41 Flixton Road, Urmston, Manchester, M41 5AN

Building

Roofed and walled permanent structures.

Asset type

This is a large two storey building with a design displaying Art Deco influence. The building once housed a showroom selling electrical appliances to the public.

Age

Constructed around 1939.

Architectural and Artistic Interest

The building is an important and striking feature in this part of Flixton Road, Urmston. Built over two floors, it has clear Art Deco type features and is designed to a high standard. Surprisingly for a building of this quality, it was purpose designed as a showroom and office base for the Stretford and District Electricity Board, which operated in the area between 1928 and 1948, when these utilities became nationalised. In 1999 the Wetherspoon pub chain acquired the building and it is now pub/restaurant named 'The Tim Bobbin'.

Historic Interest

This two storied Art Deco styled building further reflects the modernisation of Urmston as a place. The building was developed by the Stretford and District Electricity Board, which during its existence supplied both domestic electricity and electrical appliances. The Board originally had premises on Higher Road, Urmston but decided to move to a larger purpose built site, which was constructed on farmland in the years immediately prior to the outbreak of WWII. In this building we can see how retail electrical appliances, which became increasingly important domestically during the period after WWII were made available for sale to the public in what was a large and attractive purpose built sales venue. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the newly constructed showroom remained empty during the war years and only reopened once the market for retail electrical appliances was restored. Later, the showrooms were operated by the North West Electricity Board (NORWEB) which continued to sell a wide range electrical products, including TV's and Hi-Fi systems. High street retail showrooms such as these became increasingly outmoded during the 1980's and 90's, and the store eventually closed. The premises became a Wetherspoons pub in 1999. The pub is named after John Collier the Lancashire dialect poet and caricaturist who was known by the pseudonym of Tim Bobbin. However, the building has no real connections with Collier, who's family lived in Church Lane, Urmston (modern-day Church Road), where he was born in 1708. After failing to follow a traditional job role, Collier became a teacher, moving to Milnrow near Rochdale where he lived for the remainder of his life.

01 Apr 2023

10 Oct 2021

Find out more about this Asset in Greater Manchester Local Heritage List:
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/greater-manchester/asset/5298