Life in Chorlton

Seminal Chorlton comedy club The Buzz is returning for a one-off show as part of the suburb’s Arts Festival.

Promoter Agraman is reviving the legendary night on Tuesday, May 20 at its spiritual home, the Southern Hotel on Mauldeth Road West.

From the South Manchester Reporter.

Residents of a block of flats in Chorlton have complained that their building is a health and safety hazard.

They say Steven Court on Egerton Road South has no fire extinguishers or alarms, and the windows need replacing.

The owners Contour Homes say they are working on plans to improve the property.

From the South Manchester Reporter newspaper.

A 49-year-old athlete from Chorlton who has been battling cancer and a brain tumour has died.

Fran Scott, of Titterington Avenue, won eight gold medals at veteran world championships, including while he was ill.

Full story on the South Manchester Reporter.

Police are appealing for help tracing the next of kin of a Chorlton man.

Clifford Moores, 82, was found dead at his house on Hough End Avenue in Chorlton on 11 February.

There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding Clifford’s death, and the case has been passed to the coroner.

However, officers are struggling to find any of Clifford’s relatives. It is believed he had two sons and a daughter who are all in their 50s and are called Kathleen, Jennifer and Geoffrey.

Various attempts to trace Clifford’s family have been made, but to no avail.

Anyone who knew Clifford, or who thinks they might know where his relatives are, is asked to call the coroner’s liaison officer on 0161 856 6069.

A Chorlton man who sexually abused several young girls was jailed indefinitely today. 

Colin Barton, 51, of Kings Road was convicted at a previous hearing of 43 sexual offences against girls under 16, including nine counts of oral rape, and possession of indecent images. 

He was sentenced to serve an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection, and was ordered to serve a minimum of six years before being eligible to apply for parole.

Detective Constable Charlotte Nutter said: “Barton preyed on these vulnerable young girls, and now that he is off the streets we hope that others will not have to suffer in the way that they did.

“It is crucial we say how brave Barton’s victims have been in coming forward and helping us with this investigation.

“Without them having the courage to face what had happened to them we would not have been able to remove this man from our streets. 

“I hope they too feel a sense of justice after today’s result, and can now get on with their lives.”

The incredible story of a black Briton who was murdered by the Gestapo in 1943 is being recognised thanks to the efforts of a group of Chorlton school children.

The 28 youngsters from Chorlton C of E Primary School wrote a biography of Noor Inayat Khan after getting together with The University of Manchester’ s Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust, which creates multicultural books for children.

Noor served as an Special Operations Executive agent with the Paris Resistance in 1943 but was captured by the Gestapo to be executed in Dachau concentration camp a year later.

She had tried and failed to escape from the Nazis three times, was the first women wireless operator in France and showed incredible bravery, uttering the word ‘ liberty’ before she was shot.

Though Noor was posthumously awarded the French Croix de Guerre in 1946 and the British George Cross in 1949 - her achievements are little known in Britain.

The book tells the story of Noor’ s life with illustrations, interesting facts and a timeline - all the work of the former year six pupils.

Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre and Trust were founded following the murder of Ahmed Iqbal Ullah in a Manchester school playground in 1986.

The book was launched at the prestigious Imperial War Museum North on January 15.

Teacher Jackie Ould, from the Trust, who worked with the children said: “Liberté: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan fills a yawning gap in our knowledge of black British heroes.

“The children have really added to our appreciation of Noor by creating diary entries, letters and dialogue as if they were written by her.

“They were really engaged and enthusiastic about the book, producing some really outstanding writing and illustrations.

“It is the result of a whole class effort and I am grateful to the children - it was a pleasure to work with them as it was to work with their class teacher Katie Mercer.

“The Imperial War Museum is a very prestigious venue and we are glad they have agreed to host the launch event on 15 Jan.

” The children, will be there along with their parents and staff from the school and the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust.”

Quotes from the children who worked on the book include:

Georgia O: ” I think that Noor Inayat Khan is a hero because she fought for herself and others and wouldn’t give up and go home even though she knew she would probably die.

Sahar: ” I though that Noor was a brave human being because she was an amazing spy in World War Two and she even wrote an inspirational and brilliant book.

“She looked after her family when her father died and her mum was depressed and Noor had to look after her brothers and sisters.

Ray Ray: ” I think that Noor is a hero because she got tortured and she did not tell on her country and she died with los of dignity.

Lewis: “She risked her life to save others and supported Britain.”

A 22-year-old man who marched a man to his Chorlton house at knifepoint before robbing him has been sentenced to four years in prison.

