love levenshulme

New Youth Club

2012-01-24T13:56:00.000Z

New youth club for Levy!

Starting tonight at Inspire 7PM -9PM and every following Tuesday. Inspire and Levenshulme Community Association have secured funding for a 12 week pilot for a youth project aimed at 11-19 yrs.

There are different activities planned every week, plus table tennis, games, a film project and writing project - 'My Levenshulme' and much more! Staffed by qualified youth workers we aim to secure further funding to have something going on a permanent basis.

Drop into Inspire for more info, or click here to download the flyer.

Affordable Threads Sale

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000Z

Ladies Badminton Club

2012-01-23T13:51:00.000Z

Just a quick notice to any Ladies looking for a friendly local sporting challenge!

The 'Levenshulme Ladies Badminton Club' will be starting tomorrow, Tuesday 24 January 2012 at Energy Box next to Levenshulme High School. The group will be every Tuesday 6-8pm, entry £3. All levels and abilities are welcome, ages from 12+. I've been told there are a few rackets to borrow if you don't have one, but there are a limited numbers, so if you've got the kit, go prepared!

"We are a welcoming and friendly group and wish to welcome ladies from all areas of the community."

Shabeena, group organiser.

Keeping Levenshulme's History Alive

2012-01-22T21:27:00.006Z

Since starting to co-edit this blog, I have spent more time at my computer than a gaming obsessive but, since my interest in gaming is limited to a brief period in the early ‘90s when I had a Sega Megadrive, I do not get into the fantastic virtual cities and realms of “Grand Theft Auto” and “World of Warcraft” that are explored by the alter egos of many of my contemporaries. Rather, I while away periods equivalent to half a working day or more engrossed in sites such as Flickr and satisfy my flights of fancy by tapping search terms into Google, in the hope of obtaining some obscure piece of information that will improve my life beyond measure.

Coupled with this doubtless unhealthy internet addiction is an increasing interest in the past, in an attempt to make sense of who I am and how the things that I know, love and by which I am surrounded, came to be. Having discovered the British Newspaper Archive through Twitter, I spent half an hour on there this morning and another half an hour wondering whether I should fork out for the annual subscription.

The history of Manchester has been one of my interests for some time. Largely a dormant, armchair (or pedestrian, perhaps) kind of interest, it has been confined to activities such as stopping and looking at blue plaques (e.g. Rutherford’s at the University of Manchester and Pankhurst’s on Nelson Street, next to the MRI), pausing outside old, derelict buildings (e.g. the London Road Fire Station, Manchester Mayfield Railway Station) or looking at books in the Local History section of Waterstone’s on Deansgate (although this did extend to buying Andrew Davies’ “The Gangs of Manchester”, one of the few books I have ever read that I could describe as “unputdownable”).

Since living in Levenshulme, my interest in local history has both intensified and narrowed – I have a particular desire to learn more about the bit of Manchester confined to the swathes of streets either side of the A6, immediately north of Stockport’s Heatons. Fortunately, my recent web searches have demonstrated that I am not the only one who wants to know about the Levenshulme of old; a few hours spent at the laptop with a few cups of tea or bottles of ale have yielded myriad riches in both the printed word and photographic form.

George Nixon was born in Levenshulme in the late 1940s and spent his childhood and early twenties here before moving to Stockport in 1973 and, later, to Canada. His website, “Levenshulme History: Then and Now” is packed with interesting stories about Levenshulme and full of photographs – personal snapshots as well as pictures that have been archived by Manchester Libraries. Not content with just the one website, Mr. Nixon – who commented on a previous LoveLevenshulme article in February last year, is spreading the word about historic Levenshulme with “A Levenshulme History Page” on Facebook.

If your era of choice is more Life on Mars or Ashes to Ashes than Dixon of Dock Green, then take a look at “Levenshulme Past and Present” put together by Philip, who grew up in Levenshulme in the 1970s and the early 1980s. It’s not all platform shoes and glam-rock, though – it even features this map, showing the rural settlement of Levenshulme in the early part of the 19^th Century!

Now for the photographs. Manchester Archives’ Flickr account is regularly updated and they even sort collections of photographs for easy viewing. Have a look at their “Once Upon a Time in Leve” set, although there are a few more Levy-related shots if you search for “Levenshulme” in their photostream. Look at this one of what is now the Nawaab Restaurant on Stockport Road! And what about this one of the same road, taken 102 years ago? Can you imagine if the Metrolink were extended south along the A6 through Levenshulme?

There are further gems to be found if you have a bit of time to look around, too. A couple of my particular favourites are these 1991 shots, by Mike Pickard, of Stockport Road and Alma Road.

Levenshulme clearly has a vibrant history that is reflected in the diverse 21^st Century community into which it has developed. It has developed because of the people, and everyone has their own unique experience of Levenshulme. Have you lived in Levenshulme for a long time? Were you born and raised here? Do you have any pictures or memories of Levenshulme to share with us? Have you got a piece you would like to write about the history of Levenshulme? Please email us at lovelevenshulme@gmail.com – we would love to hear from you. Let’s keep Levenshulme’s history alive!

Trove Cafe

2012-01-15T16:24:00.002Z

A Treasure.

A walk through crisp, quiet Levenshulme took us to Trove, our new cafe/bakery opposite the Antiques Centre. Open since December it's independently run by husband and wife team Marcus and Katy. Lovely atmosphere and delicious food.

Adam, cock-a-hoop with his pot of tea.

Possibly the greatest Eggs Florentine we have ever tasted.

Intriguing jars.

Tasty.

Didn't try these. . . But will do!

Excellent bread by Flour Water Salt.

the making of Trove cafe from she animates on Vimeo

Walk Yourself Fitter!

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000Z

On a New Year healthkick anyone?

Well, we’ve been askedto spread the word about a walking group in Levenshulme. Local walks for various abilities, allstarting from Levenshulme and completely free! Take a look at the website below formore info...

www.levenshulmehealthwalks.co.uk

http://www.wfh.naturalengland.org.uk/walkfinder/north-west/levenshulme-health-walks

Laughter: The Best Medicine for Winter Blues

2012-01-08T21:34:00.000Z

The twelfth day of Christmas has gone, the tree and decorations are down and the cards are all half-price in the shops. We’ve struggled with the crowds in the Boxing Day sales and now we’re struggling to stick to that exercise plan we’ve put in place. We’ve taken the horrendous aftershave to the charity shop and returned anything unwanted that has a gift receipt enclosed. We’re sick of turkey and overindulgence. We’re skint and grappling with the desire to break the resolutions we half-heartedly started a week ago. And in just a couple of weeks, the papers will churn out articles telling us it’s “Blue Monday”, giving us licence to feel even more gloomy.

It’s not all bleak, though. At least the weather’s good for this time of year, if windy enough to make the Beetham Tower resonate. It was dry enough to put your clothes on the line yesterday. And in just a few weeks, we’ll really notice that extra bit of daylight creeping into the late afternoon and early evening.

If that isn’t enough to put a smile on your face, there is one event coming up that is sure to cure those winter blues with a heavy dose of laughter: Thinking Aloud! This revue, put on by the Levenshulme Players, is full of comedy sketches, poetry and songs that will lighten your mood and have you beaming like an old-style 100-watt lightbulb. This revue has something for everyone. Even – or perhaps especially -- if you’re a hassled parent who has only just recovered from being dragged to the festive panto by the kids, you should come along, switch off, relax and enjoy.

Happy New Year!

Saturday 14^th January, 7:30 p.m. Bar M19, 847 Stockport Road, Levenshulme, Manchester M19 3PW. Tickets: £3.

Visit www.levenshulmeplayers.co.uk for more information about the group.

New Year, New Levenshulme

2012-01-04T13:21:00.000Z

Well, Kind of.

As I announced here last year the time has come for me to hand over the reins of the good ship LoveLevenshulme and I'm pleased to say that two willing and able seapeople (let's not be sexist, eh?) have stepped forward:

Stewart Spaull is a self-professed jazz-obsessive, long distance running, ale lover - all good qualifications to run a local blog, I'm sure you'll agree. He says "It was jazz that brought me to Levenshulme in mid-2009 on a fortnightly basis, to co-present Jazz Train on ALL FM (with Jason Cooke) every other Sunday afternoon. Such was my affinity with Levenshulme, I moved here just after the first wave of the heavy snowfall last year.

"It's a great place with so much to offer: the Levenshulme resident can shop for all their everyday needs in a variety of different outlets, drink inexpensively in friendly pubs, enjoy excellent Nepalese cuisine, walk along streets populated by friendly people and reach the centre of Manchester in seven minutes by train. I am very interested in writing about what's happening in Levenshulme -- its people, its social issues and its local history -- as well as in promoting the place I have grown very quickly to love. It's a vibrant community with a character all of its own. Love Levenshulme? I certainly do."

Laura Bentley is also a Levenshulme-resident (pretty much a pre-requisite for the position, I suppose), having lived in the area for nearly 5 years now. She's originally from the Midlands, I moved here as a student and never left. She works as a Designer for a sportswear brand, runs a personal blog and is a frequent participant in the Blue Bell pub quiz.

So, over the next few weeks I will start handing over the technical behind-the-scenes gubbins (oh it's all very complicated, don't you know) and Stewart and Laura will start running the show. I'll still keep a hand in and add the odd post every now and then (and probably incessantly bother them with things I think they ought to cover, as if it's any of my bloody business any more) so it's not a final farewell but I hope you'll join me in thanking Stewart and Laura for signing up and wishing them the best of luck. As always please email any ideas of things to go on the blog or any suggestions for Levenshulme related projects to lovelevenshulme@gmail.com.

HAPPY NEW LEVENSHULME!

LoveLevenshulme Photography Competition WINNERS!

2011-11-21T13:14:00.001Z

Phew, well, I wasn't kidding when I said I was busy and I have to admit that, despite the tireless and speedy judging work of the guys at Levenshulme Daily Photo, this post is a little overdue. So, without further ado, I am please to announce the winners of this year's LoveLevenshulme Levenshulme Festival Photography Competition!

Adults:
WINNER - Tom Mills
Tom's image was taken on a summer evening as he was fishing on the lake at the end of Sandfold Lane behind the rubbish dump. The image itself is stunning and it's a fantastic reminder that there are plenty of hidden gems in Levy - I didn't even know about this one.

As there were loads of really high quality entries this year the judges also saw fit to name some runners up, as follows:

2nd - Hena Begum

3rd - Daniel Smith

4th - Farand Henry

Their photos as well as the winners and the winner and shortlisted in the teen category below will also feature on Levenshulme Daily Photo soon.

Teens:
WINNER - Aaron O'Connor
Aaron's great use of light really captures the beautiful stained glass in St Mary's (I think it's St Mary's, truth be told I'm not great on my churches so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).

Again, the judges were also able to select some runners up who will be featured on Levenshulme Daily Photo soon:

2nd - Zainab Saeed

3rd - Thomas Parkin

Thanks again for all of our entrants. Unfortunately this year we had no kids entries which is a real shame since we had absolutely LOADS in the other categories - way more than last year. Although I am stepping down from the site I'm a passionate photographer and I really want to encourage the competition to continue so watch this space for next year...

Congratulations again to the winners who will soon have their photos on display in Inspire, thanks to Levenshulme Festival who have very kindly agreed to print them for us. Keep taking photos everyone!

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen...

2011-10-24T14:01:00.003+01:00

Well then. This is a sad post, I'm afraid, and while I don't expect you to have the hankies at the ready I have to admit I've had the odd sniffle over this.

After a fantastic 18 months, I'm shutting up my incarnation of LoveLevenshulme. I've loved every minute of running the blog and we've had some really special moments but changes in my life mean that I am no longer able to give it the time it deserves. There has been the option to carry it on in a reduced capacity, and, in truth, I have tried to do something like that over the last few months but it just feels too sad (and too guilt-inducing) not to give it my full attention.

With that in mind I'm also going to bow out of the "Pop Up Art Shop" I was hoping to run as part of Levenshulme Festival - I have a long and illustrious history of biting off more than I can chew and I'm afraid this is another example of that. If anyone liked the idea and would like to run with it you have my full blessing and I'll happily pass on the few arrangements that I've managed to get in place.

