A house in Didsbury that birthed one of the most famous faces of modern television has gone up for sale in Manchester.
The unassuming semi-detached 5-bedroom house may look ordinary and suburban from the outside, but it has a fascinating place in 20th-century television and modern British art.
Home to the renowned contemporary sculptor Mitzi Cunliffe from 1951 to 1964, this is the place where she created some of her most famous works – as is shown outside on a blue plaque installed in 2018, following petitions by the Modernist Society and the 20th Century Society.
That includes the iconic gold theatrical mask BAFTA statue, which is still given to winners at the TV awards to this day.
This immediately recognisable sculpture was in fact created in the garage of the home after Mitzi converted it into an artists studio for herself.
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However, the New York-born artist also worked with a range of materials include textiles, ceramics, and jewellery.
She also developed her own technique to mass-produce abstract designs in concrete in relief as architectural decoration, applying it to some pieces that can still be seen around Manchester today.
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Image: Gascoigne Halman/RightMove
Of her surviving sculptures in the city, only a handful remain – including a stone frieze at the Heaton Park reservoir pumping station and a fiberglass relief at the base of Owens Park Student Tower.
Mitzi initially moved into the house with her husband, history professor Marcus Cunliffe, and lived many happy years there before she died in 1970 aged 88.
The couple also had another house in France.
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Image: Gascoigne Halman/RightMove
Writing about Mitzi in 2012, Modernist Society founder Maureen Ward paid tribute to her life and work, saying:
“Mitzi might have been born in New York but her soul belongs firmly in the North West of England and her Didsbury garage.”
“If we were the sort to award blue plaques or lobby for a Hollywood-style Wall of Fame scheme in our own city, Mitzi would top the bill.
Image: Gascoigne Halman/RightMove
“She epitomises the spirit of an exuberant, utopian partnership between planners, architects, artists and sculptors dedicated to rejuvenating the public realm after the chaos of the blitz; functional yet accessible, experimental yet egalitarian, international yet rooted in everyday surroundings.
The 1920s 5-bedroom house is now on the market for £675,000 with estate agents Gascoigne Halman, who write:
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“The property comes with an interesting history having been the residence where famous sculptor Mitzi Cunliffe designed the BAFTA award that is used today.
“The property offers a grand entrance hallway, three reception rooms, four bedrooms, two bathrooms and an additional one bedroom annexe to the rear. Whilst in need of some modernisation the property boasts superb potential to enhance further.”
Family of ‘loving’ Harpurhey mum pay touching tribute to her as man is charged with murder
Emily Sergeant
The family of a ‘loving’ Harpurhey mum have paid a heartfelt tribute to her as a man has been charged with murder.
The tribute has been released after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was called to an address on Queens Road, in the Harpurhey area of Manchester, in the early hours of the morning at 4:07am this Monday just gone (7 April).
Sadly, despite the speed with which officers arrived on the scene, a 51-year-old woman was found dead on arrival.
GMP has now confirmed her identity as Clare Burns.
#TRIBUTE | The family of a “loving mother” have released a tribute as man charged with murder.
Clare Burns sadly died in Harpurhey on Monday morning. Leonard Lee Stewart (8.4.70) of Queens Road, Manchester, has been charged with murder.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) April 9, 2025
Paying tribute to Clare following her passing, her family wrote: “Clare was a loving mother, auntie, sister and daughter. She was funny, outgoing and a very independent person. She was also kind, generous and friendly to anyone she met.
“Clare would always light up the room she entered, and she was a brilliant friend to many. We will miss her dearly.”
With a murder investigation subsequently launched, a 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene, following initial enquiries.
The family of a ‘loving’ Harpurhey mum have paid a touching tribute to her as a man is charged with murder / Credit: GMP
Leonard Lee Stewart, from Manchester, has been charged with murder, and the 54-year-old remained in police custody ahead of his next appearance at Manchester City Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday 9 April).
Due to past contact between GMP, and the victim and suspect, it’s been confirmed that the Professional Standards Directorate have made a voluntarily referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) – which is now assessing the case.
Anyone with any information about this case is asked to contact GMP via the case’s major incident portal here, or by calling the incident room on 0161 856 3635.
Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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New driving test cancellation rules introduced by DVSA to reduce waiting times
Emily Sergeant
Learner drivers will now be required to give longer notice periods when they need to cancel their driving tests in a bid to reduce waiting lists.
Up until this week, anyone who had booked a driving test which they could no longer attend had to change or cancel their appointment within three full working days notice, but now, as of yesterday (8 April), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) requires learner drivers to give 10 days’ notice.
If learners fail to provide the 10 full working days’ notice, then they will not be able to redeem their test fee back.
According to the DVSA’s new rules, only Monday to Saturday count as working days, while Sundays and public holidays do not.
But why has the change been introduced?
The short notice cancellation period for car driving tests changes today ⚠️
You'll now need to give 10 working days' notice to cancel or change your car driving test without losing your fee.
— Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (@DVSAgovuk) April 8, 2025
Well, according to the DVSA, lots of people who are not ready to take their driving test leave it until right at the last moment to change or cancel it, and although that appointment then becomes available to other learner drivers, many of them tend to go unused, given the fact it’s so close to the test date and they may not feel prepared enough.
So, the DVSA hopes that by asking learner drivers to give more notice, it should give other people more chance to use the appointment, and ultimately reduce driving test waiting times.
New driving test cancellation rules have been introduced by the DVSA to reduce waiting times / Credit: pxfuel
There are, of course, some exceptions to the rule, with some learners still being able to apply for a refund at short notice if they have an illness or injury, have suffered a bereavement, have to take a school or college exam, or have their provisional driving license stolen.
On top of this, the DVSA has confirmed that it will continue to pay out-of-pocket expenses for any car driving tests that it has to cancel with fewer than three full working days’ notice.
Georgina Pellant -
1st October 2021 
