Hello,

In March we launched a questionnaire to find out what improvements
people wanted to see in the park. To date 31 responses have been
received and this information has been collated into a document
alongside analysis of the results and potential improvements.

You can download and read this "Requirements.doc" which is located
on the group's website under Files/Friends Group Folder/

There are 2 further documents: "Requirements Appendix A & B"
which
contain photographs of potential improvements which have been
applied to other parks.

We've already started to use the results to steer the proposed
improvements which Groundwork are planning. More about this soon.

Thank you to everyone who completed and returned a questionnaire.

Regards,

Mike Wingfield
Chairman of the group

----- Original Message -----
From: "Councillor Mark Clayton" <cllr.m.clayton@...>
To: "Mike Wingfield" <msrwingfield@...>
Cc: <cllr.m.ramsbottom@...>;
<cllr.o.west@...>
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 2:00 AM
Subject: Re: Mis-representation in Lib Dem's Focus Newsletter - May Edition



Dear Mr. Wingfield,

I authored this article and published it and the wording was my
responsibility.

In my current ward (Beswick and Clayton), previous Lib' Dem' colleagues and
I used to organise regular clean ups about once a month that meant every
part of the ward was visted at least once a year.

Since 2000, the [Labour] Executive Member responsible for cleansing
(Operational Services) has prevented me from doing this.  I have letters
stating that clean ups may only be organised by residents groups, and I
have been effectively been blocked from doing this, in particular for those
areas that don't have a group.  In Central Ward we have had a majority
since 2003, and Council Officers have either not received this instruction
or not acted on it.  In the light of boundary revisions by the Electoral
Commission, we have been publishing Focus over different geographical
areas, so there may be parts of hte new Ancoats and Clayton ward where
Councillors have been able to organise cleas ups.

In any event your group organised the Angel Meadow clean up, which meant
that the previous political interference was avoided.  The use of the word
"wangled" perhaps implied evasion rather than avoidance, and if my choice
of word has annoyed your group, then I apologise for my over exhuberance in
getting round previous political obstacles.

I would however hope that you you would accept that there was no intention
to misrepresent anything.

yours sincerely

R. Mark Clayton





|---------+---------------------------->
|         |           "Mike Wingfield" |
|         |           <msrwingfield@yah|
|         |           oo.co.uk>        |
|         |                            |
|         |           2004-05-06 20:42 |
|         |                            |
|---------+---------------------------->

>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------|
   |
|
   |       To:       <cllr.m.ramsbottom@...>
|
   |       cc:       <cllr.m.clayton@...>,
<cllr.o.west@...>                 |
   |       Subject:  Mis-representation in Lib Dem's Focus Newsletter - May
Edition                                  |

>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------|





Dear Mark and colleagues,

I resent your article which features in the latest  issue of the Liberal
Democrats Focus Newsletter (May). Titled "Local Clean Up"  it reads:

"After four years of Labour blocking Lib' Dem'  Councillors from organising
clean ups in their wards, one was finally wangled in  Ancoats. The Focus
Team was quickly
into action helping local residents clean up  St. Michael's flags."

In reality the Clean up day of  20-MAR-04 took a great deal of effort to
organise,  co-ordinate and manage by the committee members of "Friends of
Angel  Meadow and St Michael's Flags". It was by all accounts  not
"wangled".

We (the group) very much appreciate the  Liberal Democrat's effort and
contribution to help improve the park  but are saddened
by mis-representation such as this.

Regards
Mike Wingfield,
Chairman
Friends of Angel Meadow and St Michael's Flag  Park.










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----- Original Message -----
From: "Councillor Marc Ramsbottom"
<cllr.m.ramsbottom@...>
To: "Mike Wingfield" <msrwingfield@...>
Cc: <cllr.m.clayton@...>; <oliverwest20@...>;
<eboyes9 @aol.com>; <peter.rothery@...>
Sent: Thursday, May 06, 2004 11:17 PM
Subject: Re: Mis-representation in Lib Dem's Focus Newsletter - May Edition



Dear Mike

I'm sorry if you felt that our recent FOCUS newsletter misrepresented the
clean up. That was certainly not the intention.

