Wilmslow

infobox UK place
country= England
latitude= 53.325
longitude= -2.239
official_name= Wilmslow
population= 30,326 (2001 Census)
shire_district= Macclesfield
shire_county= Cheshire
region= North West England
constituency_westminster= Tatton
post_town= WILMSLOW
postcode_district= SK9
postcode_area= SK
dial_code= 01625
os_grid_reference= SJ840810
static_

static_image_caption=
london_distance= Wilmslow is a town in the Borough of Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. It lies to the south of the city of Manchester between Alderley Edge and Handforth. It forms one of the two unparished areas in the Borough of Macclesfield, the other being the town of Macclesfield itself. As a result of the UK Government's 2007/2008 Local Government Review, Wilmslow will be part of the new Cheshire East Council. At the 2001 Census, the population of the town was 30,326.cite web | title=Wilmslow's official 2001 Census profile | url=http://www.macclesfield.gov.uk/censusprofiles/Wilmslow%20Town.doc|publisher="Macclesfield Borough Council"]

History

Toponymy

Its name came from Anglo-Saxon "Wīghelmes hlāw" = "mound of a man called Wīghelm"

Lindow Man

Much about the local Iron Age history of Wilmslow was uncovered with discovery of Lindow Man, in Lindow Moss. Preserved in the peat bogs for 2000 years, Lindow Man is one of the most important Iron Age finds in the country. Despite a campaign to keep Lindow Man in the area, he was transferred to the British Museum and is a central feature of the Iron Age exhibition. Lindow Man returned to Manchester Museum in April 2008 for a year long exhibition.

Shortly after Lindow Man's discovery, the Lindow Primary School choir recorded a song 'Lindow Man we want you back again' for Granada TV.

On 27 May 2008 up to 40 firefighters were involved in tackling a huge blaze spread over a large area of peat bog at Lindow Moss nature reserve.

Events

Wilmslow was in the international media in March 1997, when an IRA bomb exploded at the railway station destroying a signal box. The original IRA message was confusing and led to the evacuation of nearby houses around the Wilmslow Police Station to the local leisure centre not far from the explosion. Nobody was hurt.cite news
title = After the last ceasefire ended
author = Fiona Ryan
work = Irish News Online
publisher = http://www.irishnews.com
date = Unknown
url = http://www.irishnews.com/ceasefire/cf10.html ]

In the general election of the same year, the parliamentary constituency of Tatton, in which Wilmslow falls, made headlines as part of the "sleaze" accusations levelled against the then Conservative Government. Tatton MP, Neil Hamilton, was accused of accepting cash for tabling Parliamentary questions, and subsequently defeated in the election by independent candidate Martin Bell. Martin Bell was supported in his door to door canvasing for votes by David Soul and served for a single term as MP.

Geography

Wilmslow town centre is focussed upon Bank Square, Grove Street and Water Lane. Although Bank Square has traditionally provided the location for many of the town's banks, the name in fact originates from the bank, or slope, leading down to The Carrs recreational fields and up towards the railway station. The River Bollin flows through The Carrs and once provided the power source for nearby Quarry Bank Mill, now a National Trust site, as well as enjoyment for the local population.

Before the railway came in 1842, Wilmslow comprised only a few farms and a church.

For purposes of the Office for National Statistics, Wilmslow forms part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area.

Economy

Wilmslow is the founding location of clothing giant Umbro who have their headquarters in the area. [cite web | title=Umbro - History | url=http://www.umbroplc.com/standard_1.aspx?id=6:113&id=6:105 | accessdate= January 7 | accessyear= 2007 ] It is also home to the food technologists of Sainsbury's, and is the centre of operations of the life insurance and pensions firm, Royal London Mutual Insurance. The Information Commissioner's Office, one of the government's executive agencies is also based in Wilmslow.

It is also home to a number of successful businesses such as Freedom Finance, Amplivox-Ultratone and Interlink Software.

Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of "Coronation Street" and rich Manchester businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury. It grew in popularity in the Victorian era as a most desirable area for wealthy Manchester businessmen to move out to once the railways arrived and connected the towns.

Transport

Wilmslow railway station is situated where the electrified line from Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly divides. One line continues to Manchester via Handforth and Stockport, the other continues via Styal, Manchester Airport and Heald Green. The latter route is commonly known as the Styal Line. There are frequent services to Manchester, Stockport and Crewe plus an hourly service to Shrewsbury and Cardiff. There are a few trains to London Euston (although an hourly service is planned from December 2008). The A34 Manchester to Newcastle-under-Lyme and Winchester road now bypasses the town centre to the east. Manchester Airport lies just four miles to the northwest, but Wilmslow lies away from the approach and departure routes and therefore suffers only slightly from aircraft noise. [cite web | title=Network Rail - West Coast | url=http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/1328.aspx | accessdate= January 7 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Communal facilities

Wilmslow High School [citeweb|url=http://webwiseschools.com/wilmslow/ |title=Wilmslow High School|accessdate=18 January|accessyear=2008] is the only secondary school in the town and is a large comprehensive school that also includes a 6th form for A-level studies. The town has many primary schools, both comprehensive and private (including single sex schools).

