Events & Celebrations

Over the last 50 years the Borough of Trafford has celebrated many significant events.

Royal Visits

Some of the most joyous occasions have been the many Royal Visits that have taken place in Trafford.

In June 1977 Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, escorted by the Mayor of Trafford and Sir William Downward attended the Royal Garden Party at Longford Park to celebrate her Silver Jubilee.

More than 4,000 guests attended the Royal Garden party at Longford Park. Many thousands more attended the royal procession that passed through the Stretford town centre.

Princess Ann, the Princess Royal, visited Sale in 1985 to open the magistrates’ court. She visited again in May 1994 to unveil a plaque and sculpture to commemorate the centenary of the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal. In December of that year, Her Majesty, the Queen, again as part of the Ship Canal’s Centenary Celebrations, was present at the opening of the Centenary bridge. It was the first low-level opening bridge to be built across the canal since it opened in 1894.

Princess Anne returned again in 2010 on a visit that included the opening of the Centenary Garden at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls.

Princess Diana visited Broadheath in July 1992. She was at the King George VI playing fields in to launch a barge specially commissioned by her, for the Trafford Narrowboat Trust. The 72 feet long boat was named after her son Prince William and was a specially designed craft for young disabled people. Superintendent Ray Foy was quoted as saying:

 "A barriered driveway had been set up for her car to drive down, but instead she chose to walk the 200 yards so she could talk to the public," 

Later she would give permission for another boat to be named ‘Prince Henry’. The ‘Diana’, another of the narrowboats associated with her name, was used to provide accommodation during the Paralympics for disabled visitors from throughout the UK.

Poignantly Prince Charles’s first public engagement since the death and funeral of his first wife Princess Diana took place in Manchester on 19 September 1997. He spoke publicly for the first time since her death, particularly about his children and how proud he was of them. He spoke of that pride to local dignitaries "I am unbelievably proud of my children. They have been quite remarkable, and I think they have handled an extraordinarily difficult time, as I am sure you can all imagine, with quite enormous courage and the greatest possible dignity.”

No walkabout had been planned, but Prince Charles took the opportunity to shake hands with the grieving people along the barriers and take bunches of flowers that were offered to him. The whistle stop tour included visiting multiple organisations and venues across the city including a visit to Manchester United’s Old Trafford football ground. The main purpose of the visit to Trafford was to launch a new initiative for the Prince’s Trust. This involved Premier League clubs working with the Prince’s Trust to help young unemployed people in the area. In the evening Prince Charles attended a Gala at the Opera House in Manchester to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Prince’s Trust. In the 1970s Prince Charles set up the Prince’s Trust to try to improve the lives of disadvantaged young people in the UK. Many of his visits to Trafford have been connected to this work.

On May 22nd, 1974, a young Prince Charles had visited the Kellogg’s factory in Trafford Park, Stretford.  He returned as King Charles III in January 2023 to celebrate 100 Years of Kellogg’s in the UK

Other members of the extended Royal Family have visited Trafford over the last fifty years. The Duchess of Gloucester has visited both Wellgreen and Seymour Park schools in 1993 and 1994.

Sale Grammar School was opened in 1991 by Princess Alexandra following the merger of Sale Boys' Grammar School and Sale Girls' Grammar School on the site of the old girls' school on Marsland Road. 

Trafford General Hospital Birthplace of the NHS

On 5th July 1948, Health Secretary Aneurin Bevan launched the National Health Service at Trafford General Hospital (formerly Park Hospital) Davyhulme, Manchester. The healthcare of the nation changed forever. During his historic visit, Mr Bevan symbolically received the keys from Lancashire County Council to mark the creation of the NHS. Nurses formed a guard of honour outside to greet him. 

Over the last 75 years, the NHS has transformed the health and wellbeing of the nation. It has delivered huge medical advances and improvements to public health. Sylvia Beckingham aged 13, was the first NHS patient at Park Hospital. Park Hospital was renamed Trafford General in 1988. On 5th July 2018 the Mayor of Greater Manchester and former Heath Secretary, Andy Burnham marked the 70th anniversary of the NHS with an event and blue plaque unveiling to commemorate Trafford General Hospital’s role as the birthplace of the NHS.

The Mayor visited Trafford General and retraced the footsteps of Aneurin Bevan. He recreated this historic visit with a tour of the hospital and a visit to Ward 6, where the Mayor met patients and staff as Bevan did in 1948, including nurses wearing uniforms from each decade. The Mayor was joined by the Chair of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), Kathy Cowell OBE DL, Chair of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, Lord Peter Smith and Leader of Trafford Council, Councillor Andrew Western to commemorate the hospital’s place in history with the blue plaque unveiling.

Andy Burnham said “As the NHS turns 70, this is a moment to celebrate what it represents to each of us.

“In Greater Manchester this is an extra special anniversary.  It was Trafford’s Park Hospital that Aneurin Bevan chose to visit on 5th July 1948 to stage the symbolic event of ‘receiving the keys’.  It marked the beginning of a simple but pioneering notion – that healthcare should be provided based on need, not ability to pay. I’m very proud to follow in Bevan’s footsteps and have the opportunity to thank the staff who make sure our health service is still there for patients 70 years after its creation.”

