Is Northenden called Northenden because it is on the northern end of, uhm, south Manchester? I have passed through Northenden on the 43 Stagecoach to the airport many times and couldn’t exactly spot anything spectacular about it, except for the number of takeaways on the main road. (Oh yes, you hungry people of Northenden, you DO NEED 7 Chinese places, 5 chippies and 13 curry places right next to each other!)
Since I’m getting old now, I felt the urgent need to head to a park on a Sunday afternoon and go for a little walk with the optional sit down and cup of tea somewhere.* My inner 5 year old got seriously excited about the prospect of visiting a petting zoo (“ANIMALS! A-NI-MALS! FURRY FUZZY CREATURES!”), which was in fact the community farm in Wythenshawe Park being oversold to me. Unaware of this con, I decided to go “down south” and explore the great outdoors at Wythenshawe Park, via Northenden.
Generally, there isn’t much to see in Northenden, expect for the aforementioned take aways and the odd pound shop. There are some nice little houses, an old church and, oooh, converted stables, but the rainy and gray weather didn’t do the town a big favour. At the local Tesco (adding another umbrella to my ever growing collection) we discovered the Northendeners second passion, after takeaways: booze. Bottles of expensive vodka, cheap cider and BOGOF crates of beer seemed the preferred ways to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon, or perhaps stock up for a tough week ahead.
Wythenshawe Park, just off the motorway, mainly consists of vast green fields and the odd tree, with the pretty but pretty worn down Wythenshawe hall planted right in the middle. The small community farm is packed with farm animals (ANIMALS!!), lovely little pink piglets, big sows, snoring boars, curious cows, hyperactive chickens, some goats and a tiny black pony sharing a pen with one of the goats. Having spent the best part of my childhood on an organic farm, I was torn between that warm fuzzy feeling (literally, cows LOVE licking hands) and getting a bit upset about the size of the stables. I hope the animals are usually outside when the weather is better.
The park cafe, located in the old stables behind Wythenshawe Hall, is as basic as it can get, but just about right to warm up with a cup of tea after a walk in the rain. My inner old lady was delighted.
* It’s good to know that my life won’t change much in the next 50 years.
Giant chicken is watching you. Yes. You.