Now, some of you are probably aware that I inherited LoveLevenshulme from someone who was moving away from Levy (don't worry, I'm not moving away, I don't think I'm allowed now) and I think the idea of the project being a baton that is passed on to people with a passion for the area is very apt to the whole ethos of LoveLevenshulme so consider this a call to arms. Shall I make that clearer? OK then:

LoveLevenshulme is up for grabs - if you want to take it over, email me at lovelevenshulme@gmail.com and we'll take it from there...

In the mean time there are still two bits of LoveLevensulme business on the boil and it would be remiss of me not to at least give them my full attention:

Photo Competition
We've had LOADS of entries so far for the adults and teens but not many kids entries - it's half term now so why not send your kids out into the street with your expensive camera (this is how parenting works, right?) to get some shots. All the entry and prize details are here.

Tweetup
The next Levy Tweetup is scheduled to take place at The Bluebell Inn, next Thursday 3rd November. Please come along and help me feel less guilty about my desertion. All the details are here.

Is this it? Is this goodbye? Well, probably not - I'm hoping that I will have the chance to introduce you to the new incumbent soon and even then I'm far too controlling to leave them to it, so I'm sure I'll be writing the odd guest post. But for now, at least, farewell - I've had a blast.

Levenshulme Photo Competition 2011 - ENTRIES NOW OPEN

2011-09-30T13:17:00.001+01:00

Well....some of you might've noticed that the photo competition is listed on the Levenshulme Festival website so I thought I should really pull my finger out and get things moving. The even keener-eyed amongst you might even have spotted a secretive sounding NEW event for this year – I'm still ironing out the details for that but keep your eyes open and you should see an announcement on here very soon. But for now...drum-roll please, start up the trombones, awaken the Nordic choir...it's...

The second annual LoveLevensulme Levenshulme Festival photography competition (basically it's going to keep going until someone suggests a less cumbersome name – I put this challenge out last year – PLEASE someone come up with something that is less trouble for me to type). Wahooo!

There are a few changes this year but the basics remain the same:

Between now and Sunday 6th November I will be taking digital photo submissions from children, teenagers and adults. To enter all you need to do to enter is email your photo to lovelevenshulme@gmail.com along with your name, age and contact details. Please put “Levenshulme Photo Competition” in the subject line of your email.

And in exchange? Well, a good competition needs prizes and so far Levenshulme Festival have very kindly agreed to print up the winning photos and Inspire will be hanging them in the Bubble Cafe for the next year. Now that's a great prize and obviously, the fame, glamour and notoriety that comes with winning such a prestigious competition (National Geographic are fairly quaking in their boots) is worth it alone but I'd love to offer our winners some extra prizes too – are there any locals (residents, traders or organisations, maybe) out there who might be able to offer us something extra? The quirkier and un-photo related the better, I say.

I will also post the winning (and other notable) pictures on the blog and ask the photographer to share a little about what inspired them and winning and short-listed entries will be featured on Levenshulme Daily Photo.

Of course there has to be a theme and, being a fan of compilation albums (and, I admit, a bit stuck for theme ideas that aren't too limiting) I'm asking for photos to be taken to around the concept of “The Best of Levenshulme”. You can interpret that how you wish although I would ask that photos are taken in Levenshulme and the judges will be looking at how well your photo reflects the theme.

Ah, yes, the judges! I’m pleased to say that I’ve once again secured the judicial services of the folks behind both Levenshulme Daily Photo, who have very kindly agreed to give their time to sift through all the images.

I’ve also taken the decision to keep the competition open to Levenshulme residents and non-residents alike, so hopefully there'll be lots of entries from non-residents who have taken the time to visit Levenshulme and see what we have to offer (any non-residents reading this looking for ideas on what to do in Levy, there’s this blog you might’ve heard of...). That said, I’ve had ample opportunity to witness the talent and creativity of Levenshulme-folk over the last year or so and I'm holding out high hopes for the Levenshulme entries. Please send a link to the competition to your camera-happy friends who are unfortunate enough not to live in M19.

Details follow on procedures, terms etc. Please read them before you submit an entry. If I've missed anything or you have a question or even if you just want to say hello (hello!) email lovelevenshulme@gmail.com.

Deadlines
Deadline for entries is 11.59pm on Sunday 6th November 2011. No entries will be accepted after that time and the judges’ decisions are final.
Image manipulation
Try to keep image manipulation or cloning to a minimum, I think Levenshulme is gorgeous without airbrushing!
Categories
There are three categories - under 12s, ages 12-17, adults (18 and over). Please remember to state your age (or the age of your child) when emailing your entry.
Number of entries
You can enter as many images as you want. Not too many though. I do have a day job.
Legal(ish) stuff for you (boo!)
Your entry must be your own original work, must not be copied, must not contain any third-party materials and/or content that you do not have permission to use and must not otherwise be obscene, defamatory or in breach of any applicable legislation or regulations.
You will retain copyright of your entries at all times and will always be credited alongside your picture.
Legal(ish) stuff for us (even bigger boo!)
By entering you grant us a non-exclusive license to display your photograph in connection with the competition. Photographers will always be credited alongside their image. Under no-circumstances will I use submitted images for commercial gain unless it has been agreed on a case by case basis with the photographer.

Levy Tweetup - Levenshulme Festival Edition

2011-09-28T13:36:00.000+01:00

It's that time again - Levenshulme Festival rolls into town (well, suburb) from Friday 21st October to Sunday 6th November 2011 and since we are looooong overdue a Levenshulme tweetup I thought it was timely to schedule another one during the festival on Thursday 3rd November 2011.

For the uninitiated tweetups (i.e. Twitter meetups and, trust me, that abbreviation isn't popular on Twitter either) are a chance for users of Twitter to get together, meet face to face and discuss all things social media and...non-social media. We have a really active Twitter community here in Levenshulme and the three so far (or four...I lose track, maybe something to do with the beer consumed in-tweetup) have been really well attended and very very friendly. We welcome new attendees with open arms too, so if you've never been to a tweetup before or you're new to Levenshulme please do come along and say hello.

The format is well set now and I'm not about to change it: proceedings will kick off at 8.00pm at The Bluebell, Levy's friendliest (and cheapest) boozer and will go on late into the night. But not too late -some of us have to go to work in the morning*.
*Famous last words.

Local Visit Part Two - Clock Wood Interiors

2011-09-26T13:10:00.002+01:00

My second (and final - hey, look, I'm busy and here's only so much wanting-of-stuff I can take in a single day) stop on my visit to local traders a few weeks back was to newcomer on Levy High Street - Clock Wood Interiors. Based at the old police station, next door to the Antiques Village, Clock Wood opened at the beginning of the summer and is run by Paula Acton, with a little help from dad Dave (both pictured above).

The shop stocks a great selection of contemporary and antique home-wares as well as one-off and restored pieces of furniture, including some great Amish pieces and solid oak tables and dressers. The shop is a real treasure trove and the prices are fantastic - I saw some cute spotty crockery for only a few quid. The shop features a range of ex-display items meaning you can get good quality, solid wood furniture for a fraction of the high street price.
The shop is open throughout the week and their stock can be seen on their site - www.clockwoodinteriors.co.uk.

Levenshulme Players

2011-09-23T13:31:00.001+01:00

I mentioned Levenshulme Players a while ago but over the last few weeks they seem to be cropping up all over the place (which is a good thing, in my book) so I thought it was high time I found out a little more about them and told you (that, you might perfectly reasonably point out, is exactly what I'm supposed to do here so I guess I don't get any bonus points for this. Pah).

The players is an amateur dramatics group who formed in January this year as a collective who wanted to get Levenshulme laughing (apparently my typos on here aren't enough). Since then they have developed quite a body of work, including:

Recording and had broadcasting a radio murder mystery written by resident Malcolm Cowen
Recording a second radio play which will be broadcast later this year
Rehearsing Alan Ayckborn's Absent Friends which will be staged in March 2012
Creating a murder mystery evening for Inspire – more details here
Devising a play reading with audience participation to be stages as part of this year's Levenshulme festival on 30th October at M19

Quite a lot for just over 9 months, really, which is a testament to the players and their leader Beryl Beryl Cowen. I'm sad to say I've not had a chance to see the Players in action yet but if any readers would like to post a review I'm happy to put it up here.

The group have a website - www.levenshulmeplayers.co.uk - and meet on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm, so if you'd like to get involved contact Beryl on 0161 225 4674 or email her at beryl@cowensw.co.uk.

Local Visit Part One - Fat Frank's

2011-09-22T13:05:00.002+01:00

Having been blessed with the rare luxury of a full weekend at home, last week I took the opportunity to poke my head round the door of a few local traders for a chat, the first being one of my personal favourites, Fat Frank's.

Fat Frank's, run by the not-so-fat-if-you-ask-me Frank and less-camera-shy Marie (pictured above) sells original 20th century prints, posters and antiques and is based in the Antiques Village.

Frank and Marie have been dealing in antique and decorative items in Manchester area for over 20 years and their main activity has always been in pictures although they always carry stock of smaller decorative pieces including some stunning mid-century home-wares I have my beady eye well and truly trained on for Christmas.

The stock in the shop is unusual and stylish, from prints by local artist Sanley Chow to a poster from the retrospective exhibition of Gilbert and George's work at Tate Modern in 2007.They also do a neat line in reclaimed bus destination signs from Hong Kong and Manchester, including the one below which I’m amazed hasn’t been snapped up by a resident yet (disclosure: I want this. Badly).

The shop is open Monday to Saturday 10.00am to 5.00pm, Sundays and Bank Holidays 11.00 am to 4.00pm and work can also be bought online at www.oppart.co.uk. The team are keen to be involved with the community so if you call into the shop please do mention that you read about it here.

Bankley Studios Out and About

2011-09-20T13:05:00.000+01:00

Following on from their Open Studios sessions last weekend Bankley Studios and Gallery are exhibiting work by their resident artists at a number of venues around Levenshulme until the end of September. Pop down now for a chance to see work by the artists who live among us in Levenshulme:

Valerie Clarke at Inspire
747 Stockport Road Levenshulme

Stacey Coughlin at POD
30 Albert Road Levenshulme

Marnie Matthews, Carolyn Curtis-Magri, Philip Kennedy and Gary James Williams at Isis Café
910 Stockport Road Levenshulme

James McSharry at Union Inn
845 Stockport Road Levenshulme

For more information about any of these events or the studios visit www.bankley.org.uk, email info@bankley.org.uk or call 0161 256 4143.

Eco Street Grants

2011-09-19T14:35:00.000+01:00

Eco Street grants are now available to Levenshulme street groups or residents associations interested in reducing the carbon footprint of our neighbourhood. Levenshulme has a growing reputation for community activism and an interest in all things green so it would be really good to see groups building on this, with the help of the council.

Eco Streets is a community grants programme open to all local groups and residents in south and central Manchester, funded through Manchester City Council. Grants of up to £2,500 are available for projects as diverse as:

Tree planting
Green roofs
Reducing hard landscaping
Energy efficiency improvements such
Food growing projects
Rain water harvesting
Recycling and composting schemes

The closing date for applications is Monday 31st October. Further details and a copy of the application form can be found at www.northwest.groundwork.org.uk.

Murder in Levenshulme

2011-09-16T14:23:00.000+01:00

Levenshulme Players, in association with Great Places Housing Group, are calling all amateur detectives to the first ever murder mystery night at Inspire on Saturday 24th September. Can you solve the case and claim the reward?

Tickets are £15.00 and include a three-course meal, as well as a licensed bar and raffle and the evening will last from 7.00pm to 10.00pm. All funds raised will be divided between the Players and Inspire.

For more information contact Sarah on 0161 447 5120 or Heika on 07579 008 189

Bankley Open Studios and Hung, Drawn and Quartered

2011-09-14T13:50:00.000+01:00

Bankley Studios are once again opening their doors this weekend for their annual Open Studios days. Bankley's 33 artists will be showing work inside their studio spaces, as well as a fantastic exhibition in the gallery space – Hung, Drawn and Quartered - a selection of artworks by artists from Liverpool-based Arena Studios & Gallery. The exhibition will continue to hang every weekend until 2nd October, with entry free to all.

The studios will be open this Saturday and Sunday from 11.00am – 5.00pm each day and Bankley are holding a special preview event from 6.00pm this Friday with refreshments and a DJ. For anyone wanting to bring children along to the Open Studios day time sessions, Stacy Coughlin will be holding mini-workshops in her space (studio 11) to keep them entertained and creative for a little while.

The Studios are located just on Bankley St, just off the A6, near Tesco and Iceland. On-street car parking is available around Bankley Street and Chapel Street.