You may not have been away that until relatively recent the Council have
blocked attempts in the past to organise clean ups. I can see that the use
of the word 'wangled' may be have been somewhat clumsy, it was certainly
only intended to reflect the difficulties in the past that Lib Dem Cllr's
have had in the past in getting more of these clean ups, and not a
reflection on the work of the Group.

Of course, we fully recognise that tremendous hardwork and effort the group
put into organising the day, and that on this occasion it was well
supported by the Council, but that has not always been the case in my
experience.

Please accept my apologies, but I hope that helps to explain the situation.

Marc

Cllr Marc Ramsbottom
Liberal Democrat Councillor - Central Ward

Tel:  (0161) 202 6603 Home
        (07976) 352 513 Mobile
        (0161) 234 3002 Member's Secretariat

Website: www.cityfocusonline.org




                       "Mike Wingfield"
                       <msrwingfield@yah        To:
<cllr.m.ramsbottom@...>
                       oo.co.uk>                cc:
<cllr.m.clayton@...>,

<cllr.o.west@...>
                       06/05/2004 20:42         Subject:  Mis-representation
in Lib Dem's Focus Newsletter - May Edition







Dear Mark and colleagues,

I resent your article which features in the latest  issue of the Liberal
Democrats Focus Newsletter (May). Titled "Local Clean Up"  it reads:

"After four years of Labour blocking Lib' Dem'  Councillors from organising
clean ups in their wards, one was finally wangled in  Ancoats. The Focus
Team was quickly
into action helping local residents clean up  St. Michael's flags."

In reality the Clean up day of  20-MAR-04 took a great deal of effort to
organise,  co-ordinate and manage by the committee members of "Friends of
Angel  Meadow and St Michael's Flags". It was by all accounts  not
"wangled".

We (the group) very much appreciate the  Liberal Democrat's effort and
contribution to help improve the park  but are saddened
by mis-representation such as this.

Regards
Mike Wingfield,
Chairman
Friends of Angel Meadow and St Michael's Flag  Park.










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Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the angelmeadow
group.

   File        : /Friends of Ancoats Buildings Preservation Trust.doc
   Uploaded by : tobacco_factor <adrianmonaghan@...>
   Description : Guided Walks & Talks

You can access this file at the URL

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow/files/Friends%20of%20Ancoats%20Buil\
dings%20Preservation%20Trust.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

tobacco_factor <adrianmonaghan@...>

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the angelmeadow
group.

   File        : /Grant Funding Resources/Local Heritage Initiative
Fund/application_form Local Heritage.doc
   Uploaded by : loullew <budwheezer@...>
   Description :

You can access this file at the URL

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow/files/Grant%20Funding%20Resources/L\
ocal%20Heritage%20Initiative%20Fund/application_form%20Local%20Heritage.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

loullew <budwheezer@...>

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the angelmeadow
group.

   File        : /Grant Funding Resources/Local Heritage Initiative
Fund/guidance_notes Local Heritage.doc
   Uploaded by : loullew <budwheezer@...>
   Description :

You can access this file at the URL

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow/files/Grant%20Funding%20Resources/L\
ocal%20Heritage%20Initiative%20Fund/guidance_notes%20Local%20Heritage.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

loullew <budwheezer@...>

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the angelmeadow
group.

   File        : /Grant Funding Resources/Local Heritage Initiative Fund/Heritage
and the Law_Infosheet_4.pdf
   Uploaded by : loullew <budwheezer@...>
   Description :

You can access this file at the URL

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow/files/Grant%20Funding%20Resources/L\
ocal%20Heritage%20Initiative%20Fund/Heritage%20and%20the%20Law_Infosheet_4.pdf

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

loullew <budwheezer@...>

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the angelmeadow
group.

   File        : /Grant Funding Resources/Local Heritage Initiative Fund/Ground
Rules_Infosheet_3.pdf
   Uploaded by : loullew <budwheezer@...>
   Description :

You can access this file at the URL

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow/files/Grant%20Funding%20Resources/L\
ocal%20Heritage%20Initiative%20Fund/Ground%20Rules_Infosheet_3.pdf

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

loullew <budwheezer@...>

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the angelmeadow
group.

