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.”
Trafford Centre begins months-long refurb of its iconic The Orient foodhall
Emily Sergeant
A new era for The Orient is on the horizon, as the Trafford Centre has begun its months-long refresh of its iconic foodhall.
Forming part of its ongoing commitment to ‘enhancing the visitor experience’, the Trafford Centre is investing in a major refresh of seating and customer facilities within The Orient – creating a more vibrant and welcoming environment for guests to eat, meet and relax.
Works are now underway and will be delivered in phases over the coming months.
Improvements are being carried out in phases to minimise disruption to shoppers, while creating a more comfortable and contemporary dining environment at the same time.
The refreshed area will increase seating capacity by more than 60%, introducing a range of new seating styles in the process – including banquettes, family-friendly tables, accessible seating for guests with mobility requirements, and dedicated areas equipped with phone and laptop charging facilities.
The Trafford Centre begins months-long refurb of its iconic The Orient foodhall / Credit: The Manc Group
Inspired by The Orient’s longstanding maritime heritage, the design takes cues from a contemporary cruise liner, and the space will also feature upgraded furniture and enhanced lighting, alongside flexible areas designed to encourage visitors to spend more time in there.
There’ll also be modern furnishings and a ‘refreshed’ colour palette to create a brighter and welcoming environment.
“The Orient is one of the most popular destinations within Trafford Centre, welcoming millions of visitors each year,” a Trafford Centre spokesperson said on the refurb.
“This investment reflects our commitment to continually improving the experience for our guests, creating a more modern, comfortable and social environment where visitors can meet, dine and spend time together.
“The improvements will not only significantly increase seating capacity but also deliver a much more flexible and accessible space for all visitors to enjoy.”
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Uber has officially started trialling driverless taxis in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… driverless taxis have hit the streets of Manchester.
As the leading transportation company looks to bring robotaxis to other major cities around the UK, it has been confirmed that a trial of autonomous vehicles is now underway in Manchester – with the services being operated using the technology of Uber’s partner firms, Pony and Verne.
Uber said it was ‘excited’ to take this first step toward ‘making this technology accessible’ to people across the UK.
The three companies first collaborated on the deployment of a commercial robotaxi service back in March of this year, combining Pony.ai’s autonomous driving system, Uber’s global mobility platform, and Verne’s service ecosystem and operational framework.
At this time, there has been no official application to launch passenger services in Manchester, according to The Guardian.
However, posts on various social media platforms – such as X, LinkedIn, and Instagram – by each of the companies this week have confirmed that trials are underway in the city.
“New technologies play an increasingly important role in the growth of our city region,” TfGM said. “But they need to be introduced responsibly, safely and with real thought about what it means for our residents.
“Safety will always be our top priority, and we will need strong assurances that no vehicles will operate on our roads that pose any risk to residents.”
Manchester, we’re on our way! Today, we’re announcing that we’re partnering with @Verne_robotaxi and @PonyAI_tech to pilot autonomous vehicles in Manchester. Building on our service together in Zagreb, Gen-7 Robotaxis are now testing in Manchester.
We’re excited to take this first step toward making this technology accessible to people across the UK. 🇬🇧
“By bringing together Pony.ai’s proven autonomous driving technology, Verne’s operational and market expertise, and Uber’s global platform, we’re taking an important step toward making autonomous ride-hailing available to more riders in more places.”
Georgina Pellant -
1st October 2021 