Wilmslow has a municipal leisure centre located near the railway station. It offers a range of indoor facilities including courts, gym equipment and two indoor swimming pools, one of which is a heated children's pool. Wilmslow also includes a Rugby club [citeweb|url=http://www.wilmslowrugby.com/ |title=Wilmslow Rugby Club|accessdate=18 January|accessyear=2008] and a Lacrosse club. [citeweb|url=http://www.wilmslow-lacrosse.co.uk/ |title=Wilmslow Lacrosse Club|accessdate=18 January|accessyear=2008] The town also contains a public library, [citeweb|url=http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Library/library.htm?id=46 |title=Wilmslow Library|accessdate=18 January|accessyear=2008] fire station and police station. [citeweb|url=http://www.wilmslow.org.uk/ |title=Wilmslow website|accessdate=18 January|accessyear=2008]

Wilmslow used to have three free weekly local papers, the Wilmslow Messenger, the "Wilmslow Express" and the "Manchester Metro News" but the Express took over the Messenger and in 2007 the Express and Metro merged into just the "Wilmslow Express" [citeweb|url=http://www.thewilmslowexpress.co.uk/ |title=Wilmslow Express website|accessdate=18 January|accessyear=2008] which now features the Metromagazine section from the "Manchester Metro News"

The Wilmslow Guild [citeweb|url=http://www.wilmslowguild.org/ |title=Wilmslow Guild|accessdate=18 January|accessyear=2008] is an independent adult education centre that provides courses in many subjects as well as societies, clubs and theatre productions. It also hosts the Wilmslow Guild Photographic Society. [citeweb|url=http://www.wgps.org.uk/ |title=Wilmslow Guild Photographic Society|accessdate=18 January|accessyear=2008] The Wilmslow Green Room Society is another theatre society in Wilmslow. [citeweb|url=http://members.aol.com/wgrsoc/ |title=Wilmslow Green Room Society|accessdate=18 January|accessyear=2008] The Wilmslow Historical Society meets on the second Wednesday of each month, and hosts lectures by a variety of guest speakers. They have an active research group, and have published a number of books and pamphlets on aspects of local history. Wilmslow holds one of the largest annual charity fireworks displays in the area. Run by the local Round Table, it attracts over 6,000 people each year and raises around £10,000 each year for local charities.Fact|date=March 2008

Notable people

Alan Turing, the driving force behind the Bombe machine for cracking the German Enigma cypher, is perhaps Wilmslow's most notable resident. Turing committed suicide in his Wilmslow home on 7 June 1954 by eating an apple laced with potassium cyanide. [cite web | title=Alan Turing: a short biography - 8 | url=http://www.turing.org.uk/bio/part8.html | accessdate= January 7 | accessyear= 2007 ]

Wilmslow has featured in the novels of the writer Alan Garner, with the Black Lake (Lindow) apparently housing a witch. Garner is perhaps best known for his books "The Owl Service", "The Weirdstone of Brisingamen" and "The Moon of Gomrath" which are set in nearby Alderley Edge.

The British indie rock band Doves met at Wilmslow High School in the 1980s. Their song 'Black and White Town' was inspired by Wilmslow and its contradicting 'rich-poor' dividecite news
title = Doves fly to top
author = Katrina McKeever
work = Wilmslow Express News
publisher = Wilmslow Express
date = 16 March, 2005
url = http://www.thewilmslowexpress.co.uk/news/s/162/162253_doves_fly_to_top.html ]

Other notable residents include;
* Francis Lee, Ex-Manchester City and England Striker.Fact|date=June 2008
* Andy Dibble, Coventry City's goalkeeperFact|date=March 2007.
* Simon Gregson, who plays taxi boss Steve McDonald in "Coronation Street" cite news
title = Street star caught drink driving in Prestbury
author = Katrina McKeever
work = Macclesfield Express News
publisher = Macclesfield Express
date = 9 August, 2006
url = http://www.macclesfield-express.co.uk/news/s/216/216192_street_star_caught_drink_driving_in_prestbury.html ]
* Martin Edwards, former chairman of Manchester UnitedFact|date=August 2007
* Alex Ferguson, Manager of Manchester United.Fact|date=June 2008
* Tim Healy, actor most famous for his role in "Auf Wiedersehen Pet".Fact|date=July 2008
* Kerry Katona, former Atomic Kitten star.Fact|date=June 2008
* William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow in "Coronation Street" Fact|date=March 2007.
* Nemanja Vidić, Manchester United footballer, with his wife Ana and son Luka.Fact|date=June 2008
* Miranda Sawyer, the journalist and arts critic, was born in Wilmslow.Fact|date=June 2008

References

ee also

* George Bramwell Evens and Romany's vardo
* St Bartholomew's Church, Wilmslow
* Dean Row Chapel, Wilmslow
* Wilmslow Hockey Club
* RAF Wilmslow