Levenshulme Festival - Last Chance for Listings

2011-09-13T10:00:00.000+01:00

As I mentioned a month or so ago, Levenshulme Festival, which is now in its 13th year, is fast approaching and you now have just 24 hours left to list your event for this year’s festival in the printed guide. Listings are free of charge and organizers need the following information for inclusion:

Date of event
Type of event (see below for details of categories)
Time of event
Event venue address and name
Contact telephone number
Any other details
.jpg file if you would like a picture accompanying your listing.

Lots of events have already been submitted and can be viewed at the festival website. Events for inclusion in the guide should be emailed to rockfest24@hotmail.com.

I’m hoping to pull together some good LoveLevenshulme events for the festival soon and will let you know as soon as they’re confirmed and I will be previewing my pick of the listed events at the start of October – let me know if there’s anything you’d like us to cover – lovelevenshulme@gmail.com.

Listing categories:
Arts - This includes Art/Photo Exhibition/Workshops - Literature Events - Poetry Events - Plays
Dance - Any kind of Dance Event/Workshop
Sport - Any Adult Sport
Childrens Sport - Any Sporting event aimed at Children
Childrens Event - Any event aimed at Children
Community event - Such as over 50's clubs, Halloween walks, Party in Park Event - Open Days
Live Music - Any event which involves live music
Pub & Club - Quiz nights, club nights, Karaoke etc
Food - Cake competitions, food tasting evenings, Themed nights like Caribean night etc

Inspire Ideas Night

2011-09-12T14:19:00.002+01:00

Inspire, Levenshulme’s award-winning community space, are hosting their second ideas night and ideas forum this Wednesday, 14th September. The meeting starts at 7.00pm and aims to capitalise on the lst event, held in July, where ideas for how to make the centre even more relevant to everyone in our community were put forward. Everyone is welcome to attend to discuss and propose new cutting edge ideas about how Inspire’s space can be used to entertain, educate or service our community.

The format for the evening is as follows:

7.00pm – Ideas - a chance to discuss and propose new ideas and plan together how to bring them about.
8.00pm – Refreshments
8.15pm - Forum – discuss how the Centre is being run and how we can develop the Forum’s role at Inspire and engage the wider community
9.15pm – Close

The centre is now so much a part of Levenshulme that it’s hard to believe it’s less that a year old, but it’s true – they’ll be holding their 1st birthday party on 29th October and I’ll post more details on that soon. In the mean time, the centre is looking to bring together people experienced at using Facebook and other social media to assist them in enhancing their online media presence. If you can help but can’t come to the meeting please contact phil@philframpton.co.uk.

Art Auction

2011-09-05T13:38:00.000+01:00

Advance warning here, although I’m sure I’ll add more information as I have it (I will, I will), for the 2nd annual art auction at POD, this year with added after party. Woop!

The Art Auction will take place at POD on Friday 28th October from 7.00pm. They already have donated work from Paul Wolfgang Webster, Ed Sprake, Xavier Pick and Pete Marsh and are looking for further donations from Levy and beyond so if you know anyone who’d like to help raising money for cancer charities get in touch with Helen Weaver via the event’s facebook page.

Last year’s event was a massive success and POD was packed on the night so this year the festivities will move over the road when the auction is done and you can party into the night at The Klondyke Club.

More details very soon….

Tonbridge Road Allotment Show - Tomorrow!

2011-09-02T13:34:00.000+01:00

Last year’s Tonbridge Road Allotment show was one of the first things I covered when I took over LoveLevenshulme so it seems only appropriate that I should heave myself out of my non-blogging hole to tell you all about this year's festivities (the usual excuses).

This year’s show takes place this Saturday – 3rd September – at St Mary’s Church on Elbow Street and promises a whole heap of delights, including, but not limited to, fruit and veg competitions, with auction and of the entries after the judging, children’s entertainment and advice on growing your own fruit and veg.

The day starts at 2.00pm and will run until 5.00pm. I can’t make it (the summer of weddings continues apace for me in Solihull) but last year Ed Sprake took some lovely photos and if anyone wants to give me a brief report on what g’wan I’m happy to put it up here.

There’s a really strong allotment community in Levenshulme and we’re blessed with not one but three sites (is that right? I have a sneaking suspicion they breed…) so I’d encourage anyone to go along and see what they’ve been up to. It’s free and, who knows, you may be as enthused as I was last year and vow to make more of your own green space (and, if you’re like me, lose momentum and produce a few sad looking strawberries and some teensy tomatoes).

Ed Sprake at Inspire

2011-08-05T13:30:00.001+01:00

We’ve featured Ed Sprake, local photographer, on this site before, both for his photographs of Levenshulme and exhibitions outside of M19 but he’s never had an exhibition here…until now!

Ed will be exhibiting a selection of his work at Inspire from Saturday 6th August until Friday 30th September during the centre’s usual opening times.

Ed Srpake is based in Levenshulme and currently has photographs on display in Terminal 1 of Manchester Airport and as part of the Revolution Gallery at MOSI and has one of his photographs as the background image for FlatOut Records label boss and musician, Peo de Pitte. He recently had his first exhibition at the Portico Library and Gallery in Manchester.

You can find Ed on the web and a selection of his photography is on Flickr.

Roller Derby Fundraiser

2011-08-03T13:27:00.001+01:00

Don’t get too excited yet – details are still thin on the ground – but Manchester Roller Derby, based at Levenshulme’s Arcadia Sports Centre, are holding a fundraiser in September, in the form of a jumble sale and family fun day.

As part of the activities they’re going to be holding both a raffle & a silent auction and have asked us to put out a plea on their behalf for donations. Anything that you can give would be gratefully received and the funds raised will go towards getting the team to Aberdeen to play the Granite City Roller Girls and the team will also be donating a portion to Sue Ryder Care - a charity that provides compassionate care to people with end of life and long term needs.

If you have anything to donate or any fundraising ideas please contact the team’s Polly Killer.

Sams Little Voices - Toddler Group

2011-08-01T13:24:00.001+01:00

Now, the listing for Sam’s Little Voices on the Inspire website starts with the words “everyone wants to give their child the best start in life and how better to do it than in an informal and relaxed environment with an Early Years professional who has over a decade’s worth of experience?”. While I’m not doubting the validity of that statement, it would be remiss of me to point out that I am frequentrly informed by my child-owning friends that toddler groups are (and I quote) “the best” because (and again) “you get to share the pain and see that all the other kids are just as much of a nightmare as yours”. Now, not being in possession of any children myself I couldn’t possibly comment either way but, well, I thought I’d put that out there for you because that sounds to me like as much of a ringing endorsement as you’re going to get from someone who hasn’t slept for more than half an hour in two years.

ANYWAY! Sams Litte Voices are parent and toddler classes hosted at Inspire every Wednesday at 10.30am. The classes include rhythm, rhyme, hand and eye co-ordination, traditional rhymes passed down from generation to generation, new rhymes full of action, sensory play, bubbles, quiet time and time to socialize.

For more information visit the Sam’s Little Voices website.

Lamp Post

2011-07-29T13:21:00.000+01:00

Never let it be said that I’m not at the cutting edge of technology when it comes to rooting out Levenshulme’s treasures for your perusal. This week’s edition of the occasional series that I like to call “Levenshulme-Related STUFF From the Information Superhighway” (and that needs a better name) is a collection of photos of lampposts around Levenshulme in 2004.

I know, I spoil you right?

The photos are the work of a Levenshulme resident who is remaining curiously tight lipped about their provenance and they reside here, on Google+ (cutting edge, see). So there you go – don’t say you don’t get good value out of me (because I’m free).

Art at Inspire - Tales from the Tower

2011-07-27T13:17:00.000+01:00

It’s a bumper summer of art at Inspire, Levenshulme’s community space, kicking off with an exhibition of puppets and sculptures from local artist Theresa Wilson.

Tales form the Tower is an installation piece, first shown at the Savage Tower in Macclesfield for the Barnaby Festival in June 2011. Theresa has previously shown her work at POD and this exhibition features haunting textile puppets, “exploring the space between sculpture, history and theatre.”

The exhibition is open every day this week from 7.30am until 6.00pm.

For more information contact Inspire.

Arcadia Family Fun Day

2011-07-20T13:40:00.000+01:00

What with there being such a plethora of fun days and fetes in Levenshulme this summer it's not surprising that someone's decided to push things that one bit further and create a two day extravaganza of fun and frolics. And so they have.

Supreme Off Licence, in association with PINK are hosting two days of family fun over the weekend of 30th and 31st July at the Arcadia Sports Centre. I've given you plenty of reasons to visit the sports centre already but if you've not had the chance or you'd like to learn more about what activities the centre hosts then this is the perfect excuse.

In addition to that there will be a host of fun activities, including demonstrations of dancing and rollerskating, a BBQ, bouncy castle and disco. There will be food and drink for sale and live music throughout.

Friday Night TECHNO

2011-07-19T13:25:00.000+01:00

The team behind Friday Night Disco are breaking new ground on 12th August with a (Friday) night of techno. I'm a (not-so-) secret techno lover and this information excites me greatly so I thought I'd share as soon as I heard.

As usual the night will take place at the Klondyke Club off Albert Road and will feature live sets from SPEAKER (Lubeck, Germany) and DNCN (Manchester) plus DJ sets from the organisers and HenYC. Doors open at 8.00am and the night runs until 1.30am, making it the latest thing ever to happen in Levenshulme. I think.

Tickets are £4.00 on the door and if you need any more info email fridaynightdisco@gmail.com or check the Facebook page.

Levenshulme Running Club

2011-07-18T13:33:00.000+01:00

Soooo...the evenings are lighter and it's slightly warmer outside - all the signs point towards it being summer here in Levenshulme and what better excuse is there to get outside and get some exercise.

Thankfully, the newly formed Levenshulme Running Club means you can do just that and pound the pavements in the safety of a group, with added sociability. The club meets every Thursday at 6.30pm at the point of the Fallowfield loop bicycle path halfway down Crayfield Road.

If you need more information drop into Inspire or contact Stephen Corrie, otherwise just show up!

Hard Rain Poetry - Gold and Grit

2011-07-16T13:51:00.000+01:00

It's been a while since I last covered the Hard Rain Poetry events so I thought they were due a mention. The next session will take place at Isis on Stockport Road on Monday 25th July and will begin with a poetry workshop from 6.00pm. Attendees don't need any experience of writing poetry and will have the chance to try writing their own work, inspired by the poetry of Bengali poet and mystic Rabindranath Tagore.

At 8.00pm there will be a performance from Manchester-based novelist and former North West performance poetry champion Zahid Hussain. New Statesman named Hussain's novel The Curry Mile one of its books of the year and he is currently finishing his second novel and working on a screenplay.

There will also be an open mic poetry session with guest invited to bring their own work or one of Tagore's poems. Both events are free, supported by Isis, and there is no need to book.

Inspire Ideas Night

2011-07-14T13:41:00.000+01:00

Inspire are holding their second ideas night tonight, providing an opportunity to develop the ideas raised at the first meeting in May. The evening meeting starts at 7.00pm and will focus on how groups can use their space to develop their activities and resources.

The meeting is open to everyone,especially people who weren't able to make the last meeting or anyone who has innovative suggestions for what the centre can do to continue to thrive. As well as developing ideas suggested at the last meeting, they will be looking for ideas on how Inspire can contribute to the 2011 Levenshulme Festival.

The meeting will be facilitated by Phil Frampton and Kate Chappel, director of Inspire will be on hand to answer questions bout Inspire and the vision for its development. The meeting will then split up into working groups to put flesh on ideas ideas raised.

No need to book but if you need any more information contact Phil Frampton by email or phoning 07901 338700.

Inspire - Summer Fun and Records

2011-07-11T13:29:00.000+01:00

On Saturday 16th July Inspire are hosting their first ever summer fun day, an event that aims to showcase all the great stuff that's happened at Inspire since it opened nearly a year ago (my, how time flies etc).

The day kicks off at 11.00am and runs until 4.00pm with lots of activities and stalls for children and adults, including a BBQ, free roller skating workshops, a roller disco, face painting and badge-making. There'll even be a balloon workshop – a balloon workshop! The mind boggles! Also on show will be the now sizeable array of craft stalls found at the regular craft fairs and a record fair to raise funds for ALLfm.

If you'd like more information or want to be involved visit www.emilypitts.com or call 07870 360213.

