The 'riff raff' Mancs given homes in posh town's council estate
MEN on Sunday|October 01, 2023
In the 60s about 300 Mancunian families made a new life in Longridge, an overspill estate built on the outskirts of Knutsford, writes Damon Wilkinson
DAMON WILKINSON
The 'riff raff' Mancs given homes in posh town's council estate

PAT Marney was one of eight siblings and the first to leave home. A young mum with another baby on the way, the then 22-year-old could have been forgiven for wanting to stay close to her family in Burnage.

Instead she took the bold step of making a new life for herself in Longridge, a brand new overspill estate being built on the outskirts of Knutsford in Cheshire as part of the innercity slum clearances of the 1960s. It came with the promise of fresh air, modern homes, countryside and opportunity.

But at first her new home took some getting used to. "We came here in 1976," said Pat. "Ours was one of the last houses to be finished.

"They moved people in before the estate was built. Other people told me when they came there was no shops, no pub, the pavements were just mud paths.

"My husband was still working in Manchester so I was on my own all day. I was 22 years old, expecting and away from my family for the first time. It was heartbreaking at first."

Longridge was one of several estates built by Manchester council as part of the slum clearances of the 1960s. Surrounded by trees and countryside, it was far cry from the inner-city streets of Gorton, Ardwick and Collyhurst.

But, initially, at least the newcomers weren't exactly welcomed with open arms by the middle-class market town. Having been built on an old tip, the estate was soon nicknamed 'Ratridge' and the parochialism didn't stop there.

"People in Knutsford were not friendly, and they treated Longridge residents as 'interlopers," Rose Oliver, one of the early tenants, told Creation of a Community, an online history of the estate.

"For example, the shopkeepers served Knutsford people ahead of Longridge residents, even though they were behind them in the queue. I felt that there was a divide between more middle-class people in Knutsford town and the working-class who moved to Longridge. Those in Knutsford saw Longridge people as riff-raff".

Esta historia es de la edición October 01, 2023 de MEN on Sunday.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición October 01, 2023 de MEN on Sunday.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE MEN ON SUNDAYVer todo
Sharks suffer trying times after slipping to heavy Bath defeat
MEN on Sunday

Sharks suffer trying times after slipping to heavy Bath defeat

SALE Sharks conceded six tries as Bath powered their way to 40-13 Gallagher Premiership win.

time-read
1 min  |
October 27, 2024
Red flags are flying over Josh signing
MEN on Sunday

Red flags are flying over Josh signing

RASMUS Hojlund had a gentle time away with Denmark, playing 71 minutes across their Nations League games.

time-read
4 minutos  |
October 27, 2024
Madrid stars are the ones that got away
MEN on Sunday

Madrid stars are the ones that got away

UNITED'S midfield overhaul is into its latest inception with the summer arrival of Manuel Ugarte and the breakthrough of Kobbie Mainoo.

time-read
1 min  |
October 27, 2024
Historic pub's new look after refurbishment
MEN on Sunday

Historic pub's new look after refurbishment

A HISTORIC pub with ties to a famous Manchester brewer has undergone a major renovation.

time-read
1 min  |
October 27, 2024
'All we see is shut down shops...it feels dead'
MEN on Sunday

'All we see is shut down shops...it feels dead'

Town's traders and shoppers have their say ahead of regeneration plan

time-read
4 minutos  |
October 27, 2024
Bumpyroad ahead in electric car drive
MEN on Sunday

Bumpyroad ahead in electric car drive

TRAINS and buses may get more column inches, but the North of England is a region that remains dependent on cars to get around.

time-read
2 minutos  |
October 27, 2024
Ketamine explosion has echoes of heroin epidemic
MEN on Sunday

Ketamine explosion has echoes of heroin epidemic

Experts call for greater awareness of risks after huge surge in use of drug

time-read
5 minutos  |
October 27, 2024
Influencer Kitty up for top award
MEN on Sunday

Influencer Kitty up for top award

Teenager who woke up blind sheds light on her life with TikTok videos

time-read
2 minutos  |
October 27, 2024
£18,000 raised in memory of paddleboarder
MEN on Sunday

£18,000 raised in memory of paddleboarder

A FUNDRAISER in memory of a personal trainer who tragically died after getting into trouble while paddleboarding at Dovestone Reservoir has raised nearly £20,000.

time-read
1 min  |
October 27, 2024
Chopshop gang even posed as airport valets
MEN on Sunday

Chopshop gang even posed as airport valets

Chief reporter Neal Keeling on the brazen crimes of car thieves whose arrogance led to their downfall

time-read
7 minutos  |
October 27, 2024