On 2 July Andrew Royle, pictured above. marched his 33-year-old victim back to his house where he stole cash from him.

At about 10pm, the victim left his flat on Brandwood Avenue, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, and walked through the estate.

As he got to the junction of Merseybank Avenue and Caldervale Avenue, he heard someone shout racial abuse at him.

He looked round and saw Royle, who threatened him with a knife and demanded money.

The victim handed over a small amount of cash but Royle demanded more and marched him at knifepoint to his flat.

When they got to the flat the victim activated a panic alarm, at which point Royle started to punch the victim in the face, demanding more money.

When officers arrived at the flat, Royle attempted to escape and a struggle broke out with an officer. He was eventually overpowered and arrested.

Royle, of Mersey Crescent, West Didsbury, had earlier pleaded guilty to robbery, obstructing a police officer and breach of an ASBO, which relate to the incident on 2 July.

He had also pleaded guilty to an unconnected attempted robbery, affray and another breach of an ASBO.

Royle was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to three years for both the robbery and attempted robbery, to run concurrently, and six months each for the breach of ASBOs.

A man was shot at as he drove away from a would-be robber in Chorlton on Friday night.

Between 10.10pm and 10.30pm, the 18-year-old was sitting in the driver’s seat of his black Volkswagen Golf car in Whitelow Road, near to the junction with Wilbraham Road, when he was approached by a man wearing a balaclava.

He pointed a black handgun through a gap in the car window and demanded the keys.

The driver accelerated away along the road in the direction of High Lane.

When he was about 100 yards away, the driver heard a loud bang as his back window was smashed.

He drove away from the scene uninjured.

The gunman is described as being white, approximately 5ft 10ins tall and had a local accent.

He was wearing a matt black lightweight tracksuit top, black leather gloves and a black balaclava.

Anyone who witnessed the incident should contact police on 0161 856 6152 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A Chorlton driving instructor and six others involved in a scam selling driving licences to unqualified motorists have been sentenced.

Mohammed Zahid of Egerton Road South in Chorlton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court and was entenced to ten months imprisonment and ordered to pay £1,700 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Also in the dock were: Saquib Gul of Manchester Road, Tyldesley; Irshad Hussain of Chamber Road, Oldham; Mohammed Akhtar of Longden Road, Longsight; Mohammed Zameer of Willows Lane, Accrington, Asif Butt of no fixed address and Mohammed Munir Choudhary of Castleford Road, Birmingham.

The charges centre on the acquisition of driving test certificate and licences.

The defendants and others took part in a scam that involved an impersonator taking a practical and, on occasions, a theory driving test for a candidate.

Two men who are still wanted by police, Muhammed Nadeem and Sajid Shah, are alleged to have taken the tests. They were arrested, but absconded.

Zahid was also central to the conspiracy. He was an instructor who had access to customers he would charge in return for others taking driving tests on their behalf.

In March 2005 a pattern started to emerge of suspected impersonations at practical driving test centres in England.

On 7 June 2005 a man claiming to be Mohammed Choudhary of Castleford Road, Birmingham, went to Chorley test centre to sit his driving test.

The examiner realised the photograph on the licence did not match the person present, and he was turned away. This was one example of how impostors were taking, or attempting to take tests.

The aim of the enterprise was to get fraudulent driving licences that could then be sold on for up to £1,000, meaning many unqualified drivers were given free reign to drive around.

Detective Constable Darren Grafton from Oldham CID was the officer who investigated this case. He said: “This blatant abuse of the Driving Standards Agency system could have had serious implications for road users.

“Having unqualified people on the roads puts other road users at risk. They would never have been able to prove that they could drive to safe and legal standards and their inability to do this could have cost lives.

“I am delighted with the sentences given and it should act as a very strong warning to anyone who tries to abuse the system.”

Andrew Rice, Head of Fraud and Integrity for the Driving Standards Agency said: “We are delighted with the sentences imposed on these offenders as it reflects the seriousness of the offences committed.

“Those who impersonate candidates at driving tests present a significant danger to road safety as they gain entitlement to drive for those who are unable, or unwilling, to undertake the assessment to prove that they meet the required standard to drive on our roads.

“We investigate all reported cases and work closely with the police and criminal justice agencies to identify offenders and bring them to justice.”

In last night’s episode of Coronation Street, Chorlton was given a name check.

Maria reported she’d gone to a bakery in Chorlton which sold amazing wedding cakes.

Barbakan? Gregg’s? Martin’s?