Garth Simmons - Bankley Studios

2011-07-08T13:51:00.000+01:00

Artist Garth Simmons is currently exhibiting his latest work, Distorted Interior Barriers, at Bankley Studios.

Through wide expanses of texture, collage and colour stretched across the walls and floor, Garth aims to create an environment of dislocations and skewed perspectives. He writes about the construction of the work on his blog and the pictures there show a really immersive and very fluid piece that should be really interesting to experience first hand.

The show is open to the public from 11.00am to 5.00pm this Saturday and Sunday and again on the 16th and 17th July. There is also a workshop this Saturday from 1.00pm if you'd like to hear more about how Garth has created the exhibition and perhaps have a go at trying something similar – contact Bankley for details on 0161 256 4143.

Zumba!

2011-07-08T13:27:00.000+01:00

Zumba® (ooh, look it has a little “r” thingy, how posh!), in case it had some how escaped your notice is a Latin-inspired dance workout that is, wait for it, TAKING THE WORLD BY STORM (cliché I know but it does seem to be rather popular and I seem to be rather uninspired today) and is now available, like all good things, in Levenshulme.

Classes are now available at Inspire every Tuesday from 8.00pm til 9.00pm and promise to be “exhilarating, effective and easy to follow”. Not only that but the first class is free with subsequent classes priced at £5.00 per person. If you'd like to book contact Elsie on 07855598329 or just show up and take your (funky) chances.

Alma Park School Fair

2011-07-07T13:36:00.000+01:00

Alma Park Primary School on Errwood Rd are holding their annual Summer Fair this Saturday from 2.00pm until 4.00pm with a host of entertainments for kids and big kids alike. There will be a bouncy castle, cakes (try to avoid the bouncy castle after too many cakes, eh guys?) and the usual assortment of games and stalls as well as a raffle and an auction. And if any of you are planning a night on the tiles on Saturday you can also prepare with hair plaiting, face-painting and mendhi. I'm thinking a Spider Man face and pigtails will look particularly fetching with my new dress.

The event is always popular with parents and friends of the school and all the money raised on the day will go towards new music equipment for pupils.

Jazz Night at Inspire

2011-07-06T13:14:00.001+01:00

Jazz Night is back this Friday at Inspire, with doors opening at 8.00pm and, apparently, “lasting throughout the night”, which is good – I do hate an unreliable set of doors.

Tickets are £10.00 on the door or £8.00 if purchased in advance from Inspire and drinks and food will be available from the Bubble cafe. The last couple of jazz nights have been very well attended and I gather the nights have a bit of a following among fans of such things so be sure to be there, not least so you can say “jaaaaazz” in authentic surroundings.

Customary Summer Blogging Lull Excuses

2011-07-06T12:16:00.000+01:00

Hello!

No, I didn't get eaten by sheep at the first ever Levy camp (although I do maintain they looked rather fierce), just rather consumed with all kinds of non-Levenshulme-centric distractions. I'm ever so sorry and I promise it will never ever happen again.*

Back now though, and raring to go with a summer of STUFF to tell you about. As always, keep letting me know what I've missed or misreported by emailing lovelevenshulme@gmail.com

*It will almost certainly happen again.

We're All Going on a Levy Holiday

2011-06-21T13:16:00.000+01:00

After the ROARING success of the first ever Levy BBQ (it rained. A lot. We wimped out) I'm pleased to announce another Levenshulme weather-dependent gathering. Although, actually, this one isn't weather dependent because it's under canvas and it's not Levenshulme-based. That's right folks, I do leave Levenshulme occasionally (under duress). We're going CAMPING! Come one, come all, this is a gathering for all Levenshulme folk (and non-Levenshulme types but you have to prove you love it) who like camping, pubs, the great British summer and um...pubs. All the details are below and also on a Facebook event which is open to anyone to join. If you're unsure about anything or you spot a dreadful flaw in these wonderous plans drop us a line at lovelevenshulme@gmail.com.

SO!

The date:
...Friday 24th June 2011
This is the day before the Levy Baths 80th Birthday celebrations so most people will be jetting off early for that but if you'd like to stay more than one night you're welcome to and you may have some companions. From the chatter that's happened on Facebook already it seems that people will be arriving from 2.00pm/3.00pm on the Friday but I'm sure you can get there earlier if you'd like to.

The location
Wardlow Mires, Derbyshire
The tiny hamlet of Wardlow Miles is 50 minutes drive from Levenshulme and in the heart of the Peak District. It's also the home of the 3 Stags Head - considered to one of the best real ale pubs in the UK with a great selection of ales and ciders, roaring fires and top notch pub grub. The camping site is approx 30 yards from the pub in a field which has basic facilities and costs £2.00 per person per night. Seriously. £2.00!

Cars and tents
If you're without a tent or a way to get to the site then head over to Facebook and see if there's any one who wants to share (no funny business though, this is a family event).

Dogs
Dogs are welcome on the site and in the pub but must be kept under control or on a lead at all times.

Anything else....errr...no...can't think of anything! I'm sure I will though - leave a note on the Facebook event, in the comments section here or email lovelevenshulme@gmail.com if you have any ideas.

Gypsy Dialogue

2011-06-11T13:42:00.000+01:00

As part of Manchester Refugee Week, Levenshulme Library is offering residents the opportunity to learn about Romani culture. Members of the local Gypsy/Romani community will be gathering at the library this Monday, 13th June from 6.00pm to share their life and cultural experiences.

The diversity of cultures in Levenshulme is one of the things I think makes us strongest so please use this opportunity to find out about what these cultures have to offer us all.

Levenshulme Festival 2011

2011-06-10T13:24:00.000+01:00

Yay, it’s that time again! Well, no, it’s not really, but it is time to start thinking aboutit again. Yay!

This year’s celebration of arts and community in Levenshulme will run from Friday 21st October to Sunday 6th November 2011 in venues around M19 and the organisers are appealing for ideas of fresh, exciting new events that can take the festival to the next level.

There is a LoveLevenshulme idea in the works (but I’m not telling you what it is yet, I like secrets) but we’d be happy to work with you on any ideas you have or you can contact the festival team direct on 0791 251 2977 or info@levenshulmefestival.co.uk.

Just a little hint - the Street Market is scheduled for Friday 28th October on the Village Green but the organisers would like to use this space for other outdoor events during the two weeks of the festival as well. Any ideas?

Levy Parkeque

2011-06-09T13:21:00.000+01:00

Sometimes it feels like this blog is just an excuse to list all the things I love (pub quizzes, beer, art n that), and it feels like that to me - goodness only knows what you lot must think. Still, undaunted I soldier on...

BARBEQUES! I love 'em! Especially in the summer and especially in the park. Hence the rather snazzily (if I do say so myself) named parkeque. While I can't claim ownership of the concept the name is all mine and so it is with great fanfare (and probable misspellings) I announce the first ever LoveLevenshulme Summer Parkeque!

This Sunday afternoon (12th June) you are all invited to bring your barbeque (portable or disposable), food and family to the picnic area in Highfields Country Park (click here for a map) and join your fellow Levy residents for good old traditional parkeque. Proceedings (well, burnings) will kick off at 1.00pm and will last as long into the afternoon/evening as we can keep grilling!

Any questions, ideas or suggestions please comment below or email lovelevenshulme@gmail.com. I'm particularly on the lookout for anyone with a rounders bat and the ability to remember any of the rules, otherwise we might be stuck playing hide-and-seek and in a park as big as Highfield who know who we might lose.

Levenshulme Baths are 80!

2011-06-08T13:21:00.001+01:00

Edit: The team behind the celebration have let me know that plans have now changes and they're not going to have stalls any more BUT they are looking for musicians, performers and all other sorts of entertainers to be there and make the day fun - get in touch using the details below if that's you.

That’s quite something isn’t it? Being saved from the swinging axe of doom (or Manchester City Council budget cuts as they’re usually known) and turning 80 in the space of a few months. Cor, hope I look that good when I get to that age etc etc.

Anyway, yes, the baths will be celebrating becoming an octogenarian (well, they won’t, but the people inside them will, you know what I mean) on Saturday 25th June with a day of activities.

Firstly there will be a craft fair with children’s activities planned in Pool 1. Stalls are £25.00 each and anyone interested in holding one is asked to contact Beth Marshall in the first instance.

There will also be activities in Pool 2 from 10.00am to 4.00pm, including a lantern ceremony. The gym will also be running free classes including yoga, zumba and kick boxing.

To tie in with the day Levenshulme Library will also have a tombola and photography exhibition.

All the details of the day are still being pulled together and we’ll report more news as we have it but in the mean time if you have any ideas or would like to contribute in some way please email Beth.

Pub Quiz at The Klondyke

2011-06-06T13:17:00.000+01:00

Have I mentioned how much I love pub quizzes? Have I? Cos I do, you know, I blooming love ‘em. Thankfully, Levenshulme has plenty to offer in that department and the newest addition to the team (the team of pub quizzes? That doesn’t work does it? Sigh) comes from The Klondyke.

As evidenced by the stunning photo above (taken on a rainy Tuesday night in Tesco, don’t judge me) they’ve been running since 30th March and offer BEER (and cash) prizes in exchange for a £1.00 per person entry fee. The quiz is on every Wednesday night and runs alongside a game (or two) of bingo. BINGO!

Pursuing The Narrative

2011-06-04T10:13:00.000+01:00

Bankley Studios Gallery will be showing new work, titled Pursuing the Narrative, by one of their artists in residence, Gary James Williams, and artist and writer Jo Manby over the next two weekends 4th/5th June and 11th/12th June.

The exhibition explores the narrative of the written word, installation and the moving image, examining the blurred frontier between written and visual fictions.

Jo Manby is a freelance writer and artist who writes various types of fiction. She works in painting, sculpture and drawing and has extensive experience of gallery curating and project management.

Gary James Williams exhibits internationally, working in a broad interdisciplinary practice. Williams’ work enquires into the creative potentials of the narrative

The exhibition will be open from 11.00am – 5.00pm on the weekends. If you need any more information about the show or the studios please visit their website, email gallery@bankley.org.uk or phone 0161 256 4143.

Greenbank Neighbours Day/Scruffs

2011-06-03T13:10:00.000+01:00

Not that I’m calling the residents of Greenbank scruffs, you understand (although maybe I should try to start a turf war – I’d like to point out that the residents of May Grove are particularly smart and fragrant). No, this Sunday (5th June) is the annual Greenbank neighbours day and they will also be hosting their dog show – Scruffs.

The day itself will feature local crafts and second hand bargains for sale, free face painting, bunting making workshops and a chance to consult on the Residents Association’s plans for Greenbank playing fields.

The dog show will take place on the playing fields from 12.00pm (be there early to register your dog) and entry is just £1.00 per category. Categories include handsomest dog, prettiest bitch (probably best not enter for this since the title is clearly mine), best trick, waggiest tail, best puppy, best rescue dog, best veteran and best fancy dress. There will be representatives from Manchester Dogs Home and all profits will go to Manchester and Cheshire Dogs Homes.

Our faithful Greenbank correspondent has also extended a special invitation to any residents who’d like to come along and bring cake, whereby you may be allowed to join her on her special cake eating table. So selfless.

For more information or enquiries contact Judith on 0161 224 7895

Levenshulme Salon – Workshops Begin…

2011-06-02T13:06:00.000+01:00

Two weeks have passed since the launch of the Levenshulme Salon and they’re now beginning their programme of workshops designed to foster creative and working relationships with the good people of Levy. The first workshop is tonight, Thursday 2nd June, at POD from 8.00pm and is open to all.

The Salon will be running their meetings fortnightly, alternating between workshops and salons. The workshops are interactive sessions, allowing guest hosts to discuss their work and share skills through group exercises or demonstrations. In the salons, time will be split between hearing from speakers and an informal networking meeting, for people to mingle and swap contacts.

The team behind the Salon are currently taking submissions from different acts, artists, writers, persons in the creative industries and beyond who are interested in presenting their work in either the workshops or the salons and more information can be found on their blog (http://levenshulmesalon.tumblr.com/).

While you’re at it, and if you’re into that sort of techno wizardry, they’re also on Facebook, Twitter AND Mixcloud and they can be emailed on thelevenshulmesalon@gmail.com.

Unfortunately, I can’t make it down tonight, but if anyone feels like taking a few snaps and maybe providing me with a few words on what went on I’d be happy to have a guest blog post. Fame and fortune awaits, eh?

