These pictures show Rusholme before it became the curry mile

Can you imagine the ‘Curry Mile’ without, well, curry?


These pictures of Rusholme show the area before it became known for its famous curries.

Is that the 142 magic tram to Fallowfield?

Amateur history buff, Bruce Anderson, has set up a website containing lots of photos of the ‘Curry Mile’ road before any of the residents knew their vindaloos from their bhunas or their tikkas from their jalfrezis.

The photo above shows Wilmslow Rd between Dickenson Rd & Rusholme Grove is dated Sept 1904.

Rusholme, Wilmslow Rd looking north

These photos show how Rusholme was transformed from a quiet, peaceful village into the bustling, multi-cultural area that it is today.

Rusholme, views from Finglands Garage 1909

His collection includes photos of the mansions that were demolished in the 1960s to make way for Man Met’s ‘toast rack’ building.

Throughout the years, many famous people have lived on the ‘Curry Mile’, including suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst and Adolphe Saalfield, a survivor of the Titanic.

Bruce told M.E.N:

“I started collecting postcards and photos around 30 years ago … shows you what Wilmslow Road used to be like”.

Rusholme was home to the UK’s first commercial ice rink and Victoria Park was the world’s first gated community.

There was definitely no ‘Chicken Cottage’ hot wings and chips meals in the 19th century

So, who knows? I wonder if in thirty years time Rusholme will have the same hype over boasting Manchester’s first kebab shop or shisha cafe?