   File        : /Grant Funding Resources/Local Heritage Initiative Fund/How to
Organise_Infosheet_2.pdf
   Uploaded by : loullew <budwheezer@...>
   Description :

You can access this file at the URL

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow/files/Grant%20Funding%20Resources/L\
ocal%20Heritage%20Initiative%20Fund/How%20to%20Organise_Infosheet_2.pdf

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

loullew <budwheezer@...>

Hi everyone,

Just to advise you that if you see anybody sleeping rough in the
park, then please call Darren Caproli (M.C.C. Housing Unit) on 0791
932 5479 between 8am and 6pm and he will try to get there
immediately.

Best regards,

Adrian Monaghan

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the angelmeadow
group.

   File        : /Meeting 22-APR-2004 /Minutes of Meeting 22-APR-04.doc
   Uploaded by : msrwingfield <msrwingfield@...>
   Description : Minutes of AGM meeting 22-APR-04

You can access this file at the URL

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow/files/Meeting%2022-APR-2004%20/Minu\
tes%20of%20Meeting%2022-APR-04.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

msrwingfield <msrwingfield@...>

1st AGM Meeting on 22-APR-04

For the first official meeting of "Friends of Angel Meadow & St
Michael's Flag", over 20 people turned on Thursday evening at The
Marble Arch Pub.

The focus of the meeting was to formalise the group and this was
done with the appointment of the managing committee. The elected
are:

Chair - Mike Wingfield
Secretary - Bronwyn Riley
Treasurer - Adrian Monaghan

Next was the signing of the constitution document. At present this
is undergoing a number of drafts before been formally issued. (See
Website: Files --> Friends Group Folder)

The next agenda (see Website:  Files --> Meeting 22-APR-04) was a
status update by Catherine Hartley, Irk Valley Project Officer and
by the local councillors.

Then we focused the group on the requirements and feedback from the
questionnaires. Using photos (shown via a slide projector) we
discussed what could be achieved in the park and surrounding areas.
Further details of this meeting will be contained in the Meeting
Minutes (to be uploaded later this week).

A Guided walk of Angel Meadow on 25-APR-04

This Sunday on one of hottest days, 30 people turned up to listen
and learn about the Cholera epidemic and the history of Angel
Meadow, St Michael's Flags and the surrounding streets. This raised
£63 which was donated to the Friends group.

I'd like to thank Sheila Lemoine, who gave a brilliant and
insightful tour of the area. Also her colleague Ailsa Walters. Also
we'd like to thank Phil and Emma at The Marble Arch Pub for once
again been so generous and providing us with chip butties at the end
of the walk.

A dozen or so photographs have been uploaded onto the Group's
website and can be found under the section:  Photos --> Guided walk -
  April 2004


A note on Content and messages

All members of the group have the opportunity to upload and post
messages to the whole group. However, please remember to make
postings etc specific about "Angel Meadow and St Michael's Flags".
The group website is not the correct forum for religious or
unrelated topics - postings of this nature will be deleted and a
warning issued to the sender.

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the angelmeadow
group.

   File        : /22-APR-2004 Meeting/Objectives of Meeting 220404.doc
   Uploaded by : msrwingfield <msrwingfield@...>
   Description : Objectives and Agenda for meeting 22-APR-04

You can access this file at the URL

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow/files/22-APR-2004%20Meeting/Objecti\
ves%20of%20Meeting%20220404.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

msrwingfield <msrwingfield@...>

Hello,

In order to formalise the "Friends of Angel Meadow & St Michael's
Flag" group we need to elect a committee. This will manage how the
group is run and ensure future decisions are made in a democratic
way.

The following are the proposed candidates who'll be voted in at
the
forth coming meeting on the Thursday 22-APR-04 at 19.00 in The
Marble Arch Pub.

Chair     - Mike Wingfield
Secretary - Bronwyn Riley
Treasurer - Adrian Monaghan

If anyone else would like to be nominated for these or other
positions please submit your details to msrwingfield@...
before Wednesday 21st April 04.