Levenshulme Lasses Step Out For Manchester Roller Derby

2011-06-01T13:46:00.000+01:00

The lovely ladies (I have to call them that, they're well hard) at Manchester Roller Derby have been in touch to let us know that they will be playing at Manchester Academy 1 on Sunday 19th June. The bout is called 'A Midsummer Night's Scream' and will involve ruffs, fairy lights and ivy... as well as Levy girls hitting each other on skates.

Just in case you weren't aware of the important role that the Roller Derby team play in our community, I thought I'd take this opportunity to highlight the work that they do with the Manchester Roller Hockey Club (MRHC) to help keep the Arcadia sports centre operational. They help out with costs, run the public skate sessions and about a year ago conducted an intensive cleaning session - sorting out out skates, cleaning the floor and skate room, and repainting.

Mooks, co-founder and co-director of Manchester Roller Derby says:

"For the past ten years Manchester Roller Hockey Club have run The Arcadia - working hard to engage local children and keep them off the streets with their public skate sessions; allowing everyone and anyone the opportunity to give roller skating a go.

Public skating is what brought me and eventually Manchester Roller Derby to The Arcadia. They welcomed us with open arms, have been extremely supportive and are key to our growth and success to date."

IF you get a chance to go down to Arcadia to enjoy some skating, please do, or even better, head along to support the roller derby girls on the 19th.

New Reading Group for Levenshulme

2011-05-31T13:38:00.000+01:00

For those of you with a literary itch to scratch, Levenshulme Library hosts the Levenshulme Reading Group on the last Wednesday of every month from 6.30pm - 7.45p.m. The group is free to join and keen to be as inclusive as possible and to reflect diverse tastes, so book choices are decided among the members at the meetings and on their Facebook page, so head on over there to find out what's coming up.

the group is for over 16s only, although 12-16-year-olds are welcome if accompanied by a responsible adult.

POD is 1!

2011-05-27T13:00:00.000+01:00

Now I've never made any secret of the fact that I am a great admirer of the good ship POD and all who sail in her. Not only do they provide us all with a plethora of yummies to eat and take away but they've also worked tirelessly to forge links with community, hosting book groups, literary gatherings, parties and knitting clubs. So I'd like to add LoveLevenshulme's voice to the many wishing them a very happy first birthday. They really have had a fantastic year and I can't wait to hear what they've got planned next.

Unsurprisingly, being the relentless party people they are, there is a little shindig planned to celebrate their anniversary and, sensible as ever, they're holding it off-site at The Klondyke (saves on washing up, I suppose, and ejecting snogging couples from the kitchen at 4.00am). The party will take place on Saturday 4th July and will have a school disco theme. I really can't believe we've managed so long in Levenshulme without a school disco (well, apart from all the actual school discos, I suppose). As ever, they're doing their bit for Levenshulme too and the event will be a fund raiser for ALL FM - with all proceeds from the £5.00 tickets going to the station.

Fancy dress is optional (shouldn't have told you that really, should I?) and tickets can be bought from POD now.

Levenshulme Community Plot Days

2011-05-26T13:30:00.000+01:00

Summer's on it's way (no really, I promise, it is, it just doesn't feel like it) and many minds are turning towards the garden. The allotments are busy again and we'll give more details on the upcoming allotment shows soon, but even if you're not fortunate enough (or too lazy, like me) to have an allotment you can still get your fix of community gardening.

The Levenshulme Community Allotment Project, wotking with Levenshulme Children's Centre are appealing for volunteers to work with them on their site. Now, owing to a technology failure (tsk, technology, eh, nothing to do with my inability to take photos at a decent resolution, oh no, no way), I don't have details on exactly which site they're working at. While I'm sure that if you turned up at any of the Levenshulme allotments armed with enthusiasm you will be welcomed with open arms I'm guessing you'd prefer your hard work to go to the community rather than fattening a stranger's marrows - so if anyone more diligent (sensible, professional) than me knows the location it would be great if you could let me know so I can update this post ( and scratch back some dignity).

Wherever it is, I do know that volunteers are asked to be on site from 2.00pm to 4.00pm on Saturdays. So that's something, right? Oh dear.

Family Fun Day

2011-05-25T13:21:00.001+01:00

And so it begins…well actually it begun a few weeks back but I think we can now declare Levenshulme’s summer of parties in full swing. Huzzah! Because I write these posts often weeks in advance, owing to how prepared/completely forgetful I am I can only dream of the balmy weather you are reading this in and the sunshine frolics you’ve got planned.

One frolic you might wish to incorporate into your frolicy, frolicsome plans is the St Mary’s Parish Family Fun Day being held on Sunday 5th June at St Mary’s Parish Centre on Elbow St. The fun will run from 1.00pm – 5.00pm with a bar open throughout (the cynical amongst you might want to point and laugh at how I list this first amongst the many attractions of the day but it says so in BIG white letters on the flyer so, HA, it’s not just me who’s preoccupied with the booze. For once). ALL FM be broadcasting live from the proceedings which will also feature all manner of fun distractions – a BBQ, bouncy castle, children’s games, live music, ICE CREAM, SWEETS and stalls, plus dancing. Yes, dancing – Irish dancing, Bollywood dancing AND set dancing (which is Irish dancing too, right? I’m so confused).

Admission is free. If you need any more information contact Marion on 07767 497 625.

Craft and design shop for Levenshulme?

2011-05-24T13:15:00.000+01:00

Friend of the Blog (I like saying this) Lela Cribbins has been in touch to tell us about an exciting opportunity for creative businesses in Levenshulme. I’ve written about Lela before but in case you weren’t paying attention (and why not?), she runs doodlelove, a stationary and design business, from her home in Levenshulme as well as her own graphic design business, Depomedia and is a stalwart of all things Levenshulme and arty.

For the last few months she’s been looking for an office and studio space in Levenshulme and in the process of her investigations has been speaking with Highland Property Management, who manage the Antiques Village on the A6. They are in the process of turning the police station next door to the centre into…wait for it…a creative business centre. The vision for the centre is that it will provide office and studio space for local people who already run their own art, craft or design business and create a space dedicated to arts/crafts that will really help local creative people to realize their potential and set up a business that will really benefit the area. That business would also entail a shop.

Yep.

A permenant shop in Levenshulme selling locally produced crafted goods. Can you imagine the amount of squeals I did when I heard about that? The cat hasn’t come back in the house since.

So, in short they are looking for people who would like to be involved in running a shop selling arts/crafts or who need office space for their creative businesses. Lela’s seen the business units and says they are a really good size with lots of natural light, are in great condition and are very secure. Prices for the business units start at £50 including all bills and Wifi.

As you can imagine we are SUPER exciting by this idea and we’d really like it to happen. A shop of this kind could really be the turning point for our local retail offering – POD proved (brilliantly, by the way) that Levenshulme can sustain more than takeaways and bookies and the roaring success of the fairs shows there is a real appetite in Levenshulme for local crafts. So if this idea piques your interest or you know anyone in Levenshulme or South Manchester who could use a space or share a space with someone else please please please get in touch with Highland Property Management by emailing r.s@highlanduk.com or phoning 0161 476 6660/6664.

And if you’ve got a sort-of-idea or you’d like take a unit but think it might be financially outside your grasp at the moment then please get in touch with us and we’ll see if we can hook you up with another local crafter (or two) who’s in the same position.

Inspire Wins

2011-05-23T13:13:00.000+01:00

Always nice to have a bit of external recognition for the hard work that goes on to make Levenshulme a better place and Inspire is a well-deserved target, so I was pleased to learn that they recently won the prestigious regeneration award at the 2011 RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Suveyors) North West Awards. The scheme was up against a number of much bigger projects such at Liverpool Lime Street Station Gateway, the Chips building in East Manchester and the Northern Quarter’s Smithfield Market and it beat them all to take the prize.

The judges highlighted the fact that Inspire has been “driven from the heart of the community through the sheer will, tenacity and hard work of the people who dreamed of seeing their grand design become a vibrant and inclusive reality”. I’d like to add my own congratulations to the Inspire team and thank them for not only providing such a valuable resource but working as hard as they do to make sure the centre is well used and reflects the needs of our community.

Market Fair – TOMORROW

2011-05-20T19:11:00.000+01:00

As some eagle eyed and keen minded readers may have noticed, I have been getting my markets in all of a muddle over the last week but I can now confirm, categorically and without any doubt whatsoever that this Saturday is the monthly outing of Levenshulme Market Fair at Inspire. That’s the indoor one with lots and lots (really lots - I went to the one before Easter and it was huge, a real credit to the hard work of the team behind it) of crafty goodness, right? RIGHT?

Crisis of confidence aside, I am prepared to say that it will be open from 12.00pm – 4.00pm and will feature an assortment of local home made food (cake), jewellery, art, clothing, home wares, soaps and cosmetics, candles, badges and err…sock monkeys (that’s what it says on the flyer – I’m assuming you all know what that means cos I don’t). This months fair takes it’s theme from the upcoming Manchester Neighbours day and will feature workshops and lots of fun activities for kids including Tai Chi, card and jewellery making. Entrance is free as always and if you want any more information you can contact the super-marvellous Emily Pitts.

ALL FM/Levenshulme Salon Summer Fete

2011-05-20T13:02:00.000+01:00

ALL FM and the Levenshulme Salon are holding a summer fete on Saturday 28th May 2011 (the first of many this year - I’m thinking of running a “guess how many fetes we can have in a summer” competition). The day will run from 11.00am until 5.00pm at the Klondyke to raise funds for ALL FM and they’re looking for stall holders. Pitches are free and stall holders would be asked to donate a raffle prize up to the value of £5.00. There will also be a Levenshulme Salon stage at the event with live music throughout the day and a live broadcast for part of the day so there will be plenty to entertain stall holders and attendees alike.

In an impressive show of pragmatism, given the bank holiday weekends we’ve got away with lately, the team are also looking for gazebos so that stalls can be held outside but stay protected from wet weather.

If you can help out with gazebos, you’d like a stall at the fair or you have any other questions please get in touch with Annabel Vernon.

Sing-along-a-Levenshulme

2011-05-19T13:42:00.000+01:00

Bit late off the mark with this one (what’s new, eh?) – the Levenshulme Community Choir meets every Wednesday at 7.00pm and Saturday at 4.00pm at Inspire. The group is for adults over 16 only but other than that the only qualification for entry is enthusiasm. The meetings are free although there is a suggested donation of £2.00 to help with running costs. If you want to get Involved call Inspire on 0161 850 5717 or contact Samuel on 07943954616.

Levenshulme Market - This Friday

2011-05-18T13:58:00.000+01:00

Sigh. As the wily and wise commenter points out below, the market is indeed on the 4th Friday of the month, which is NOT this Friday but next Friday - 27th May. Tune in next week when I will write about a book fair in Asser Levy Place, New York.

A brief reminder that the Levenshulme Street market returns to the green this Friday, from 10.00am to 4.00pm.

I popped down to the last market and found a greater selection of stalls but a slightly diminished attendant crowd. Obviously there was now Dev Off Of Corrie to entice you all but it would be great to keep this event well attended and incentivise more stall holders to visit us. If you want some motivation take a look at some of the photos from the first market - it's a lovely event with a really enjoyable atmosphere and a nice chance to stock up on locally made goodies for the weekend.

Bud

2011-05-18T13:56:00.000+01:00

In the spirit of all things spring-time, I took a trip to BUD, the garden centre in Burnage last weekend. Not before time, too as a number of you have pointed it out to me and it really is quite fantastic. Rather typically though I forgot to take my camera with me so you’ll have to content yourself with the photos on their very natty website for now (unless any readers have any photos they’d like us to add?).

The centre itself is in Omer Drive, just off the Kingsway (and more or less opposite a certain national, much-less-friendly DIY and gardening centre), so *technically* it’s in Burnage but it’s an M19 postcode and, more importantly it’s very pretty, so I’m claiming it for Levenshulme. It’s run by Brenda and Severine who met in 2009 while working at a Manchester community garden project and decided to put their interest in the environmental impact of gardening and all things organic into building a business together.

They aim to provide quality plants in a sustainable way, encouraging creative planting and dealing with customers and suppliers fairly. They also source as many of their plants as possible locally and are seeking local gardeners to supply plants grown peat-free. The centre is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays except bank holidays from 10.00am – 5.00pm and they can be contacted on mail@budgarden.co.uk or 07505 403 422.

