CELEBRATING its centenary this year the Church of the English Martyrs in the Alexandra Park district of Manchester has a strong, lasting link with Ramsbottom. In 1926 St. Andrew's (Dundee) Presbyterian Church (picture inset) on the corner of Kay Brow was about to be demolished when the Manchester church's priest took a fancy to its spire! It was sold, taken down stone by stone - all of them numbered - and re-erected to top the Roman Catholic church which is on Alexandra Park Road, just past the park itself.

The present incumbent says he looks upon his church as 'ecumenical' - a Catholic nave with a Prebyterian spire.

The re-emergence of this 70-year-old snippet of history comes from detective work by Ramsbottom Heritage Society member Brenda Decent who was looking for information about the former Methodist church. She told members about it at their February meeting.

Their next meeting on March 20 at the Heritage Centre in Carr Street will include a photo competition prize-giving, and a talk on the history of Affetside.

The Heritage Centre will re-open on Easter Saturday at 1pm with a new exhibition.

ZThe Presbyterian Church was built between 1872 and 1873 at a cost of more than £7,000 and was the most imposing of all the town's churches.

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