This is Whalley Range…

At lunchtime on Thursday, the last day of a pleasant May in 1984, all was unusually quiet on Withington Road and across Alexandra Park to Princess Road. England must have thought they had it in the bag. The West Indies were on the run. Vivian “Viv” Richards was a little tired of running between the wickets and decided to go for the boundary. Again and again. The coolest man ever to stroll (almost slow dance) onto a cricket pitch was about to have him some fun. And the crowd in sunbathed Old Trafford joined the party.

The local hero, Sir Clive Lloyd, couldn’t quite get in the groove.

No matter, round here he does no wrong. The volume is rising. By four o’clock we’re rockin’ from Stretford Precinct to Moss Side Brewery, from Warwick Road to Alexandra Park. Vivian Richards hits an unbeaten 189, the rest of his team hit 83. Sir Vivian Richards’ winning innings at Old Trafford that day remains the highest score in One Day International Cricket. He hit the last ball of the innings, delivered by his friend and Somerset teammate Ian Botham for four. No point piling on the misery. That wouldn’t be cool.

Beyond a Boundary is a book, The book about cricket, that is also about race and colonial history, by Cyril Lionel Robert James.

CLR James, Nello to his friends, and a world of admirers. The Trinidadian Marxist philosopher, cultural historian and cricket-mad writer inspired the Windrush generation, their children and grandchildren. When the West Indian neighbourhood has community interests at heart, Nello James is in mind. Hence, the Nello James Centre.

In the mid 1970s West Indian communities were beginning to find their Viv Richards touch, Bob Marley and the Wailers release Catch a Fire in 1973, Jimmy Cliff is starring in The Harder They Come with two tracks in the movie, by Toots and the Maytals.

Island Records and Trojan release tunes you will hear on the pavements of Withington Road and Alexandra Road. There’s good times vide in Whalley Range and Moss Side. Except its paper thin. Sure, the weekend shebeens are throbbing with bass and draw, but the majority white community, and the authorities aren’t yet with it. Not for a couple of decades, and even then, not entirely. There are community issues in need of mediation and understanding. There is a need for the Nello James Centre. For whatever reason, this important community asset falls into decline and disrepair

Back in the day Whalley Range was brother to Victoria Park, prosperous and middle class, streets lined with tall villas housing newly rich professionals and their domestic staff.

They suffered post-war decline and transformed into bed-sit land. There is now a steady reversal in progress, west from Rusholme, through Alexandra Park and on to Chorlton Road. Of course, there is a way to go, there always is. But there’s no shortage of energy and possibilities. That’s what makes these historic townships – Levenshulme, Rusholme, Withington, Fallowfield, Chorlton, Whalley Range, Moss Side and Hulme – exciting. Possibility and heritage.

Cross Withington Road and walk up Wellington Road to Alness Road.

Here, you are looking at the back of St Bede’s College that used to be a Catholic Grammar School and is now a private prep and secondary school that is favourite for the families of Manchester City footballers. There are plenty of SUV’s and Man City training strips around the school gates after 3pm.

In the 1970s, on the corner of Alness and Wellington was a small struggling hotel, the Clifton Grange. This was bought by Philomena Lynott who rebranded it as a theatrical boarding house called The Showbiz.

At night, the first floor transformed into a glamorous shebeen fondly known as “Phyllis’s”. Admission was strictly at the discretion of the management. The elegant bar was perfumed by fresh freesia year-round, and the jukebox was on free play. Except, all that it played were records by super rockers of the time, Thin Lizzy. Phyllis was mother of Phil Lynott, who often flew in from his Dublin home, when not touring with his band, to enjoy the company of various ventriloquist acts, drag queens, Coronation Street cast, and the first global football superstar George Best.

Whalley Range was well made and well named. Make of the “Whalley” what you will, but “Range” is exactly the word to attach to this extraordinary community of streets and people that has always played hard, and with style. Like Viv Richards on that memorable day in 1984. As someone once said, “just watching Viv Richards walk from the pavilion to the crease was worth a hundred runs”. It is Beyond a Boundary. It is Whalley Range.

This is 136 Withington Road…

Asset type

Residential

Quantum

35 homes

Status

Planning

Architect

Ollier Smurthwaite

Planning consultants

Ashtonhale

Transport

Curtins