Art Back at Inspire

2011-05-16T13:50:00.000+01:00

After an Easter break almost as long as ours Emily Pitt’s art classes at Inspire have started again.The classes run on Friday mornings from 10.00am and each class lasts around two hours.

The class is for anyone from beginners to experienced artists, using a range of materials to suit your interests.

The class costs £28 for a 4 week slot and includes all materials, so you just have to turn up with clothes that you don't mind getting a bit grubby. For more information take a look at the photos on Emily’s blog where you can see the group in action during recent classes:

If you have any questions or would like to book a place call Emily on 07870 360213.

Levenshulme Salon - This Thursday

2011-05-16T13:45:00.001+01:00

The much-anticipated first outing of Levenshulme's meeting of creative and spiritual minds, The Levenshulme Salon, takes place this Thursday at POD from 8.00pm.

Taking its cue from Annabel Vernon's radio show for ALL FM, the first meeting will be a chance to discuss and debate creative issues in Levenshulme - head over to Inside The M60 for more insight into Annabel's plans, and check out the Salon Facebook group for more information on the night.

Midnight Jazz Returns

2011-05-13T13:49:00.000+01:00

Midnight Jazz is back at Inspire on Friday 20th May 2011. Doors open at 7.00pm (so not quite midnight then - good job too, some of us have to get up in the morning). Tickets at £10.00 (£8.00 concessions) and can be bought at Inspire and there will be light meals, snack and – wait for it – booze available.

If and when we get more details about the running order and the acts being featured we’ll post them up here.

Poetry Please

2011-05-11T13:40:00.000+01:00

ALL FM have teamed up with Manchester Literature Festival for a project celebrating poetry along the A6 Corridor. Earlier this year, they commissioned 5 Levenshulme-based poets to produce new poems set in and around the Stockport Road area of Manchester. They also provided training in radio production for a group of volunteer producers who will be recording the finished works in location and interviewing the poets about their work.

The poems will also be featured at the next Hard Rain poetry evening on Monday 30th May at ISIS.

The schedule of poets for the rest of the week is:

Wednesday drivetime – Martin De Mello
Thursday morning – Shamshad Khan
Thursday drivetime – Helen Clare
Friday morning – Peter Kalu
Friday drivetime - Peter Kalu

You can listen to ALL FM radio by tuning in to 96.9FM on a conventional radio or by listening live from their website and podcasts of the poems and interviews with the poets will be available soon.

Inspire Ideas

2011-05-10T13:35:00.000+01:00

Inspire are hosting an ideas meeting tonight at 7.00pm, which aims to give local groups the chance to develop their activities by using Inspire as a resource. Inspire have lots of spaces available for hire and want to meet groups that might want to use the rooms for staging entertainment and events or for running classes.

Inspire is a fantastic space at the heart of our community and as a partly co-operatively owned venue they want to be innovative and encourage and self-development to energise our community to move forward – a fantastic aim and something that we feel really passionate about at LoveLevenshulme.

Groups are invited to bring along proposals to the meeting or just to come along and explore ideas. Inspire have invited Phil Frampton, an advisor at FC United, to facilitate the meeting. FC United have a strong record of active support from their fanbase with fans organising events and music nights to generate funds for the club.If you are planning on attending please contact Phil on 07901 338700.

Back!

2011-05-10T13:34:00.001+01:00

It seems the royal wedding rather went to our heads and we’ve been a little lax of late, spending too much time lazing in the sunshine and imagining a future married to Prince Harry (conclusion: even a life of luxury wouldn’t be worth it). Now we’re back, with lots of news and ideas for you over the next couple of months. Summer time means fetes and fairs and allotment shows a plenty in Levy and we’ll do our best to cover them all. As always though, if you see anything you think we might like drop us a line at lovelevensulme@gmail.com.

Yours,

HRH Helen, Duchess of Levenshulme.

Fosters Levenshulme

2011-04-22T13:09:00.000+01:00

Phil Griffin, Levenshulme resident and acclaimed writer, broadcaster and curator specialising in architecture and urban issues, has kindly agreed for us to reproduce his article on Sir Norman Foster's childhood and influences in Levenshulme. The piece was originally published in Belle Vue, a fanzine of Manchester writers and writing which can be bought at venues across the city. Phil is hoping to screen the film How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr Forster? in Manchester soon and we'll post details when they're available.

4 Crescent Grove Levenshulme M19 is, in most respects, unremarkable. The house is at one end of a stunted street. The gable wall is onto an entry. There is a bay on the down-stairs front room, and there are two bedrooms. You can see Stockport Road from the front bedroom window, the bedroom that was occupied, for 26 years, by Norman, only child of Lilly and Robert Foster. Norman had crossed Stockport Road to his primary school, biked it to an undistinguished finale at Burnage High School and trammed it into town for his first low-account job at Manchester Town Hall. The job didn’t promise much in the way of prospects, but at least it was secure.

Robert and Lil must have been made up for the lad. He’d be okay. But with no education prospects he had to chuck it after a couple of years for his National Service in the RAF. After another job as a clerk with Beardshaw’s Architects on Oxford Road he took himself to the university to study architecture and city planning. They had him, stuck at home, for another five years. To cut a long story short, Robert and Lilly’s lad went on to become Baron Foster of Thames Bank, the most successful architect in the world, the greatest British architect since Christopher Wren. Today he commutes between offices in Battersea, Swiss chateau and French villa. You’d think he might miss Crescent Grove.

Norman Foster doesn’t come back much, but he did call in Levenshulme Library last year. Not, as it turned out, to return a long overdue copy of Le Corbusier’s Vers une architecture, but to remind himself of the building that introduced him to Corb, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the first place. He would have been well advised, whilst he was in the area, to step over Cromwell Grove and browse in Ibrahim’s plant shop and whole-food store, just to get a feel for Levy’s contemporary vibe.

Norman was about to remodel the New York Public Library, the biggest free library in the world. Levenshulme is on an altogether different scale, though it too has had a makeover recently. Paintwork and tiles are refreshed, and the gable-ends of the bookcases are decorated with black and white blow-ups of bygone Levenshulme. There are rows of computer terminals, a kiddie corner and lots of books in Urdu. The Arcadia cinema, on the other side of the wall at the end of Norman’s street is a sports hall now, and the Palace, were he spent his Saturday mornings 16 years before me, watching The Three Stooges and Lone Ranger, has moved on through Irish cabaret, to Asian banqueting.

Sivori’s coffee bar has bitten the dust, and Estelle Modes and Platt’s furniture. The engineering works on Elbow Street shut down, along with Robinson’s bakery, and Titterton’s the pork butcher has gone the way of his excellent dripping. Nora the nit nurse no longer purple-daubs the scalps of prody dogs and cat licks, from Chapel Street and St Mary’s, in the clinic in the town hall. That’s part of the Antiques Market now, and this whole strip of Stocky Road, from Cromwell Grove to Broom Lane became something of an antiquarian’s fair ground in the years it took Norman to get his Architecture Masters degree from Yale, set up Team 4 with Richard Rogers, design the grade 1 listed Willis Faber Dumas building in Ipswich, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, Reichstag, Great Court at the British Museum, the Gherkin, Millennium and Millau bridges, Stanstead and Beijing airports. One of Norman’s near contemporaries at Burnage – Roland Smith - went on to be head of British Aerospace. Norman Foster launched himself into the stratosphere.

Because I write about architecture I got to meet Norman Foster in his practice offices in 2002 when Foster and Partners teamed up with Manchester developer Urban Splash to enter the competition to build the so-called Fourth Grace at Liverpool’s Pier Head (architect Will Alsop went on to win, though the scheme was eventually scrapped). He was smaller than I’d imagined and didn’t look well (turns out he could have been in the middle of successful treatment for bowel cancer). He was taking no notice of me until I went up to him with my hand outstretched, and said, “Lord Foster, I’ve always wanted to say this to you: I’m Phil Griffin, and I’m from Levenshulme”. Taking my hand, and after the briefest pause, he snatched a quick glance around, “There aren’t many of us in this room”. He is, to my knowledge, perfectionist and control freak. Three times married (his first wife died in 1989) and compulsively private. Blow-hard, quick-draw, go-getter at all costs. That meeting I had with him had been scheduled for 10am. His PA rang to ask if it could be put back to 10.30, “Yes of course, but why, may I ask?” “Because he has a breakfast in Berlin that morning”. I’m thinking timings, “But what time is he scheduled to get back into London?” “Oh, he’ll see to that. He’s the pilot.”

Norman Foster’s journey is unquestionably one of the most extraordinary of the 20th century. You can learn about it in a recently published authorised biography by Deyan Sudjic, Norman Foster A Life in Architecture. But you won’t learn very much. Norman does not engage with the small talk of life: near fatal illness, half a sentence; second marriage, just twice as much. But what you will learn, should you order a copy from your local library, is that his Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank building of 1979 - 86, at 44 storeys now dwarfed by much that came after it, is, to date, the most expensive building ever built (in excess of £1,000m). Foster was 44 years old when he won the gig, and he had never built above four storeys in his life.

Opposite 4 Crescent Grove is 2 Poplar Villas, an extraordinarily pretty Edwardian mini-villa clearly much loved by its present owners. Go left out of Norman’s street and under the railway, with the Catholic Club bowling green to your right and you are in the Rushford Park Conservation Area, a beautifully evolved village of Georgian through to Edwardian houses; cottage, detached, semi-detached and terraced, set in generous well-treed space. Just to the north is Slade Hall, a half-timbered Manor House from 1585. Norman knew this stuff, and he worked in Manchester Town Hall, the first great masterpiece of Alfred Waterhouse, Manchester’s first great architect.

Norman Foster knew some of the best architecture outside London. And he knew what made cities work. He walked to Great Ancoats Street in his lunch hour to look at The Daily Express building of 1939, by Sir Owen Williams, one of the finest pre-war buildings in Britain. We always called it “The Black Glass Building”, on account of its patent black oily Vitrolite skin. When Norman Foster got his first big commission in the UK in 1971, from insurance company Willis Faber Dumas to build them a new HQ in Ipswich, he wrapped his building in a sheer contour-hugging slinky black undulating glass skin. I walked around it a few years back and, in a peculiar way, it made me proud to be Mancunian. And prouder still to be from Levenshulme.

Many thanks to Phil for his co-operation.

Some Light Pre-Easter Reading

2011-04-21T13:21:00.000+01:00

Drumming your fingers before the bank holiday starts? Why not releive your mind with a little light reading...well...kind of.

The Levenshulme District Action Plan was drawn up in 2009 and has some, um, interesting perspectives on how the area is developing and what remains to be done. You might notice that there are some disclaimers included about how the changing (as was) economic climate might affect both the area and how the Council can commit to helping our regeneration, as well as some interesting observations about the way the retail offering affects our public spaces. As always, happy to hear your comments, either below or to lovelevenshulme@gmail.com.

Levenshulme Hustings!

2011-04-20T13:40:00.000+01:00

The good folk behind Love Levenshulme, Hate Cuts have organised a local election Hustings for Levenshulme and Gorton South to be held on Thursday 28th April. The meeting will take place at Inspire, will run from 7.00pm to 9.00pm and is open to everyone.

All candidates have been invited and there have far been confirmations from the Green Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats , Respect and the Conservative candidate for Gorton South.

The guest chair for the event will be Rev. David Grey, who will invite Candidates to speak for three minutes and then take written and oral questions. If you wish to put in a written question before the evening, please email lovelevyhatecuts@gmail.com.

Full details of the event are on Facebook.

love Blogging

2011-04-13T15:57:00.000+01:00

So I have an idea.

I'd like to promote your blog on this website. We get a few hits and once we even won an award (I manage to get this fact into all manner of everyday conversations, which is a touch sad but I won an award so there).

So if you live in Levenshulme and write on a blog then let us know by commenting below or by tweeting us (@lovelevenshulme). Your blog can be about anything and everything, we won't critique you or anything like that we will just promote you a little bit.

We will ask you to provide us with 100 (or near enough) words about who you are, how long you have lived in Levy, why you love it and what your blogs about. Although, we are not going to be strict about this so just get in touch and we will take it from there.

I may get the ball rolling with a few of my blogs or I may pick out a few other levy blogs to cover.

Anyways, don't be shy.

Manchester Neighbours Day 2011

2011-04-08T13:23:00.000+01:00

Now, Levenshulme being the place that it is, I know that some of you know about this already, but...

