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Life in Stretford

"There is a sense of community but no physical space for it" - Marva (38)

Entering Stretford, you are instantly engaged with the territory's bustling daily life. Surrounded by public buildings, busy main roads and constant movement of people and vehicles, a man feels the need to stop for a minute and experience entertainment - but the question is where...

Main industry in Stretford at that time was the  hand-weaving of cotton, providing local employment. Few years later mechanized cotton mills replaced workers.

In 1831 the Royal Botanical Gardens were opened.

Being an agricultural village during this period, Stretford had its own market and was famous for the vast production of pigs. It was also an extensive gardening area, growing tons of vegetables each week. In 1857 the UK's largest art exhibition (Art Treasures) was hosted within the botanical gardens.

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Industrialization took place with the arrival of the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894 and the following development of Trafford Park in the Old Trafford district, north of the town.

In the beginning of the new century the botanical gardens were transformed into an entertainment resort, which was demolished in the 1980s. During the Second World War, Stretford was a target for heavy bombing, which took many victims.

Memorable landmarks remain including Stretford Town Hall (built in 1878 by John Rylands), consisting of Stretford's first public library and later on used as a theater and Essoldo Cinema (opened in 1936 and designed by Henry Elder), which worked as a cinema and concerts' venue until its closure in 1995. 

Icons taken from 

Analysis

Analysis 

/hold or click on each image to view its legend/

Historic Timeline

Historic Timeline

Early 19th century

Mid 19th century

Nowadays

20th century

Late 19th century

Event
Conclusions

Event

Conclusions

  • Responding to the need of the whole community

  • Annihilating social boundaries

  • Benefiting local economy

  • Having in mind the environmental issues and challenges within the territory

'We don't need more housing, we need community spaces'

 

'We need more restaurants, bars and cafes'

 

'People are going to Chorlton because of the missing nightlife'

 

'I would prefer things to be more accessible in Stretford'

 

'We should have more local stuff instead of money making machines - now it's about quantity over quality'

 

'Stretford needs regeneration - it is kind of stuck in the past'

 

'There is a sense of community but no physical space for it'

Gaining information from the local citizens of Stretford was a really important step for my colleagues and me. We organised an event, hosted in the Town Hall, where we expected to meet the community and chat. Presenting questions through interactive games,  led to deep conversations about what could be changed within the area in order to improve the everyday life. The whole day was full of emotions and brought awareness, as well as a plan for further action. For full record of the event, please click 

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