The blue plaque is prominently displayed on the original Park Hospital building.

Windrush 75

A blue plaque was unveiled on the 75th anniversary of HMT Empire Windrush arriving in the UK, outside the house where Lord Kitchener lived in Stretford. Lord Kitchener – real name Aldwyn Roberts – was captured on news reels singing ‘London is the place for me’ when passengers disembarked on 22 June 1948. Lord Kitchener lived in the UK from 1948 to 1962, experiencing music success and establishing himself at the ‘Calypso Grandmaster’. Between these years, his reportage calypso style depicted the Caribbean experience in Britain. After moving back to Trinidad, he took the title of Road March king on 10 occasions between 1963 and 1976, an annual competition to compose the calypso for the carnival procession.

The unveiling took place outside 48 Brooks Road, Stretford where Lord Kitchener had lived from 1957-62 with his first wife, Elsie. Speaking at the ceremony was poet Anthony Joseph, fictional biographer of Lord Kitchener and the 2022 winner of the TS Eliot poetry prize. Also speaking was poet Doretta Maynard, Dr Ken McIntyre who spoke about Lord Kitchener’s life in England and Trafford Mayor Dolores O’Sullivan.

Present at the ceremony was the first Black mayor of Trafford Whit Stennett, Cllr Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council, and many Trafford community group members. A musical performance on the steel pan was provided by Ronnie ‘General’ Walfall. 

To celebrate this hugely significant moment in British history Trafford Local Studies contributed to and organised special events and displays. As part of Trafford Local Studies’ Windrush 75 Activity Day at the Limelight Centre, Old Trafford, Dr Joseph delivered an author talk on the great Calypsonian. Local artist Venessa Scott created Windrush themed activity sheets for the 75th anniversary.

First World War Commemoration

As part of the commemorations for the centenary of the First World War Trafford Local Studies recruited a team of volunteers to research the period and find out how war had affected the people of Trafford, at war and at home. After some initial research it became apparent that there was a wealth of source material concerning Chapel Street in Altrincham. Chapel Street had become renowned as the ‘Bravest little Street in England’ for the number of men who had taken an active part in the war. In 1919 a roll of honour had been erected to recognise the bravery of these men.

As a result of this research a book was published, which recorded and preserved this unique information. The book tells the whole story and illustrates the stories of the men who were listed on the Roll of Honour.

In 2019 Trafford Council placed a blue plaque at the site, on the wall of the former Grapes Public House, which today stands on the former site of Chapel Street, on 13th September 2009. The street was demolished in 1936. It was 90 years since the original roll of honour had been erected.

Former Altrincham resident Peter Hennerley's grandfather Hugh was born on the street, which was demolished in the 1960s, and served in the war with the Cheshire regiment. He said: "This street was erased off the map so it is great to think that we can remind people that it existed."

The then Council Leader, Councillor Matthew Colledge, said: "We are proud to support this fitting tribute to the residents of Chapel Street. It is important that we continue to remember and commemorate the sacrifices people made to protect their country.’

More than 100 people attended the ceremony including relatives of some of the street's war veterans.

At the Air Gallery in Altrincham there was a solo exhibition by artist Carole Evans. It featured two new bodies of work which memorialised the brave men from Chapel Street.  It included two bodies of work by the artist;  ‘A Street of Soldiers’ and ‘At Rest’. A Street of Soldiers is made up of 29 ambrotypes of current male residents of Altrincham, aged between 16 – 47, reflecting the ages of the soldiers from Chapel Street who failed to return. Ambrotypes are photographs exposed directly onto glass using the wet plate collodion process, popular in Victorian times; these are taken on a Thornton Pickard camera, built in Altrincham in 1908.

Metrolink in Trafford

At 64 miles, Metrolink is the most extensive light rail system in the United Kingdom.

Her Majesty the Queen officially opened the Metrolink on the 17^{th of} July 1992. Whilst the ceremony took place at St Peters Square in Manchester, the Altrincham line had already opened on 15^th June.

The first tram was greeted by Altrincham’s Town Crier. The first phase (between Bury and Altrincham) was expected to carry around 10 million passengers per year. The line from Altrincham to Deansgate forms the southern section of Metrolink and covers around 7.66 miles. The route dates to 1845. Stations along the route were upgraded and rebranded as Metrolink stops.

Whilst there had always been plans for the Metrolink to run to the Trafford Centre it was not until January 2017 that work began. The line opened on 22^nd of March 2020.

700 Years of Altrincham Charter 1290-1990

In 1990 Altrincham (and Trafford) celebrated 700 years of the granting of the Altrincham Charter.

