Hollingworth Lake is quite nice, used to do a lot of road biking in that area.

I’d only recommend Hollingworth Lake if you like living in a fat-family and over-60s holiday resort where the majority of Rochdale decamps to on sunny weekends to sample the ice cream and chips.

+1 on the Middleton where are the nice bits question. I cycle through it every day and have yet to spot any.

But because its south side you get to somehow feel superior as your house cost twice as much.

Now I knew Binners has chip on his shoulder over the South….

I just didnt realised that “the South” started in his home town.

Brilliant

😉

🙂

I’d vote for one of the nicer parts of Middleton.

Nige enjoyed the bit with the tanks

I too am struggling to think of a “nice bit” in Middleton, but I only worked there for 20 years.

Cougar – did you also know that John Squire was an animator there, pre-stone roses?

Yeah – we discussed it only last month. (-:

Alkrington, Chaddy Park and Rhodes are nice bits of Middleton.
You’re not looking hard enough.

It’s all comparative. I live in a flat 5 mins from Victoria station, work in Rochdale, so when I drive through Salford, Broughton, Crumpsall, Blackley, Middleton, Castleton, the only areas which seem decent enough are in/around Middleton – perhaps they’re not actually classed as Middleton?

I’m from North Wales, most of Gtr Manchester seems like a dump to me.

I’m from North Wales, most of Gtr Manchester seems like a dump to me.

Well, with the twin glories of Rhyl and Prestatyn as your basis for comparison, who can blame you?

Those two and Wrexham are minor blots on the landscape which one can easily avoid.

Rhyl? Toxteth-on-Sea?

Those two and Wrexham are minor blots on the landscape which one can easily avoid.

As is North Manchester 🙂

yes I did

Binners is from Warrington, not Chorlton. They “encouraged” him to leave when he tried to get a Greggs to move in to one of the empty shops

I had the misfortune of getting diverted through Rhyl and ended up in a traffic jam for an hour or two there. It was like a post apocalyptic caravan park inhabited by the shambling survivors of nuclear zombie ebola.

We were on our way to Caernarvon, which was inhabited by Citroen Saxo driving survivors of nuclear zombie ebola, before ending up in Beaumaris where we stayed in a pub that was patrolled after closing time by a couple of free range attack dogs and our bedroom didn’t have any windows.

Back to the OP (ish). Middleton has the highest number of people with broken limbs in the galaxy. If you go in The Arndale (shudders) there are more people with pots on their arms/legs/heads than without.

I’d have a look up the valley at Tod / Hebden / Rammy. We considered moving there ourselves but it was too far away from grandparents and the public transport links from Rammy to Manchester were a bit crap.

I used to ride through Middleton on the way home. If you travel through the town centre, you’ll find it safe to assume that the entire populace survive on a diet consisting entirely of take-away pizzas, curries, fried chicken, kebabs and burgers. As the local economy seems able to support approximately 2,348 of these establishments. There are only 2 other retail premises in the whole town. One repairs mobile phones, and the other is a Poundland

Binners is from Warrington, not Chorlton.

‘
This means nothing to me … Northern geography … whats the point ??

Apart from the fact…. aren’t people from Warrington callled Wooly Backs ?? … And universally disliked by Scousers and Mancs alike…??

One thing I’ve always wondered about Middleton, why does it have a swanky arena which plays host to all manner of arts events and shows? It’s about as out of place as a Wilkos in Alderley Edge.

http://www.link4life.org/whats-on/middleton-arena

Alkrington, Chaddy Park and Rhodes are nice bits of Middleton.

When did Chaddy Park move to Middleton, presuming we are talking about the same park?

There is a small Villidge on the outskirts of Oldham called Newhey, its very close to the m62 and also boasts a metro link to Manchester, there is mixed housing and the 2 pubs both have the same name, there is zero sophistication or pretence and beards are only worn in winter for purely practical purposes. Best of all though its actually sat on the pennine bridleway, ride from there regularly over to Hebden, Todmorden.

