Stretford

Stretford is a mainly working working class town in Greater Manchester, UK. It is perhaps most famous for Manchester United Football Club, which calls one end of its Old Trafford ground the Stretford End.

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Stretford was also the birthplace of the pop singer Morrissey who shot to fame as frontman of 80s rock group The Smiths. Other people who were born in the town include Jay Kay and Ian Curtis of Joy Division. In terms of amenities, it features 'Stretford Mall' in the centre of Stretford. Stretford Mall was previously called 'Stretford Arndale Shopping Centre' (the first Arndale centre in the UK) the name was changed in late 2003 to accommodate the change which is seeing new developments inside.

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Away from the town centre near Old Trafford is a large sports centre called Stretford Leisure Centre.

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Heading towards Chorlton but staying within the borders of Stretford is Longford Park, once the home of John Rylands. Its hall was demolished in the 1990s after an unsuccessful attempt to save it from demolition. Longford park is one of the most pleasant parks in Trafford, and includes a zoo, botanical garden, bowling greens, children's play areas. Next to the park is Stretford Stadium - the home of athletics in Trafford. Longford Park is also the finishing point of the annual pageant.

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At Great Stone Road, the current B&Q store was once the Hardrock/village rock venue which during the seventies hosted most of the decade's major artists in their prime, including Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Bob Marley, Elton John and Deep Purple.

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Politically Stretford is part of the Trafford borough, which stretches from Old Trafford in the north to Altrincham in the south. In 2004 the Conservative Party won back Trafford to a fanfare that they were making a comeback in the cities. Stretford's MP is currently Beverley Hughes, MP. Stretford is home to Trafford Council Town Hall and the Greater Manchester Police Headquarters. Plans are on-going to make the Bridgewater canal area more developed with apartment blocks and a planned public house called Stretford Marina.

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Transport links are very good; buses are as common as many other areas of Manchester. Stretford also has its own Metrolink tram station on the Altrincham line and to Manchester city centre. The Bridgewater Canal runs through Stretford (parallel to the tram tracks). It has good access to the motorway network, being located next to junction 7 of the M60, and the A56 gives easy access to Sale, Altrincham as well as the city centre in the other direction. Cycle paths exist as part of the Trafford cycle initiative.

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The town of Stretford neighbours Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Urmston, Old Trafford and Sale.

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Working class: The working class is a social class found mainly in industrialised capitalist societies or in urban centres. While some writers dispute the existence of a working class, many sociologists, historians and political theorists make use of the concept in their academic writing....

Greater Manchester: Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in England established in 1974 which covers an area roughly encompassing the conurbation of Manchester. It is situated in North West England....

UK: REDIRECT United Kingdom...