IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Wilmslow Road, M20 2RB

Not much has changed about the gateway to number 814 Wilmslow Road since it was built. The wheelie bins provide a clue to our current age.

Sculpted by Andy Burgess, with the help of the young school children from Didsbury CofE School, who put forward the ideas. This was an Oak log that was placed into the ground and then carved in situ. Lots of different ideas wrapped around the trunk for children to explore and investigate. Children often leave cake and biscuits at the feet of the owl!

Didsbury Park Exit The carved wooden owl is worthy of a close up on leaving. It is splendid. Though I grew up in Manchester and visited Didsbury many times, I never visited this park. It is a great asset to the local community which clearly looks after it. Thank you to all those concerned.

Didsbury Park Opposite the carved owls is a noticeboard erected by Friends of Didsbury Park. This charity was set up in 2003 https://www.friendsofdidsburypark.com/about-friends-ofdidsbury-park.html. Information sheets indicate, for example, that e-scooters are not permitted, and give information about community events etc.

This tree has attractive bark. Possibly a plane tree.

West Side. The last shop in Lansdowne House is an artisan bakery - La Chouquette. It was too early to open for customers, but staff were hard at work. Founded by professional bakers Mairead Deignan and Florent Verove it won the Best Bakery award at the England’s Business Awards for Best Bakery in 2022. According to reports in national newspaper titles it is immensely popular generating long queues before it opens at weekends. My opinion is that the croissants and sourdough loaves are as good as the best in Paris. That is all I had time to buy and sample.

A name like this usually means that the estate has been built on top of some former heritage.

West Side. Lansdowne House shops. The other end of the row of shops. Good to see a push bike using the parking hoops. More planted containers for Didsbury in Bloom, one sponsored by The Old Parsonage. Amongst the geraniums are French marigolds (Tagetes patula). Next door to Anchors Fish and Chips, the traditional British fast food, there is Jareren Kitchen, Bangkok Street Food. The large copper beech tree is a marvellously impressive dark-leaved tree.

Heading back up Wilmslow Road, opposite Dene Road and Lansdowne House. The signs on the lampost highlight a Theological College, a Sports ground, a Rugby Club and The Trans Pennine trail - representations of a pedestrian, a horse with a rider and a bike indicate the possible target audience. Do horses go this way on the roads or are they in a horsebox and are unloaded at the specified destinations?

Didsbury Park Exit pathway. Buddleia is flowering and the hydrangea. Dependable types. I missed the flagpole on the way in.