Secondly, we have defined a Constitution which we aim to adopt at
the meeting. This is available to read on our website. See Files -->
22-APR-2004 Meeting --> angel meadow consititution 1.4.03.pdf

I look forward to seeing you at the meeting this week,

Regards,

Mike Wingfield

Hello,

We have created a questionnaire which I would be very pleased if you
could fill in and email back to me (or print and mail).

This is to try and capture public opinion as to what improvements
could be made to "Angel Meadow Park". This consultation will
also
help us to start applying for grants and funding.

The questionnaire is located on the website under the directory
Files – and called:

Questionnaire into Angel Meadow Park Use.doc

Many thanks in advance,

Mike Wingfield

Hello,

"Friends of Angel Meadow & St Michael's Flag" group will be holding
their first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on

Thursday 22-APR-04 at 19.00 hrs in the back room of The Marble Arch
Pub, 73 Rochdale Road, Manchester.

This meeting will involve the:

• Election of management committee
• Agreement of Constitution
• Bank account justification
• Establish future requirements of the park.
• Understand about the funding that Groundwork and the City
Council has already secured for improvements.
• Feedback/follow up from clean-up day
• Plus a chance to meet with other members of the group and
representatives from Manchester City Council.

I hope you can attend and look forward to seeing you there.

Regards
Mike Wingfield

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the angelmeadow
group.

   File        : /Friends of Ancoats Buildings Preservation Trust.doc
   Uploaded by : tobacco_factor <adrianmonaghan@...>
   Description : Talks & Guided Walks Provided by Friends of Ancoats Buildings
Preservation Trust

You can access this file at the URL

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow/files/Friends%20of%20Ancoats%20Buil\
dings%20Preservation%20Trust.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

tobacco_factor <adrianmonaghan@...>

I have a website which carries certain information and publications.
Two of the main publications (On Looking Back and a novel with the
title Nancy) mentions, extensively, Angel Meadow and its area -
mostly as it was in the first decades of the 1900s.
Due to the common interest, I am wondering if you could include a
link to my website:
www.manchester-stories.co.uk
and I could reciprocate by providing a link to your Angel Meadow
website?

A Guided walk of Angel Meadow Park and surrounding area has been
organised called:

"Living & Dying in Angel Meadow, Manchester during the Cholera
Epidemic of 1832"

by Sheila Lemoine & Ailsa Walters (Blue Badge Tourist Guides for
Manchester).

Cost £2 (which will be donated to "Friends of Angel Meadow Park
Group")

This looks set to be a very interesting and enjoyable day, to learn
about the history of our park and the area.

Itinerary
11.00am    meet at Hare & Hounds Pub, 46 Shudehill.
            1/2 hr presentation and history
            Walk -About 2 hours around Angel Meadow Park and local
            area (about 2 1/2 miles - bring some good walking shoes).
13.30pm    end at a local pub (TBD) for food and drinks.


For further information please see Guided Walk of Angel Meadow.doc
which has been uploaded in the file section of website:
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow
or contact me on msrwingfield@...

A Guided walk of Angel Meadow Park and surrounding area has been
organised called:

"Living & Dying in Angel Meadow, Manchester during the Cholera
Epidemic of 1832"

by Sheila Lemoine & Ailsa Walters (Blue Badge Tourist Guides for
Manchester).

Cost £2 (which will be donated to "Friends of Angel Meadow Park
Group")

This looks set to be a very interesting and enjoyable day, to learn
about the history of our park and the area.

Itinerary
11.00am    meet at Hare & Hounds Pub, 46 Shudehill.
            1/2 hr presentation and history
            Walk -About 2 hours around Angel Meadow Park and local
            area (about 2 1/2 miles - bring some good walking shoes).
13.30pm    end at a local pub (TBD) for food and drinks.


For further information please see Guided Walk of Angel Meadow.doc
which has been uploaded in the file section of website:
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow
or contact me on msrwingfield@...