Apart from the fact…. aren’t people from Warrington callled Wooly Backs ?? … And universally disliked by Scousers and Mancs alike…??

They are if you’d somehow been magically transported back to 1988 (which coincidentally is the last time I went there).

Warrington is the nightmare scenario of allowing some clueless town planner, clearly with absolutely no knowledge of the north of England loose with the Etch-a-Sketch. .

I’ve had a great idea!! We’ll build a New Town. We’ll fill half with overspill from Salford, and the other half with scousers. What could possibly go wrong?

Which is why everyone with half a brain cleared off out of there at the first available opportunity (mainly back to their initial host city) leaving the remaining Baz, Tommo’s, Sharon and Tracey’s to drive their Corsa’s round endless roundabouts before assembling in the town centre to create some new WKD fuelled, Rugby League watching circle of hell, mainly involving glassing each other outside kebab houses at 4 in the morning, having copulated over the Biffa skip round the back. Which is what passes for high culture tin this god-forsaken hell-hole

I ride through Newhey every day too (I see all the best bits!). Didn’t realise it had a name, I always just thought it was a nameless bit between Milnrow and Shaw. Seems ok if you don’t mind being right next to the motorway. Although I have a work colleague who grew up in Milnrow and he has a very odd accent.

Plenty for me to think about there. There really does seem to be a bit of a north:south divide so nothing new there. I expect I would probably initially rent for a while until we could sell the house up here so there would be plenty of time to get a feel for what works for us.

Blimey take some of this with a pinch of salt. The unicorn, the polish bakery and marble hall in chorlton are all a delight. Hebden, where I am staying right now, is a treasure. Consider renting and make your own mind up. I would certainly for cultural, gastronomic, alcoholic and cycling reasons consider moving to Hebden…and it is not amazingly expensive.i

I moved from Glasgow to Todmorden a few years back.It gets my vote or Hebden if you can afford it.This is directly above my house,500 feet or so of climbing.

I know the north pretty well and there is no way sunny cloudless skies are above your house.

That is photoshopped

JY
It was a leap year 🙂
Photo is from last month’s MBR btw.

One thing I’ve always wondered about Middleton, why does it have a swanky arena which plays host to all manner of arts events and shows? It’s about as out of place as a Wilkos in Alderley Edge.

Tesco built it for them as the new store is on the site of the old civic hall. The bastards.

Working near Victoria would suggest North East, trying to cross Manchester in any direction is not good. Too close, Oldham, Rochdale (even mcdonalds left) not pleasant. Tod, Hebden and the upper slopes of Rossendale aren’t too far (Bacup to Man City ground is 45mins to 1 hr commute by car) are commutable. I live above Bacup 1150 ft above sea level and love it. Loads of riding from the door, peaks, dales and lakes all accessible.

Hindle pie I laughed out loud.

OP. A simple rule of thumb for your situation/background- if its redbrick it aint for you. Go stone built area.

If in doubt rent first.

Mrshora loves redbrick Manchester. I dream of windswept hills of Saddleworth/Outlane 🙁

Chorlton is a rampant redbrick suburbia with three decent bars. It doesnt even have a nice park (no that belongs to Stretford).

You just doubled the vegan count then

are you in horwich now JY?!
Ali already lives there so it’d only be a 50% increase if so…
and i had an offer accepted the other day, but went to see another one this morning which is much nicer and have had an offer accepted on that too so i’ll most likely be moving there by the end of the year!

I’ve lived in Newhey for 9 years(from Whitworth originally). Excellent riding straight out the door. Metro to Manchester and close to M62. I work in south Manchester so drive on it every day.

Manchester Victoria is 28 minutes from Walsden station, one stop in from Todmorden (just cuts an extra few minutes off the commute). Love living here – trails, transport and Todmorden is a nice small town with a great market.

I’m in horwich the missus works in Manchester and it takes 30 minutes on the train.

I walk out of my back gate and the only thing between me and the mast is the farm on George’s lane.

Originally I’m from formby but I’d not move back.