Friday 27th May 2011 is Manchester Neighbours Day, part of Manchester City Council's 'Be Proud Love Manchester' initiative to improve neighbourhoods and increase local pride. The Neighbours Day concept is an annual event that takes place throughout Europe at the end of May and aims to encourage neighbours to meet and get to know each other better by arranging street parties or any small local event that brings people together. With that in mind Manchester City Council are making grants of up to £200.00 available to residents groups, associations or just informal groups of neighbours who've got together for the occasion. The funding can be used to hire equipment (bouncy castles! awnings! BBQs!), materials (bunting!) or decoration (more bunting!) - anything you need to throw a good party.

The forms to apply for the grants need to be completed by Friday 29th April and can be found here and the council have a page with more guidance here.

Time conspired against us here at LoveLevenshulme and next year we're hoping to make Levy the most street-party-y place in the city with a festival of street fun and all sorts but we'd really like as many people as possible to get to know their neighbours and have a bit of fun in the process this year too. Levenshulme has suffered at the hand of the recent cuts and this is a fantastic opportunity for us to show the rest of the city that we're still proud of where we live.

We're a really engaged community and it would be great to be able to boast that we held the most parties in Manchester so if you're thinking about putting together a street party or your street is already planning one please let us know so we can shout about it! Similarly, if you'd like to have a party and you're not sure where to start please get in touch and we'll be happy to advise you - Manchester City Council have said that they're really keen to get new people involved this year and if there's enough interest we may be able to set up a session with them to get you started.

So, go on! 'Ave a party!

P.A.W.S. May Day Fair

2011-04-07T13:59:00.000+01:00

PAWS - the charity that rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife, shelters and adopts homeless cats and dogs, and educates people to make a better world for animals and people - is holding a family fun day at the Klondyke Club over the May Bank Holiday.

The fair will run from 1.00pm - 6.00pm on Sunday 1st of May and will feature a kids disco and entertainment, party games (which I'm assuming are for kids, adults might want to preserve their dignity...or not, there are prizes up for grabs!) and a bouncy castle (again, adults, much as you might want to have a bounce it's probably best not to). There will also be face painting and temporary tattoos, a cake stall, BBQ and a raffle.

The Klondyke bar will be open throughout (now there's an adult activity I can get on board with) and there will be a dog behaviourist on site giving out advice.

Tickets are £3.00 for individuals or £10.00 for families (2 adults, 2 kids) and can be bought in advance from the Klondyke. Any enquiries contact nicole.derbyshire@hotmail.co.uk or sarahderbyshire23@googlemail.com.

Levenshulme Steet Market in Pictures

2011-04-06T12:16:00.000+01:00

A little late, as is customary round these parts, I thought I'd post a few photos of the first ever Levenshulme Street Market.

The market took place on Friday 25th March 2011 - a beautiful and unconventionally sunny day - and was fantastically attended both by stall holders and shoppers. Just to pick up a few of my personal highlights - Beth's Buns produced an amazing array of cakes, including a fantastic rainbow cake - check out their Facebook page for the pictures. The ever-productive Emily Wardman also brought down a fantastic selection of crafty things under the Made in Levenshulme banner.

Top-sellers were the Made in Levenshulme baby grows and bibs and brilliant canvas bags with a natty We Saved Our Baths slogan. I've already seen a few of the bags on the arms of discerning Levy shoppers and I'm told that there's a mini-baby boom happening in Levenshulme at the moment so no doubt we'll start seeing babies proudly displaying their heritage soon. Also on offer were fashionable bags, jewellery and clothes, freshly baked bread and hot sauces and a good selection of street food to munch as you shop.

Actor Jimmi Harkishin (aka Dev off of Corrie) officially opened the market, thanking all involved and presenting a cup to the winners of the Levenshulme's Got Talent competition.

It really was a lovely day and a great show of enthusiasm for shopping local. The next market will be on Friday 22nd April (Good Friday) and I'm told that it will feature an expanded range of food on offer - including local organic meat and fresh fish.

Burnage Good Neighbours

2011-04-05T12:55:00.001+01:00

At the Levenshulme Street Market (yes, yes, this is a bit late, you should be used to that by now) I met a lovely chap whose name I forgot to take down (never one for high reporting standards, me) from Burnage Good Neighbours.

For those of you who don't know Burnage Good Neighbours is a community-based organisation who provide care and support for the elderly residents of Burnage. They were at the fair to promote the service and the fact that they are now expanding the service to Levenshulme. As part of their work they make contact with isolated and house-bound older people, assisting with minor DIY, driving to shopping and essential services and providing respite care.

All of these services are provided by volunteers and they need more! You only need to give a small amount of time to make a big difference to peoples lives. If you're interested in helping or you know someone who can help please get in touch with Mike or Cath on 0161 431 7220 or go to www.mncga.co.uk.

MERZ-SHED-II

2011-04-04T12:39:00.001+01:00

As trailed by us a few months back, SHED, the pop-up art space at Tonbridge Road allotments is now showing work curated by the MERZMAN project, which celebrates the creative legacy of German artist Kurt Schwitters. The show is open now until 10th April, daily except Mondays and Tuesdays from 5.00pm - 7.00pm. On the project they write:

Eddie Price re-examines his Homage to Kurt Schwitters, using biomorphic shapes derived from spills and stains meticulously produced in ink; whilst Hazman creates an encaustic shrine in an attempt evoke the spirit of Schwitters' Merzbarn in the diminutive SHED gallery urban retreat on an allotment in Levenshulme.

Pool Arts is an innovative arts organization formed in 1999, run by and for its members. It has a studio base at Hope Mill in Ancoats and a thriving network of members who meet regularly. It includes writers and musicians as well as visual artists. They are working to create a supportive framework giving members, who may otherwise be excluded, opportunities to produce, promote and sell their own artwork. Pool Arts provide a hot desking studio space, support, training, professional and personal development opportunities for members.

To find out more visit www.poolarts.org

New LoveLevenshulme Postcards

2011-03-29T13:22:00.000+01:00

Wahey!

We finally did it! We've now got stacks and stacks of LoveLevenshulme postcards ready for you lot to pick up and start spreading your love for Levenshulme. At the moment they're only stocked in POD but we'd like to have them in as many places as possible so get in touch if you're a cafe, bar or shop in Levy and you'd like a pile of cards to give away get in touch and we'll bring some over to you.

Ed Sprake - Exhibition

2011-03-28T13:12:00.000+01:00

Local photographer, Ed Sprake, who we profiled a few weeks back, has got his first show at the Portico Library and Gallery as part of Northern Exposure, an exciting new exhibition showcasing local photographers.

As well as Ed, the exhibition will show work from Chris Dutton, Stephen Fellows and Robert King and runs from Tuesday 5th April until Thursday 28th April . For more details visit the Portico website or Facebook page.

Market Days - Show Your Love

2011-03-25T13:00:00.001Z

Another reminder that today and tomorrow are market days in Levenshulme, with Manchester Market's food and local produce market being held today on the green and opposite on Station View (down the side of Mellor estate agents and into the car park behind). It's open until 4.00pm so there's still time to get down there and pick up some yummy food for the weekend.

And for those of you who can't make it today there will be a craft fair in Antiques Village yard with more Levy loveliness, including limited edition Made in Levensulme babygrows and bibs and Love Levenshulme canvas bags. The fair will be situated immediately outside Agapanthus and since they still hold the title of my favourite shop in Levy I thought it might be a good time to remind you to pop in and say hello - they've got lots of new stock which can be viewed on their website. I'm hoping to drop in some LoveLevenshulme postcards before the big day too so pick some up to pass on your love for Levy.

Tagpassiton Community Loyalty Scheme

2011-03-24T13:46:00.000Z

The tagpassiton scheme is a discount card for residents, designed to encourage us to shop local - something we here at LoveLevenshulme are all in favour of. The cards, which come with a fob, can be bought from the website at a cost of £5.00 and entitle holders to discounts at loads of Levenshulme traders, including:

1001 Antiques
Agapanthus Antiques
Antique Village Cafe
Bridgette's Flowers
Bubble Cafe at Inspire
Emily Pitts Creative
Gareth Batowski Furniture
Isis Cafe
M19 Bar
POD
Shine Hair & Beauty
Village Stores
www.depomedia.co.uk
www.doodlelove.etsy.com

You may recognise tagpassiton from some of the banners currently adorning Levenshulme and the team behind it are involved in Levenshulme Business Week.

Aside from being a great way of getting discount for local shops and services, the scheme also offers an opportunity for community organisations to raise funds for their work - schools, charities and local groups can purchase the cards in bulk for £2.50 each from tagpassiton and sell them on, keeping any profit for their community work. Visit the website for more details.

The Age of Stupid

2011-03-23T18:32:00.000Z

Community Arts North West have arranged a showing of the Pete Postlethwaite film on climate change, The Age of Stupid at Inspire on Thursday 7th April. They're really keen for it to be a welcoming and enjoyable social occasion so they've arranged for there to be a cafe run by volunteers selling snacks before the showing and a discussion after it for attendees to air their views on what they thought of the film and how we can act on climate change both as individuals and communities.

The screening starts at 7.00pm but the cafe will be open from 6.00pm. Tickets cost £3.00 and can be booked at www.ecoweekenda.org.uk. For any more information, contact Pauline on 0161 448 2834

Cycle Repairs at POD

2011-03-23T13:32:00.000Z

On Sunday POD will play host to Dave of Revolve Mobile Cycle Repairs who will be on hand to carry out basic repairs, services and all manner of bike related-services and advice so that you can relax with a latte while they, as the poster puts it "fettle with your metal". Dave will be on hand from 10.00am til 4.00am and you can follow him on Twitter as @revolveMCR of get in touch with him direct at dave@revolvemcr.com or 07939 062 600.

Friday Night Disco III

2011-03-22T13:58:00.000Z

Friday Night Disco returns to the Klondyke this, er, Friday, for another evening of dancing, drinking and general misbehaving, with Gary, Graham & Pip playing tunes to dance extravagantly to.

Festivities kick off at 8.00pm and continue late into the night. Entrance is £3.00 with £1.00 of that going to Save Levenshulme Baths & Surestart campaigns. Check out the Facebook page for more info.

Levy Baths - Community Project

2011-03-21T13:28:00.001Z

Celia Turley, an MA visual anthropology student at Manchester university, has been in touch about a project she is planning with some fellow students about the importance of Levenshulme swimming pool to the local community.

She's hoping to speak to Levenshulme residents who have been using the pool for a few years about their memories and experience of the pool, to try and discover why such a strong response was formed in Levenshulme when the baths were threatened with closure. Whether you've been going to the pool once a week to catch up with a friend and have a swim at the same time, or teaching your child to swim, no experience or thought is insignificant in building up a picture of what relevance the pool has for the community. It's a really interesting project and another opportunity for us to show off the fact that we do things differently here in Levenshulme so please get in touch with Celia if you have anything you'd like to say.

Market Bonanza!

2011-03-21T13:02:00.003Z

Seriously, we're getting close to having more markets than people here in Levenshulme...

First of all a reminder - this Friday is the first ever Levenshulme Street Market, brought to us by the acclaimed Manchester Street Markets team. Emily Wardman, who organised the craft fairs at the library last year, has been in touch to say that they'll be taking two stalls at the fair. The market promises a massive range of locally produced wares - from finest wild-salmon and freshest sea-trout to pretty cupcakes and mouth-watering fudge. And it's not just food - there will also be clothing and authentic arts and crafts, courtesy of Emily's "Made in Levenshulme" stalls - yummy cakes, stationary, home wares, hand made soaps, fashion and accessories and quirky prints are just a few of the goodies that will be on offer.

The market will be held on the green and opposite on Station View (down the side of Mellor estate agents and into the car park behind) from 9.00am to 4.00pm and will be held on the fourth Friday of every month from March onwards. Please do try and get down to the market so we can show Manchester Markets that they made the right choice in coming to Levenshulme and encourage them to keep coming.

Now, sadly, like me, many of you have to work on Fridays and might not be able to make the market...well never fear! The intrepid creatives of Levenshulme have a solution! Emily will also be holding an arts and crafts fair at the Antiques Village this Saturday. The fair will be open from 10.00am to 5.00pm in the court and will show the very best of locally hand made products including cakes, fashion, textiles, hand made soaps and toiletries, paintings and much more. All the details can be found on the Facebook page.

