Chef Richard Ryland’s signature dish is his treacle town pudding.What to do: Admire the Norman architecture and hanging baskets before heading back into Manchester.. Or buy a gold-plated truffle at the village’s celebrated Chocolate Trading Company. Alderley Edge Once the preserve of the Mancunian cotton barons, old money has given way to new with rampant house price inflation.Who lives here? Old Trafford aristocracy old and new, such as Rio Ferdinand, right, Peter Schmeichel and Andy Cole.Eating out: The Wizard Restaurant, just down the Macclesfield Road, offers Michelin-starred modern British food.What to do: Wander up the National Trust-owned Alderley Edge – a red sandstone escarpment with views over the Peak District. The banks of the Mersey and the Bridgewater canal are favoured spots for Sunday afternoon strolls. Bollington Known as “Happy Valley”, Guinness World Records says this Cheshire town has the highest ratio of pubs to people. Cotton brought affluence to the area and Bollington remains wealthy.Who lives here? Terry Waite, who was held hostage for four years, was born in Bollington, and David Dickinson, above, of Bargain Hunt fame, is a resident.Eating out: Briscola serves traditional Italian food, whereas Beasdales offers British.What to do: White Nancy, built by the Gaskell family as a summer house, and now a monument to the Napoleonic Wars, lies at the summit of Kerridge Hill overlooking Bollington The Peak District borders the town.
Most famous former resident is 19th-century physicist James Joule, left, and Robert Bolt, author of A Man for All Seasons, was born here.Eating out: Most people jump in a car and drive five minutes to the restaurants in Altrincham, but locally, Oca serves good Italian food and upmarket pizza.What to do: Waterside Arts Centre has an art gallery and touring shows, while waterskiing, windsurfing and dinghy sailing are on offer at Sale Waterpark. Sale In the heart of the commuter belt, this town of 60,000 has managed to remain aloof from the urban grit of Manchester.Who lives here? Former Celtic and Manchester United footballer Paddy Crerand, and Harry Gregg, the Manchester United goalkeeper who survived the 1958 Munich air disaster. Darren Campbell, silver medallist at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, is a member of Sale Harriers. The Swan is the oldest pub in town, and The Brasserie is a good spot for people-watching.What to do: Thespians and singers join Wilmslow’s theatre and opera groups, while those who are less culturally inclined visit one of the many hairdressers or fitness centres. The Black Lake with its swans and ducks, feels a world away from Footballer’s Wives territory. Chilli Banana serves Thai, Heddy’s is recommended for Middle Eastern food, and the 39 Steps has a good selection of fish. Merrill Lynch went from “buy” to “neutral”, while Citigroup urged clients to sell the stock.In the mid-caps, shares in the second-hand car dealers Pendragon and Reg Vardy surged as their rival Lookers pulled out of its bid for the latter.
Pendragon upped its offer for Vardy on Friday to 900p per share and controls 27.9 per cent of the company. Lookers had proposed a three-way merger between the groups but that looks highly unlikely. Pendragon gained 36p to close at 549p, while Reg Vardy rallied 37p to 895p. Lookers fell 33.5p to 573.5p.The infrastructure services group Mouchel Parkman gained 23p to 320p, as a trading statement confirmed the company was on course to meet expectations. The Dutch broker ABN Amro responded with an upbeat note, highlighting the company’s fast growth, conservative forecasts and excellent visibility.In the small-caps, traders will be watching China Gold Mines when it comes to the market tomorrow.