In 1290 Hamon de Massey granted a Charter to ‘Altringham’ as it was originally spelled. According to the Oxford Dictionary a charter is:

‘a written grant by the sovereign or legislative power of a country, by which a body such as a city, company, or university is founded or its rights and privileges defined’

The original charter granted by Hamon de Massey in 1290, inscribed in Latin and still in the keeping of Trafford Council

Sir Hamon de Massey was the 5^th Baron of Dunham Massey. His ancestors had been granted the Dunham lands after the Norman Conquest by Hugh Lupus, second Earl of Chester. Hamon de Massey died in1342, leaving no male heir and the estate passed from the Massey family.

The Charter granted a Tuesday market and an annual fair to commemorate St James Day, later known as the Sanjam Fair. This was abolished in 1895.

With the grant of the charter there was some relaxation in serfdom and the introduction of the oldest known form of local justice, the Saxon Court Leet. This continued up until 1851 and was superseded in 1894 by the birth of Altrincham Urban District Council. The Court Leet was reconstituted in the early 1970s, to remind the townspeople of this ancient heritage.

The celebrations to commemorate 700 years of the Charter lasted From January to December 1990. The official Programme listed over 100 events, beginning, and ending with a mediaeval parade. Events ranged from busking competitions to an archaeological excavation at the rear of the Old Hall Hotel.

The celebrations were launched on the 6^th of January with a re-enactment of an incident from the town’s historic past. Thirteenth century knights held challenges in the town centre as a prelude to a mediaeval pageant and the reading of the original charter.

The original Charter did go on show during the Celebrations. It had undergone some restoration and was displayed at Altrincham Library. Due to security risks, and the fact that it is irreplaceable as a piece of history, the Charter was only on display for one week from the 3^rd to the 10^th of July. The display was under strict security and a special display case was used to protect the Charter from sunlight.

Events continued for the whole of the year. Many had a mediaeval theme. In February a children’s Town Crier Competition was held at the leisure centre.  From April onwards 400 shields featuring the Altrincham 700 Charter Celebration adorned lamp posts on the town centre streets in Altrincham. Dressing the town with the charter shields created a colourful setting to accompany the variety of events taking place. In May there was a Charter Busking competition, with a fabulous prize pot of £200. Also, in May the North Cheshire Bowman held a weekend archery tournament, sponsored by Trafford Borough Council. A Charter themed float took part in the Altrincham Festival Show parade. There was a cycle race and a horse show where special Charter Celebrations rosettes and trophies were presented. A Mediaeval Weekend was held at the Devisdale in July.  This included a banquet in the evening at Altrincham Boys Grammar school.

Primary school pupils in Altrincham undertook research on the history of the town as part of the Charter Celebrations. Aspects of the work were displayed at Altrincham Library. The display was officially opened by the Deputy Mayor.

 A charter trail was created by Trafford Council with the assistance of Altrincham Local History Society. The trail followed the ancient boundary of Altrincham.  Other promotional materials included greetings cards, a souvenir book, and Altrincham Charter Market carrier bags!

Millenium Celebrations 2000

Along with the rest of the country Trafford celebrated the Millenium in style. Trafford Town Hall was the hub of the celebrations on the night. The Sale and Altrincham Messenger captioned a front-page photograph ‘Trafford Town Hall as you’ve never seen if before!!’

Many local restaurants and bars had special evenings to see in the start of the New Millenium. For the princely sum of £100 The Cresta Court Hotel advertised a Millenium Night Extravaganza with champagne reception and disco dancing.

Trafford Council were keen to reassure the public that they had no need to fear the dreaded Millennium Bug. Information was posted in Council buildings and in the local newspapers detailing the unlikelihood of planes falling out of the skies and listing emergency numbers should they be needed.

In Hale plans to celebrate the Millenium had been underway since 1998 with the formation of Hale Millenium Partnership. The Partnership ‘wanted to make the Millenium celebrations in Hale the best in the area’ stated Bridget Garner landlady of the Railway pub and member of the partnership.

As Hale did not have a village clock, funds were raised by the Partnership and the 10-meter timepiece was ultimately sited at Peel Causeway on the site of the former Siddeley’s Brewery where the brewery’s chimney once stood.

Additionally, the Partnership, to commemorate the link with Siddeley’s, approached brewers to produce a special ale for the Millennium celebrations. Three brewers came forward who brought their beers to Hale were local residents were invited to a tasting session. The beer was eventually produced as Siddeley’s Purge. A parade was held at the launch event and the beer entered the village on a horse drawn cart. As the cart passed over the border with Altrincham it was greeted by the Court Leet’s Town Crier

Hale also launched its own wine for the event. The Millenium wine was produced by Zonin, the largest privately owned wine company in Italy. They agreed to provide the special Vilaggio Di Hale wines, a sparkling wine, red and white, for the festivities. A series of events took place throughout 2000 including Millenium street parties and a pancake race.

Sources:

Trafford Local Studies Centre

Manchester Evening News

Stretford and Urmston Messenger

Sale and Altrincham Messenger

The Bravest Little Street in England by Karen Cliff, Trafford Local Studies & First World War Volunteers

Metrolink by John Senior & Eric Ogden

Metrolink Official Handbook by Eric Ogden

700 Years: Altrincham Charter Celebrations 1290-1990

I❤manchester.com

www.iwm.org.uk

news.bbc.co.uk