The day was a great success and despite the weather, over 35 people
turned up at the event this Saturday!! This included:

"Friends of Angel Meadow Park" group
Local residents and other volunteers who'd seen flyers about the
event
Two lovely ladies who'd heard the bulletins on GMR radio (more about
them later)
Local councillors including Lib Dem Marc Ramsbottom and Mark
Clayton, Labour's Jim Battle and M Carmody
Groundwork Irk Valley Project Officer, Cath Hartley plus some of her
colleagues
And of course the Clean Team who included: Carl Rhodes, Phil Brown
and Paul Bartley

Work began promptly at 09.00 after each volunteer had collected a
pair of gloves, litter pickers and bin liners (all supplied by the
Council and Marble Arch Pub). Initial efforts were concentrated
around the stairwell and gravestones bordering Aspin Lane but as
more and more volunteers turned up the work spread out, tackling the
perimeters and entrances. A hardy bunch of volunteers - Tim,
Bronwyn, Claire and Stewart took out their 9-5 frustration relishing
the cutting down of brambles and hedging.

The Clean Team, with strimmers and rakes cracked on -loading 3
trucks with debris and litter!! They did a marvellous job, were
friendly (see photos) and continued work long after we'd retired to
the pub at 12.00.

I ran around carting rubbish off, ensure volunteers had registered
and were informed - and gave a interview to a reporter from the
Manchester Evening News - we are hoping a story will appear in the
paper tomorrow (22/03/04)!! Then I was off again handing out the
refreshments
which the council and Wing Yip - the Chinese Supermarket has given
us!!

The biggest worry was the many drug needles people were still
finding. Adrian reported to me how he'd picked up at least 200 and
at one point I put nearly 20 in a SHARPS box plucked from the
litter!!

Around 11.00 Bronwyn and plus some volunteers set about the massive
task of planting the 200 primroses, celandines, lupines and poppies
which had been supplied free by the National Wildflower Charity -
Landlife.

The event was perfectly timed because at 12.00 the heavens opened
and rain poured down but we'd done a marvellous job - the stairwells
were cleared for the first time in many years - and accessible!! The
perimeters looked clean and not a trace of litter was to be seen.

Everyone was still keen to help and we ensured that all rubbish was
bagged and put in the skip loaned to us by the Clean Team - and that
all tools were collected up.

Then thanking everyone for their participation, the volunteers were
rewarded with a hot chip butty kindly prepared by Ema and Philip at
The Marble Arch Pub. We settled down with beer in hand to chat with
new friends and speculate about future work to the park.

The two ladies I mentioned earlier, Ailsa and Sheila had heard of
the Clean Up day advertised on the radio! They were members of
Manchester Civic Forum and provided Walking Tours of the Ancoats
area - they were so thrilled with the clean up day and told us all
about the historical significance of the area. We hope to engage
with them to provide our group a tour of the Park in the near
future.

Please see the photo's I've uploaded in the Photos --> Clean Up Day
section on the Yahoo website.

Thank you all for your efforts in helping this day a tremendous
success

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the angelmeadow
group.

   File        : /Clean Up Day 20-MAR-04/Info sheet for Clean Up day.doc
   Uploaded by : msrwingfield <msrwingfield@...>
   Description : Info sheet which will be handed out on the day - timetable of
events

You can access this file at the URL

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow/files/Clean%20Up%20Day%2020-MAR-04/\
Info%20sheet%20for%20Clean%20Up%20day.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

msrwingfield <msrwingfield@...>

I can't access the site full stop so my vote is for a new website!

>>> angelmeadow@...  17/03/2004 19:05:55 >>>

Enter your vote today!  A new poll has been created for the
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There have been various praises and
critisisms for this website. Plus are
its easy to maintain, files, photos,
links etc can be posted and everyone
has read, write, publish access.
However, the registration process is
quite long winded and requires a
password.

   o Should we keep the Yahoo Groups Website
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There have been various praises and
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its easy to maintain, files, photos,
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However, the registration process is
quite long winded and requires a
password.

   o Should we keep the Yahoo Groups Website
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web site listed above.

Thanks!

