Graham Neville has lived in the town all his life and is now the PGA Golf Professional at Altrincham Golf Club. In the third instalment of our regular feature, he talks about his Altrincham.
My favourite pub/bar
I have to say I haven’t really got a favourite pub or bar as I am not really a big drinker. If and when my wife and I go out we tend to go into Goose Green which has a great variety of smaller places to drink. As for pubs, the Quarry Bank Inn in Timperley is the usual choice – completely and utterly influenced by my father in law who is a regular in there!
My favourite restaurant
There are some fantastic restaurants in Altrincham area – however, my personal favourite is Yara on Oxford Road (above). Every time I go there the food is fantastic. One thing that frustrates me about modern food establishments is portion size relative to cost. The portion size at Yara is great and the quality of the food is second to none. The staff are knowledgeable and the baba ganoush is just incredible. Highly recommended – from a food fan!!!
My favourite coffee shop
I do enjoy stopping for a coffee however I don’t really get time to stop off to chill out with my coaching and playing commitments. Recently I have had a couple of meetings in the new Carluccio’s in Hale, which is in prime location and never fails to disappoint. I am really pleased to see that Rhode Island has reopened in Altrincham town centre. I would also love to see a traditional tea room open in Altrincham as I believe there is definitely room for this!
My favourite place for a walk
We are really fortunate that we live next to the Bridgewater Canal. The walk down the canal can either take you into Sale in one direction, or Dunham Massey in the other. This is a great sanctuary as nature really shows its true colours along the canal.
It’s also great to see that they have finally completed relaying the towpath along the Timperley section of the canal (above). I also enjoy cycling and the canal is a great place to start a ride. We tend to get on the Trans Pennine Trail at the back end of Atlantic Street and head towards Lymm and beyond. I would also like to mention Lavender Barn Tea Rooms in Dunham – this is a fantastic place in summer as you can sit outside and have a sandwich and a cup of tea.
My favourite shop
I am not a big shopper but have to say there is a good variety of independent shops in Altrincham now. There is something for everyone from the big retail chains to small independent shops. There are still some empty retail units but things are improving and hopefully they will be filled soon.
My favourite market stall
The new market is fantastic – I have only been a couple of times with my wife as I work most weekends but the place is buzzing and the live music just adds to the experience. I loved the variety – I especially loved the ‘letters’ from the old Linotype factory that you could purchase.
My favourite building
I was going to say the Market House as I remember my mother taking me in there as a kid. The old barn buildings that now house Altrincham Golf Driving range that have been there forever and a day!
I have to say that I really love the clock tower (above). I have recently seen some old pictures of the town and, for me, the one thing that really symbolises Altrincham is the clock tower. The structure has never changed even though the surroundings around it have changed. There are not many towns that have something that symbolic and I really love that.
My bugbear about Altrincham
I don’t often have the chance to vent but one thing that annoys me is the overflowing bins and the amount of people who do not clean up after their dogs – especially in the local parks. I know this could be said for any town but you would think that the people who are walking the dogs are respectful to the places they live in. As for the bins – this is something the council should fix.
My hopes for the future of Altrincham
I really hope Altrincham continues to prosper – the town is a great place and it seems to be getting back to where it once was with numerous great food places, shops, cafes, leisure facilities and, of course, golf courses. The resurgence of the market and local produce has definitely improved the town for everyone.
The best thing about Altrincham
I have lived in Altrincham all my life and I have met some great people and friends – I also met my beautiful wife in a bar in Altrincham – so it has a special place in my life. I am proudly sponsored by a local business, McHale and Co Solicitors.
As much as I love Altrincham town centre, I would have to say that one of my favourite places is out towards Dunham and along the canal. I love walking along the canal towpath. The locality to the peaceful surroundings of Dunham and out towards Lymm are a great sanctuary for me. This is a little place of serenity in a great market town.
