when you’re at the seaside eating chips. They taste all the better for having a little bit of sand in them.”

Levenshulme isn’t always pretty, but that means it’s never twee; it is cosmopolitan in the truest sense of the word and that’s something I think is worth celebrating now more than ever.

I have a lot of ideas about how I can develop LoveLevenshulme and I’ll post more soon but I hope that at the heart of what I do I will remain true to Matt’s idea of a grassroots project that says “thank you” to the people and places that make Levenshulme.

Please email me with your suggestions, ideas or feedback.

Helen.

Adios, Levenshulme!

Well, I've not been giving the blog (or the postcard part of the project) the attention it deserved for quite a few months, so the writing was on the wall I guess. Or not, as it were. And now it can be revealed: our family's upping sticks and moving to the Midlands to be closer to our clan, and it's sort of been in the background for yonks.

But I've enjoyed doing the blog and hope some good stuff's come out of it, and I've certainly seen the place where I live in a different, more positive light since I started the project some two years ago.

Thanks to everyone who's joined in. And if anyone fancies continuing to edit the blog, just let me know and I can transfer all the blogger dashboard stuff to you.

But this is me signing off. Levenshulme, I've got to love you and leave you. Keep your eyes and ears open for good stuff. There's plenty of it.

Matt Clements