Hi

The following message has been posted to Manchester City Council:

Hello,

On Saturday 20th March 2004 "Friends of Angel Meadow Park" and "100
Days Challenge Manchester" will be working in partnership to clean
up Angel Meadow/ St Michael's Flags Park.

Over the last couple of weeks we (the Friends Group) has been
liasing with various members of Manchester City Council to confirm
the extent of their involvement and to ensure the day is a success
in terms of co-ordination and the tidying up of the park.

The document (See Files -> Clean Up Day -> Actions and Awareness of
the day.doc)  details the:

Objectives of the event
Timetable of the day
Co-ordination of events
Actions and Promised Resources
Please can you make yourselves aware of this and come back to me
ASAP if I have documented anything wrong or incorrect. This is to
ensure that we can rectify issues before the Saturday 20th March.

I look forward to seeing you next Saturday and together we can
really make an impact!!

Regards
Mike Wingfield
Chairman "Friends of Angel Meadow Park".
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow

Tel: 0793 9031001

Hello, Please pencil in your diary the Saturday 20-MAR-2004 for
the "CLEAN UP ANGEL MEADOW" Day. We need you help and involvement!!!

The timeline is very short therefore your help and involvement would
be very much appreciated!!!

This was discussed at the Meeting 18-FEB-2004 and now we have firmed
up a date when WE as "FRIENDS of ANGEL MEADOW" and Manchester City
Council's
"CLEAN TEAM" (Part of the Challenge Manchester: 100 Days to a Clean
City") can work in partnership.

The "Clean Team" -  will provide us with the necessary equipment to
help tackle the litter and plant primrose bushes in the park. The
details are as follows:

1. The Clean Team has guaranteed their involvement for the Saturday
20-MAR-04.
2. The Clean Team will provide

         A 4 man team
         Tools including strimmers and cutting equipment (to prune
hedge groves etc).
         Gloves and black refuse sacks (for us)
         A free skip to ensure waste is removed from site.
         Help with planting foliage. (see Item 3)

3. Landlife.org.uk - part of The National Wildlife Charity will
supply us on the 20-MAR-04 with up to 100 primrose plants to be
planted in the Park.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

This is a big milestone for "Angel Meadow Park" - partnership
between local community and Manchester City Council ! Therefore I
cannot organise this alone and I would so grateful for your help!!!
If you'd like to volunteer please get in touch. The tasks to ensure
this event is a success are:

1. Register your support

If you can help on the 20-MAR-2004 and are willing to spent a
morning to tidy up the park and make a DIFFERENCE -  then please
register. On the website under the  heading "DATABASE" is a table
where you can add an entry to register for this event. Alternatively
email me at: msrwingfield@....

From this you'll be posted details of this event.

2. Define Requirements

Before this event can happen someone needs to specify the exact
parts of Park where we need to concentrate on area of clearing up
rubbish and litter. This role is in essence a Project Manager's
task - to specify what we need to focus on, on the day. We also need
to specify where the planting of the "primroses" foliage (supplied
by Landlife) will be planted.

If you can spare a couple of hours one day and have a walk around
the park looking at how best to focus a team then this is the role
for you!!

3. Help in Organisation

We need to ensure before the 20-MAR-2004 that:

1. Safe Needle Squad (SHARPS) have ensured needles are removed from
the site.
2. The "Clean Team" have briefed as to our requirements (see Task
2).
3. The organisation of the "Friends of Angel Meadow Park" for the 20-
MAR-2004 and to ensure everything happens.
4. A meeting has been booked with "Groundwork.org" on the 12-MAR-
2004". If you'd like to help out please let me know?
5. Liasons with the Publicity side of this event to ensure
alignment.

4. Publicity

We want to ensure the event is publized to ensure:

1. To generate and awareness of "Angel Meadow Park"
2.  Other people affected by the Park register to volunteer to help
on the day.
3. "Angel Meadow Park" has an identity.
4. The press get involved to report how local community are doing
something about their local green-space.
5. To ensure future aspirations for the Park are considered
seriously.
6. To secure future grants and funding.
7. To see if sponsorship for the event can be secured.

