Chorlton Green Community newspapers

Chorlton Green

“Chorlton Green”, the community newspaper, ran from January 1984 until about May 1986. It came out erratically once every two months or so. I have copies (care of Robert Lizar) of 23 issues of the newspaper, which is nearly all of them. Dating and numbering were often omitted so it is hard to tell when it eventually folded and there were no warning or statement about its last issue

If you look at the history of Chorlton, not a lot happened of note before the Victorian era, the coming of the railways and the late 19^th century house building boom. Most historians are interested in this era and photos of early Chorlton have been lovingly collected and reproduced.

Our near history, such as the 1980’s doesn’t seem like history to many of us because we have lived through it. But the issues of Chorlton Green are no less fascinating for that. Looking through them makes you realise how much has changed23 issues of the newspaper.

Chorlton Green first issue was in January 1984 as a draft edition. Priced at 25p it was later reduced to 15p per 12 page issue

This is what it said about the newpaper: “ Let 1984 come alive with Chorlton Green”

“Chorlton Green is a community newspaper, and offers Chorlton the voice it’s never had before – in personal opinion, in creative work and as an information exchange”. It claimed not to represent any specific political line, but it was clearly left orientated and even if there was a Green in the title it didn’t have the environmentalist assumption it would have now

In this first draft issue was a remembrance by Lawrie Perrins of the closure of the Classic Cinema on Barlow Moor Road (formerly the Essoldo) which had closed in December 1982 – the last film to be shown being the Walt Disney cartoon, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. There was also an article about Greenham Common – there was to be much more about this in later editions

Issue 1, April 1984

The lead item was an interview with Brian Cosgrove of Cosgrove-Hall who having estabolished themselves in Albany Road in Chorlton in 1976 had just won a British Academy Award in March 1984 for their cartoon version of Wind in the Willows.

The Editorial Group

In their first editorial, the group that ran the newspaper (Paul Gentle, James Haigh, Fiona Hope, Sile Martin, Daniel Morgan, Lawrie Perrins and John Rooke) gave the background to the setting up of Chorlton Green. They were based at and supported by the Community Education Centre at Chorlton Park which had just been set up in a a building vacated by the High School (now the Adult Education centre). They were established by holding a public meeting in January 1984 after which a management committee and editorial group was established

Despite its left wing stance Chorlton Green seemed quite successful at getting local businesses to place adverts with it – £8 for a smallish ad and £70 for a full page. “The paper is not being run for private profit or corporate gain, but to provide voluntary work for a number of unemployed Chorlton residents”

In the first issue there were ads from cinemas – Studios 1-5 on Oxford Road, and the much missed Aaben cinema in Hulme. 20 adverts in all – not bad for a first issue

Arts in Chorlton

There was also a report on the Arts scene in Chorlton which asked “why is there such a dearth of community-arts activity in our area?…..It is rather surprising that Chorton with its variety and good will cannot accommodate more in the way of local talent and nurture it accordingly”. Well, some things have changed for the better the recent 9 day long Chorlton Arts Festival (16^th – 24^th May) had more than 150 events and over 20,000 participants, including 5,000 school children

Chorlton Trams

The first issue also had an article entitled “Chorlton Trams: Long Ride Ahead” . This predicted accurately that it would be a long time before Chorlton saw trams again – a 25 year wait as it turned out. It also predicted that “a tram network, on streets in the centre , railway tracks in the suburbs, seems the most likely contender”. It even speculated what a 1990’s (!) guidebook might say:

“For sheer variety of life and visual expression on alternative Manchester, try a ride on the LRT to Didsbury, home of the mews/muesli set. Look out especially for the buskers lining the platforms at Chorlton Central!”

Issues Two and Three, May –June 1984

May Local Elections

The local election results featured on the front page of the May issue– “Chorlton Remains Tory Island” . Overall the Conservatives lost 6 of their 20 seats on the Council, but in Chorlton they retained two Councillors – Eric Walker and Margaret Davies , though only after a re-count. The only Labour victory in the area was Helen Johnson’s win in Barlow Moor, whilst the Conservatives held on to their seat in Whalley Range. The Labour candidates criticised the Tories for a ‘scurrilous leaflet’ which depicted Labour’s support for the Greenham women and gay rights movement. The Liberal candidate, John Commons, accurately forecast “a city-wide annihilation of Conservatives, who were little interested in the community”

CND Spring Festival

Held on 28^th April in Beech Road Park with beautiful weather. Besides the usual bouncing castle and local band (the Cheeters), there was also a debate between speakers from various political parties. It included ‘Olive Greenham’ who gave a strong speech in support of the women of Greenham Common.

By the June issue it was becoming clear that Chorlton Green was coming under flack, accused of having a left wing bias by some and of being reactional by others. There was a series of long letters and responses to them.

Elswhere the refusrbishment of the library provided headlines and the aftermath of the Spring Festival in Beech Park was a continuing correspondence about the amount of dog faeces in the park. The creation of a ‘dog-free’ zone in the park was still a long way off

Issue Four, July 1984