Withington village is a small suburb in Manchester which is positioned four miles south of the city centre. It was a largely rural area until the mid-19th century before burgeoning during the Industrial Revolution into its own distinct enclave.
It’s geographical location close to the two Manchester universities results in it being a popular student location, but not as populous in that regard as nearby Fallowfield. In the area is also Withington Community Hospital and Christie Hospital which is home to one of the largest cancer treatment centres in Europe, the latter being the location of the world’s first clinical drug trial which took place there in 1944. The village became linked to the metro network when its own station was created in 2013.
There was a local Souchay family who lived in the area in the 19th century, and they were related to the wife of German composer Felix Mendelssohn. Mr M visited the area several times and his last British tour in 1847 incorporated performing on the freshly installed pipe organ in the local St Pauls Church before he passed away six months later at the cruelly young age of 38.
Previous alumni include the travel correspondent Judith Chalmers, actors Ben Kingsley, Robert Powell and John Maloney (who played Frasier’s dad), cricketer Michael Atherton, broadcaster Martin Sixsmith and Alan Erasmus the co-founder (alongside Tony H Wilson) of Factory Records and the Hacienda.
Withington is about a 45 minute walk from our current residence via Fog Lane Park, which has a topical reference as it contains the playing fields in the current film The Corinthians of the all-conquering women’s football team in the 1950’s.
As you progress down Wilmslow Road past the Christie you swing by a few shops and takeaways before reaching the oldest building in the village, the impressive 17th century Red Lion pub, which was previously a coaching house. They produce a decent Sunday roast but their claim to fame in my book is their outdoor space.
Red Lion beer garden. Image Credit Facebook.
Now, I was blessed in Preston to live across from the Withytrees pub which had the biggest beer garden in the city, but the Red Lion has one twice that size with room for at least 100 punters and is tree fronted on two sides which provides a perfect sunspot to imbibe a couple of cold ones.
Further on you reach the Orion public house which was named after the original landlord who served on the HMS Orion in the 1850’s and it is a proper no frills throwback hostelry. Nearby to there is a mural commemorating local footballer and campaigner Marcus Rashford.
Across the road, down a side street was the Wilderness Record Store, which was a small bar and music venue. I was lined up to go to a gig there in 2022 but unfortunately it closed permanently before I was able to make a visit.
Back on Wilmslow Road you then arrive at Manchester Fuel Café, which is a thriving vegan café and bar that has been in situ there for around twenty years. It is a cosy establishment, and they undertake quiz nights and host gigs in the small, cramped space upstairs.
Manchester Fuel Cafe. Image Credit Facebook.
I discovered Fortitude Valley around the time of their excellent self-titled debut album which I highly recommend and I was then delighted to discover they were to play at the Fuel Café in July 2022. The driving force of the band is Laura Kovic, originally from Brisbane, and their name is derived from an area within the city. She then relocated to the UK and is now based in Durham. She served her apprenticeship as a keyboardist in Tigercats before forming the current combo in 2018.
It was a steaming hot day, and you could feel the humidity as your headed up the stairs. It was on a par with summer gigs in years gone by to see Snuff in New Cross and Big Black at the Boardwalk.
Thankfully the band were excellent and created a joyous energetic sugar-coated racket on stage and I was thoroughly entranced with my fave tracks on the night being ‘The Right Thing’ and ‘It’s The Hope That Kills You’. The evening concluded with a couple of drinks in the downstairs bar.
Fortitude Valley. Image Credit punknews.org
Literally across the road is located Manchester Café Blah which from the outside has a Parisian look and indoors has subtle lighting and lots of retro film posters pasted on the walls in synch with their Thursday night Café Blah Film Club. They also host poetry nights, with the name (have you guessed it yet?) of Blah, Blah, Blah. I have also just discovered they have an Alphaville Emporium upstairs which I have not yet visited which sells art, books, vinyl and in a commendable retro step, cassettes (or mix tapes)!
A couple of months ago I heard they were staging a monthly showcase music night and was kicking my heels that evening, so I had a mulch over, obviously not influenced by it being a new venue! The gig took place in the basement which must not hold more than fifty people and I saw an abrasive set by Itchcoin.
I subsequently visited the ‘other’ Sand Bar further down the street where I had an unexpectedly terrific pint of Theakstons, which took me back to its 90’s heyday. I enjoyed it while perched on a hugely comfy settee obviously reciting the lines in my head, ‘on the chaise longue, all day long, on the chaise longue’.