If you can help with any of this please get in touch as soon as
possible!!
Only your help can ensure a successful day!!

For Website Links concerning this "CLEAN UP ANGEL MEADOW" Day;
please go to the LINKS section of our website and click on

Challenge Manchester - Angel Meadow
Manchester City Council - Challenge Manchester 100 Clean Up
Landlife

The Website for "Friends of Angel Meadow Park" is:

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow

Thank you and regards
Mike Wingfield
msrwingfield@...

Hi,

I'd like to invite you to meet with me and others to establish
the "Friends of Angel Meadow Park" group.

I've booked the back room of the Marble Pub which is off Gould
Street and Rochdale Road for the

Wednesday 18th Febrary 2004 - 19.00 onwards.

The meeting aims to establish your views of what could be done to
improve the park and to hear from me the initial progress that has
been made.

I hope you can attend and look forward to seeing you there.

Regards
Mike Wingfield

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the angelmeadow
group.

   File        : /LS Lowry paintings of Angel Meadow.doc
   Uploaded by : msrwingfield <msrwingfield@...>
   Description : LS Lowry used for his muse the great church of St Michael's and
All Angels. This document includes several images of those paintings. Collated
together by Mike Wingfield

You can access this file at the URL

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/angelmeadow/files/LS%20Lowry%20paintings%20of%2\
0Angel%20Meadow.doc

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/uk/groups/files

Regards,

msrwingfield <msrwingfield@...>

Here an extract regarding the former church and burial ground
contained in the park.

Next to the churchyard was the `New Burial Ground',
then the largest in Manchester – set aside for burying the
poor. It was opened in 1787, and closed in 1816, by which
time over 40,000 internments had taken place. The burial
ground was known as St Michael's Flags as it was
completely covered with flagstones; these have recently
been removed.

SAINT MICHAEL'S CHURCH

The burial place belonging to this church is not only
tolerably large, but it is also adjoining to what is called the
"THE NEW BURIAL GROUND", which is the largest
cemetry in the town, and is appropriated to the internment
of poor persons, who have no family place of burial. It is
attached to the mother church, in which the register is
kept; but the service is performed by the minister of St
Michael's. The number of poor persons who are
continually dying in Manchester must be great, and an
expeditious and economical method of interring the bodies
of the dead has been adopted. A very large grave, or more
properly, a pit for the reception of mortality, is digged, and
covered up, (when not actually in use for depositing the
remains of the dead) with planks, which are locked down
in the night, until the hole is filled up with coffins piled
beside and upon one another. The cavern of death is then
closed, and covered up with earth; and another pit is
prepared, and filled in the same manner This cemetery
was consecrated by the Bishop of Chester, the 21st day of
September, 1787; since which, many thousand bodies have
been interred in this singular depot (it might be said.
magazine) of mortality. [Aston, 1816]

Charter Street Ragged School is just below the burial
ground. The first industrial school here was opened in 1847;
this school was opened in 1861; the present building was
begun in 1866, and was enlarged in 1891 and 1900. In 1892
it was renamed as `Charter Street Ragged School and
Working Girls' Home' It provided food, clogs and clothing
for children, and a Sunday breakfast for destitute men and
women; medical services were also provided. The working
girls' home was on the top floor with its own separate
entrance on Dantzic Street. As the inscription on the side
wall suggests, some were `industrial schools', intended to
convey not only literacy but basic skills such as carpentry
to the boys, and home making and cooking to the girls in
order that they might become respectable, useful and
productive citizens."

From "Exploring Greater Manchester - a field work guide Web edition
edited by Paul Hindle" -
http://www.google.co.uk/search?
q=cache:iVU3MGSydQMJ:www.art.man.ac.uk/Geog/mangeogsoc/egm/3_2.pdf+St
+Michael%27s+churchyard,+Angel+Street,+Manchester&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Below are some extracts detailing the history of Angel Meadow
park and the St Michael's Flag area.

