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.”
Government officially approves Eton’s plan to ‘remove barriers’ and open new FREE college in Oldham
Emily Sergeant
Eton’s plans to open a new free college in Oldham will officially go ahead following Government approval this week.
In case you need bringing up to speed a bit, plans for three new post-16 colleges – with the other two being in Dudley and Middlesborough – that are designed to help give young people who’ve done well in their GCSEs the opportunity to achieve the A-Levels they need to go to Oxbridge and other elite universities across the world were first announced back in March 2022, and then given the green light in August 2023.
Eton has partnered with Star Academies – which is said to be the highest-performing state school trust in the country – for the new colleges.
The colleges will aim to recruit ‘dynamic young people from deprived communities’, including in Oldham, and provide them with a ‘rigorous and rounded education’ that supports their ambitions to achieve places at ‘the very best universities’.
Oldham Council has welcomed the news that the new college – set to be named Eton Star Oldham – will go ahead, after the Government confirmed the conclusion of its national review into the proposals.
The decision means that Oldham will become one of the first places in the country to offer this new education model that combines high standards with strong partnerships and expanded opportunities for local young people.
The Government has officially approved Eton’s plan to open a new free college in Oldham / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Approval means pupils from every background will soon have access to the ‘very best’ opportunities.
Cllr Arooj Shah, who is the Leader of Oldham Coucil, said this is ‘great news’ for Oldham, adding: “Eton Star Oldham will give our young people access to life-changing opportunities, no matter their background or where they start in life.
“We have been clear throughout that this must be a college shaped with our young people, our parents and our communities.
“Now that the Government has confirmed it will go ahead, we will work closely with Eton College and Star Academies to make sure this delivers for Oldham’s children and opens doors for generations to come.”
Work will now begin on the detailed next steps – including design, delivery, and engagement with families and communities.
It’s also been confirmed that the college will be built on the current Tommyfield Market car park site in Oldham town centre.
Featured Image – Oldham Council
News
Former Salford Red Devils player planning phoenix club after the team’s collapse
Danny Jones
A former Salford Red Devils player is planning to start a phoenix club from the ashes of the fallen rugby league team.
Retired winger Mason Caton-Brown, who played for the Red Devils between 2014 and 2016, is leading the consortium currently being linked with resurrecting the Salford side.
The Greater Manchester sporting institution sadly folded following liquidation on 3 December after a prolonged period of uncertainty and crippling debts.
Despite investors promising funds and multiple adjournments to their winding-up ceremony, time simply ran out and now Caton-Brown and co. are, hopefully, looking to pick up the pieces.
Heading up the move to bring back the beloved outfit, the former chairman of the ‘Forever Reds Supporters Trust’ (FRST), Malcolm Crompton, local entrepreneurs Paul Hancock and Ashley Washington are also assisting with the proposal.
Simply known as ‘The Phoenix Bid’, they are said to have potentially secured a six-figure sum and have already reached some provisional pre-contract agreements with a new coach and several players ahead of the formal offer being taken into consideration.
Publishing a lengthy mission statement on social media earlier this week, the ex-pro wrote: “I moved to Salford from London over 10 years ago, and the club and city welcomed me with open arms.
“It made me who I am today. The Salford City community is like no other, and the club is a big part of that, so when I saw it was at risk of going under, I truly felt the need to be a part of a solution and give back to the club, city and the community.
“But I’m not on my own, I’m part of a team of people that are passionate about what this club means and truly focused on making sure a true Salford RLFC stays alive and is something the fans and the city can call their own.”
Chatting with BBC Sport Manchester in a recent interview, the 32-year-old Enfield-born athlete turned businessman – who also represented the London Broncos and Wakefield Trinity – claims that conversations with investors and stakeholders are progressing nicely.
🗣️ "We are looking to bring this club back to life"
Former Salford winger Mason Caton-Brown has outlined his plans for a new phoenix club.
Salford fans, make sure to listen back to last night's Total Sport.
Signing off the post with a strong assurance, he said: “If our bid is successful, I promise we will do everything we can to protect the club and build a future Salford can be proud of.”
As for the fans, a spokesperson for the aforementioned supporters’ trust dubbed the prospective personnel spearheading the revival as a “powerful and credible team”, with Caton-Brown promising to reveal all the exciting details if the bid gets green-lit.
Speaking in an official press release shared with The Manc, the one-time Jamaican international and adopted Salfordian added: “This isn’t just about rebuilding a club, it’s about rebuilding belief.
“Salford means everything to me as a club and is part of my story. We want to create something the city can be proud of again; a club that stands for honesty, sustainability, and genuine community connection.”
“We’re inviting the people of Salford to stand with us. Together we can rise again, not just to bring rugby league back to this city, but to make sure it thrives for generations to come.”
Do you think The Phoenix Bid will be successful and, more importantly, do you think this group are the right people to bring the club back and get them moving onwards and upwards again?
Georgina Pellant -
1st October 2021 