Levenshulme Means Business

2011-03-18T13:15:00.000Z

Levenshulme Traders Association are working with Manchester City Council to organise a week of events encouraging enterprise in Levenshulme. The programme starts on Monday 21st March at venues around the area and include taster sessions from the Mary Portas training course, HSE accredited courses for the workplace and sessions on online business.

All the events can be found here. Contact Cassim Kaaba from Manchester City Council if you are interested in booking.

Vernacular Spaces at Bankley Studios

2011-03-17T13:14:00.000Z

A new photographic exhibition exploring how young people occupy and define their personal space will preview at Levenshulme's Bankley Studios on Friday night.

Social documentary photographer Sangita Mistry and artist Monixa Mistry have undertaken a participatory photography project looking through the eyes of high school students from India and England. The personal investigation gives insight into two different communities.

The exhibition will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00am-4.00pm until 3rd April and on Saturday 26th March the artists will be in attendance to discuss their work.

For more information visit the Bankley Studios website.

Levenshulme’s Got Talent

2011-03-16T13:18:00.000Z

You betcha we do!

As part of Levenshulme Business Week, pupils from St Mary's and Alma Park schools will be showcasing their talents on Tuesday 22nd March at St Mary’s Parish Centre. The show will start at 3.30pm and promises the best of young talent in Levenshulme. The children will in front of the judges for 2 minutes with their acts which will include steel pans, bollywood dancing, disco dancing, singing.

Tickets are £1.00 from St Mary's and Alma Park receptions and you can contact Marion Quinn (link - marionq32@gmail.com) from St. Mary's Parish for more details - 07767 497 625.

Tradfest 2011

2011-03-15T22:34:00.000Z

Tradfest, the Levenshulme arm of the Manchester Irish Festival, is in full swing. There's lots going on, from Irish Blues to a special St Patrick's day concert. One particular highlight for me is the exhibition of photography from County Mayo being held now in The Union Inn.

The exhibition has been put together by Tony Hennigan with contributions from a group of photographers from all over the UK and Ireland, including Eamonn O’Boyle who will be showing work from his recently launched book.

Also in the exhibition are Kerstin Hellmann, exhibiting work from this years Mayo Calendar, Castlebar based photographer Alison Laredo (whose photograph of girl with horse in mayo hat is shown above).

Other photographers include Bill Heaney, Karen Golden, Clare Dews, Trevor Buckley, John Fergus and Con Hayes.

Levenshulme Salon Launch – Save ALL FM

2011-03-14T13:05:00.000Z

Just a quick reminder that tickets for the launch night for the Levenshulme Salon, which is being held at The Klondyke on 19th March 2011, are on sale at POD, the Bluebell, the Klondyke Club and www.wegottickets.com. Tickets are just £5.00 and all the details can be found on the Facebook page.

The line up for the evening is now taking shape and will include performances by Caulbearers, Blue Grenade Phil Davies and the Ninja Smokebombs and The KJs. More importantly, though, this event is also a fundraiser for ALL FM, which is currently under “risk of closing should funding from Manchester City Council be ceased immediately with no replacement.”

The station is due to celebrate its tenth anniversary this year and claims to provide “a voice for the community by the community,” training its staff and members (there are currently 150 volunteers) on all aspects of broadcasting, from presenting, to producing and editing.

It broadcasts shows in a variety of languages - English, Farsi, Urdu and Polish - and works within the community alongside vulnerable groups, often giving local coverage to organisations that may have been excluded from the mainstream media.

There is an online petition to save the station, which you can access here.

Convulse at POD

2011-03-11T13:22:00.000Z

Until 18th March POD will be showcasing work from a new puppet installation by Theresa Wilson. The launch night was on 4th March and included a visit to a nearby secret location to view a puppet installation involving movement and shadow. You can still view the puppets themselves by contacting Theresa on 07792374128.

Teresa Wilson is a textile and installation artist exploring the territory between sculpture, poetry and theatre.

Her recent solo exhibition Changelings (i) showed at the Chapman Gallery, University of Salford in February 2010. Changelings (i) explored ideas of melancholy, isolation and fear in a darkly humorous re-telling of folk tales about fairies and snatched babies; shadowy figures offering a darkly romantic vision of a dreamlike alternative reality.

Convulse retells a true story of Irish Immigration, hardship and cruelty, to coincide with Manchester Irish Festival.

Fruitful Levenshulme

2011-03-10T13:11:00.000Z

More proof, if it were needed, that Levenshulme residents have a lot of fight in them – hot on the heels of the victory over the planned baths closure, North Levenshulme Community Group have won their battle to plant fruit trees on wasteground at the junction of Ark Street and Park Grove.

The group have now planted seven trees - all native British varieties - and hope they will be used as a community orchard to provide free fruit. Having been given a grant for the trees and planting two years ago, the plans were delayed when the council insisted they buy expensive insurance for the site.

Members of North Levenshulme Community Group are planning a party to celebrate later in the year and we’ll let you know as soon as we have details.

Irish Food and Film Night at Inspire

2011-03-09T13:22:00.000Z

Tomorrow night Inspire are hosting an evening with an Irish theme, to tie in with the Manchester Irish Festival. Traditional Irish food with be served at 5.30pm, followed by two Irish films. The first film is The Secret of Kells, a Celtic fable set in the Middle Ages and was Oscar Nominated for Best Animated Feature in 2010, which will be shown at 7.00pm.

Then at 8.40pm after there will be a showing of Six Shooter, a black and bloody Irish comedy (with an 18 certificate to match, so not one for the kids) which won the Oscar for Live Action Short Film in 2006.

Admission to The Secret of Kells is £4.50 and Six Shooter is £2.50 or you can see both for £6.00. Dinner is charged seperately. To book contack James Hennigan on 07833 461222.

VICTORY!

2011-03-08T13:03:00.000Z

Right, this is very late and I’m very sorry, although given the jubilation and press coverage it got I’m sure you all already know but, just in case…

LEVENSHULME BATHS ARE SAFE!

At last Monday’s scrutiny and governance meeting the council announced that they will be exploring options for refurbishing or even replacing the baths with a new facility and that the baths will remain open until that time – at least two years.

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank all the protesters and the people of Levenshulme who worked incredibly hard to save this vital facility. You have proved, once again, that Levenshulme is an engaged community like no other and that we will not be marginalised. The achievement is massive and the statement it makes is even bigger. This is a victory for the people of Levenshulme.

As I’ve said before, LoveLevenshulme is all about creativity – we like to show people ways that they can engage with their community by getting crafty and creative – but there certainly seems to be an audience for a more politically-engaged blog for Levenshulme and that’s something we’d really like to encourage. If there’s anyone out there who thinks they’d like to provide a voice for all the community groups and events that are happening out there we’d be happy to help. Get in touch and Tim and I will talk you through setting up a blog, using social media, whatever takes your fancy!

Naturally Cycling Levenshulme

2011-03-01T13:59:00.000Z

It’s always nice to hear from fellow Levenshulme bloggers so we were pleased to get an email from Lorenza who writes the Naturally Cycling blog which covers her love for cycling and the adventures she has with her bike in and around Manchester. As she’s a Levenshulme resident it features quite a lot, highlighting what a great place it is to live. Because, as she so simply puts it “well…that’s the truth”.

A is a picture from the blog of Cringle Park in the snow and there’s more Levy and non-Levy content besides. There are a lot of cyclists here in M19, not least because we’re quite well served by cycle routes, so why not get in touch with Lorenza with your ideas about good cycle routes and trips.

Changes Afoot at Cringle Park

2011-02-28T13:54:00.001Z

An eagle eyed local writes to tell us about developments at Cringle Park. The council have been working on water mains round the area near St Mary’s for a few months now and keen eyes have also spotted a few changes to the park on that side. After a bit of digging (not literally, silly, although I’m impressed at the lengths we will go to find out what’s happening out there) and enquiries to local councillors he’s unearthed the following plans for the park:

• The bowling green is to be removed and re-planted "as an arboretum with pathways and special stone".

• There will be "a Green Outdoor Gym for the local community if funding is successful".

• The disused pavilion is being turned into a boxing gym, to be opened in April.

• A third area will be a “stone feature”.

The area for the stone feature has some plans attached to it which refer to an “earth clock” in Burlington, Vermont – images of which can be found here and here.

Does anyone have any thoughts about the changing use of one of our biggest green spaces. Comment below or email lovelevenhulme@gmail.com.

Jewellery Making at Inspire

2011-02-25T13:51:00.000Z

Here at LoveLevenshulme we think that Inspire is a gem (do you see what I did there?) and their proving it on Wednesday 2nd March by holding a beginners’ jewellery making workshop. The class is a chance to learn new techniques in a relaxed environment and go home with unique pieces made by you.

It’s a 5 week course, no previous experience is needed and all tools, beads and wires are provided as well as a step-by-step booklet at the end of the course. Classes start at 6.30pm and will last around an hour and a half.

The course costs £32.00 for all 5 lessons and a £5.00 deposit is needed to secure your place. For more information, call Tammy on 07507 540 043.

#Levytweetup TONIGHT

2011-02-24T13:49:00.000Z

Just a quick reminder that the first #levytweetup of 2011 will take place tonight at POD from 8.00pm. 

Twitter users from Levenshulme are welcome, as are non-Twitter users (although Twitter nay-saying might not go down too well) and people from outside of Levenshulme who’ve got something Levy related to say. We’re an inclusive bunch and lots has happened since our last meet please drop by and say hi. 

For my sins (and busyness) this will be the first time I’ve been to POD in the evening since before Christmas so I can’t wait to see how they’re settling in to their evening opening hours.

Hashtag for event is, predictably, #levytweetup.

Levenshulme Baths Protests - Roundup 2

2011-02-22T13:39:00.000Z

Two more events planned for this week in the ongoing campaign to save Levenshulme Baths:

Sign and Banner making workshop – Wednesday 23rd February - Inspire - 12.00noon-2.00pm

Sean Roache and Laurie Sage have offered to run a banner making workshop for the half-term holidays.

Save Levy Pool and Save Levenshulme Sure Start want you to come and be creative, have fun, make stuff about either or both services! All welcome! Big kids as well as little ones..

Beacon of Light Event – Saturday 26th February 2011 - Outside Levenshulme Baths - 5.30pm-8.30pm

Celebrate Levenshulme Pool as a Beacon of Light for the community with an Olympic theme.

The Olympics are marked with the lighting of the torch. Light up our baths and mark its role in our community and its potential for producing further Olympic stars.

You are invited to bring candles, torches or anything shiny to mark the importance of our pool. Lights can be brought from individuals, streets, churches, mosques residents groups – or any other groups.

***

As before the Facebook groups are very active so join them to find out more as it happens and if we’ve missed anything then let us know.

We’re also keen to include the Arcadia in these updates – does anyone know if they’ve got any planned protests or anything else that residents can help with? Get in touch using the comments below or email lovelevenshulme@gmail.com.

Levenshulme Street Market - Amended

2011-02-22T13:22:00.001Z

Please note the date has now changed for this event. We'll still be there taking piccies, though. Do you know any traders at the Market who might want to have a quick chat? Comment below.

Exciting news from Manchester Markets who’ve been in touch to let us know that the first ever Levenshulme Street Market will be held on Friday 25th March. Details are a little wooly on exact location although it looks likely to be in the car park behind the station. Future markets will take place on the forth Friday of every month.

The market organisers promise that it will bring together the finest food producers and retailers that the area has to offer and, since they’re the team behind Manchester’s excellent Real Food market, I’ve have everything crossed that we’ll attract retailers of the same quality. Obviously the best way to do that and prove to them that there’s a market for the...err...market is to get down there and buy some goodies. I will be schlepping down the A6 in my lunch break to make a special trip and take some photos, see you there!

More information about trading at the markets can be found here.

Kids Films at Inspire

2011-02-22T09:37:00.000Z

Whoops! A little bit late on this one but we got there in the end (and you only missed High School Musical, which I would imagine most parents would be grateful for). Inspire will be showing children’s films all this week for half term. Showings on Wednesday and Friday will be at 10:00am and Tuesday and Thursday at 2:00pm and are as follows:

Tuesday 22nd February - Ice Age 3
Wednesday 23rd February - Shrek Forever After
Thursday 24th February - Harry Potter No.6
Friday 25th February - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

No need to book, just turn up! Prices are 50p per child.