"The lowest, most filthy, most unhealthy, and most wicked
locality in Manchester is called Angel Meadow. It lies off the
Oldham Road, is full of cellars and is inhabited by prostitutes,
their bullies, thieves, cadgers, vagrants, tramps, and, in the very
worst sites of filth, and darkness."

from Angus Reach, The Morning Chronicle (1849) Website:
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ITmanchester.htm

"The area is mentioned in the classic novel, The Manchester Man, and
Angel Meadow, despite its cosy, religious name, was known as `The
Place Of Terror'.

The Meadow was a vast open space until the 1800's when the
railway lines from Manchester's chief stations marked its
boundaries.
Before then it may have been a vast plague pit for the regions'
Black Death victims. The Meadow quickly became a large slum, where
vandalism, mugging, murders, drunken brawls, and prostitution were
common. Teachers at the famous `Ragged School' (now preserved
as a
delightful museum) needed police escorts as late as 1853.

Manchester Statistics Society records give the transcript of a talk
by Rev. J. E. Mercle, who discovered that in 1897 (the time of his
presentation) Angel Meadow housed 192,000 people, compared to 26,350
people living in Manchester itself, nearby. This was in an area
little over one square mile in size. Increasing railway, warehouse
and slum clearance programming was actually reducing the population
by this time.

Charles Dickens briefly worked at the Meadow's Cheryble
warehouse. He had the sense to leave, but the slum conditions may
have influenced his novel Hard Times.

There were two distinct classes of people living in this overcrowded
hell hole. There were old established trustworthy families who were
regarded as the salt of the parish. Then there were the drunken
migrant settlers of the industrial revolution, dreaming of work in
the big city of Manchester, but left brawling, fighting, drinking
and indulging in 'unrestrained licentious womanising' in the
grinding poverty of the slum trap zone. Mercle pulled no punches in
comparing the meadow to "a Serborian bog in sore need of
draining'.

The 1881 census showed 1,091 inhabited dwellings (91 uninhabited
with 1,023 of them having less than five rooms, that were all
unsanitary and infested with vermin. A band of volunteer rescue
workers are on record as declaring the slum worse than anything they
had seen in London's Whitechapel district.

Mercle's report was extremely damming for its time. He describes
the situation at one house thus:

"By combined neglected landlord and tenant, reduced to so filthy a
condition that the doctor refused (and small blame to him) to enter
it when summoned to visit father ill with dysentery. State of floor
indescribable. Food thrown indiscriminately into baby's cradle as
bread basket. Baby generally lying in said cradle, utterly
neglected. Man removed to hospital, died, practically poisoned in
his home."

Things improved gradually, but not spectacularly. That my family
survived there at all is remarkable.

The grim River Irk has a habit of flooding through the Meadow, and a
baby was once found on the flood waters floating contented and Moses
like in its basket. (City News 9th April 1921).

Many reports give mention to the rats of Angel Meadow, which,
attracted by the cheese cellars at Hanging Ditch nearby, would
migrate in wildebeest like droves across the meadow after dark.

On October 20th 1960, conditions hadn't improved. A lorry driver
told the Manchester Evening News that he dreaded making deliveries
to the tannery yards in the Meadow, (at Shudehill). He was never
actually assaulted because, in his own words, he `Never stared at
anyone. I was too frightened to.'

Things have improved since then, though the Meadow still fails to
live up to its name. It's church graveyard stones have been
levelled and often serve as a football pitch. Hardly a worthy
memorial for the dead of any urban parish."

From: Angel Meadow - My Family History
http://www.arthurchappell.clara.net/angel.meadow.htm


"The real Angel Meadow was in one of the most notoriously squalid
districts; there is a certain black irony to its name. The Carsons,
as befits their social status, live two miles out of town, 'almost
in the country'. (Engels described how in Manchester the superior
classes all lived on the fringes of the city, and how too the main
roads were laid out in a way that effectively concealed from them
the squalor that lay behind them. 'Anyone who knows Manchester', he
says, 'can infer the adjoining districts from the appearance of the
thoroughfare, but one is seldom in a position to catch from the
street a glimpse of the real labouring districts'"

From: Frederick Engels, The Condition of the Working-Class in
England, 1845, reprinted in Karl Marx and Frederick Engels on
Britain, Moscow, 1962, p.80.