Cheetham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cheetham is a district in the city of Manchester, England. It is situated in the northern part of the city, along the Bury Old Road and Cheetham Hill Road. It is more often than not referred to as Cheetham Hill. More accurately, Cheetham Hill - sometimes called Cheetham Hill Village - is, as would be expected, at the top of the hill where the Cheetham Hill Road becomes Bury Old Road. Technically, this is in Broughton on one side of the road and Crumpsall on the other.
The area is ethnically very diverse and the demographics have changed over the past hundred years. Traditionally, Cheetham was an area of heavy Jewish settlement from central and eastern Europe. Most of the Jewish population has moved out into the more affluent areas of Broughton Park, Higher Crumpsall and Prestwich. There is a large Jewish secondary school - King David - on the Cheetham / Crumpsall boundary. Today, Cheetham is home to a very large Muslim population, whose origins lie in Pakistan and India, and boasts at least three mosques. There are also an increasing number of Malaysians and a significant number of non-Muslim Asians. (There are three Sikh Gurdwaras in Cheetham.) There are significant numbers of non-Jewish eastern Europeans - the area boasts a Polish club and a very large Ukrainian club which recently burnt down. There is also a Ukrainian Catholic Church. The Irish population is large, in common with much of Manchester. The Irish World Heritage Centre, on Queens Road, is one of the largest Irish centres in the country and is the starting point for Manchester's St Patrick's Day Parade - one of the largest in the world. There is a sizeable West Indian community, whilst the influx of African immigrants has been noticeable in recent years.
Cheetham is a vibrant shopping area. There are large numbers of shops catering for the Asian population and an increasing number of African shops. Cheetham Hill Village, at the top of Cheetham Hill Road, is more traditionally 'British'. Cheetham Hill Shopping Centre is being run - down in readiness for re-development. Further down the Cheetham Hill Road, towards Manchester city centre, is the large new 'Manchester Fort' retail development.
Towards the lower end of Cheetham Hill Road is the Joseph Holt brewery.
Cheetham is served by Woodlands Road station, on the Bury line of the Manchester Metrolink. However, this station is on the fringe of the district. The frequent bus service provides better access. Metrolink's principal maintenance depot is situated at Queens Road as is one of First Manchester's main bus depots. The Greater Manchester Museum of Transport is in nearby Boyle Street.
[edit] Famous people from Cheetham
- Don Arden - Born Harry Levy. A famous music promoter with an even more famous daughter - Sharon Osbourne.
- Oswald Mosley - British fascist leader.
- Jack Rosenthal - playwright, most famous for 'Bar Mitzvah Boy', 'London's Burning' and early episodes of 'Coronation Street'.
- Benny Rothman - political activist, famous for taking part in the Mass trespass of Kinder Scout in Derbyshire.
