Coordinates: 53°26′55″N 2°22′29″W / 53.4487°N 2.3747°W / 53.4487; -2.3747

Urmston /ˈɜrmstən/ ( listen) is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of around 41,000.Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies about six miles (10 km) to the southwest of Manchester city centre. The southern boundary is marked by the River Mersey and the Mersey Valley, with Stretford lying to the east and Flixton to the west. Davyhulme lies to the north of the town centre. Urmston covers an area of 4,799 acres (19 km²).

The town has early medieval origins, and until the arrival of the railway in 1873 was a small farming community. The railway acted as a catalyst, transforming the town into a residence for the middle classes. Today, Urmston is one of the major urban areas within Trafford: it includes the areas of Davyhulme and Flixton.

In 1983, during an excavation by South Trafford Archaeological Group, fragments of Roman pottery were found in the area now occupied by Urmston cemetery – previously the site of Urmston Old Hall – suggesting that there may have been a Roman settlement on the site. In the early 13th century, Lord Greenhalgh and his family lived Highfield House (under what is now the M60 motorway).

Chad (Chadwick) Stokes Urmston (born February 26, 1976 in Sherborn, Massachusetts) is an American musician. Urmston was a member of the band Hermit Thrush and this later gave birth to the band Dispatch. He is the frontman for the Sherborn, Massachusetts-area band State Radio, as well as a constant activist for improved living conditions in Zimbabwe. In 2008 he co-founded Calling all Crows, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of women all over the world, as well as local communities on tour stops for State Radio. Because of Dispatch's recent reunion, Chad is currently a member of both State Radio and Dispatch.

Born into a large family, Chad graduated from Dover-Sherborn High School in 1994, and went on to attend both Middlebury College and NYU. He met Pete Heimbold in 1995 and formed the band Hermit Thrush. He later formed a band called One Fell Swoop with Heimbold and Brad Corrigan; they would ultimately become known as Dispatch, and would become known for their grassroots college following and independent success. He is now touring with his new band, State Radio. Chad writes the majority of his songs about historical and contemporary social issues, and advocates social change in many of State Radio's songs. He is married to Sybil Gallagher, who has a key role in State Radio. In addition to being the band's tour manager, three songs, Sybil I, Sybil II and Sybil III, found on Us Against the Crown, Year of the Crow and Let It Go, were written by him about her.

State Radio is an alternative rock band from Sherborn, Massachusetts, consisting of Chad Urmston (lead vocals, guitar), Chuck Fay (bass) and Mike Najarian (drums). The band's first full-length album, Us Against the Crown, was released in December 2005, their second, Year of the Crow in September 2007, and Let it Go, in September 2009. They have plans to release a fourth full-length album later in 2012.

A Boston based trio band led by singer and primary songwriter Chad Urmston (a former member of Vermont jamsters Dispatch), State Radio largely managed to avoid the usual post-Phish clichés, injecting a punk-influenced sound and politically charged viewpoint while staying true to the tenets of the band's chosen style, which infuses a blend of Roots-Reggae, Ska, Punk and Rock.

Urmston, who disbanded Dispatch at the height of its popularity in 2002, formed State Radio later the same year. Focusing exclusively on guitar and vocals instead of the instrument switching he was previously known for, he brought in second guitarist Pete Halby, bassist Chuck Fay, and drummer Mike Greenfield to round out the lineup. After the exploratory debut EP Flag of the Shiners was released by Fenway Recordings in late 2002, State Radio went on a temporary hiatus throughout 2003 as Urmston recovered from throat surgery. Returning to active duty in 2004 as a slimmed-down trio with new drummer Brian Sayers, State Radio followed a second EP, Simmer Kane, with the release of 2005's Us Against the Crown. Another personnel change occurred before State Radio toured in support of the album, with drummer Mike Najarian replacing Sayers.

Coordinates: 53°27′02″N 2°21′39″W / 53.4505°N 2.3608°W / 53.4505; -2.3608

Urmston Grammar (known as Urmston Grammar School until September 2010) is a co-educational grammar school in Urmston, Greater Manchester, England. It is an academy located within the Trafford Local Authority area, though not controlled by it. The school was assessed as "outstanding" in its 2008 Ofsted report. In 2010 60% of all examinations sat were awarded either A* or A grade for GCSE.

Urmston Grammar was awarded specialist Science College status in 2004. In 2007 it was awarded High Performing Specialist College status, and as from April 2008 Language College status as a second specialism. Urmston Grammar converted to academy status as of September 2010, since when it has been known as Urmston Grammar Academy. Urmston Grammar is in the top 100 list of grammar schools; in the English Baccalaureate the school appeared 55th in the list of state schools in England.

The majority of the school's pupils go on to higher education; in the 2005 academic year, 90% went on to university.

Frederick "Fred" Dibnah MBE (28 April 1938 – 6 November 2004), born in Bolton, was an English steeplejack and eccentric with a keen interest in mechanical engineering who became a cult television personality.

Dibnah was born in a country which then relied heavily upon coal to fuel its industry. As a child he was fascinated by the steam engines which powered the many textile mills in Bolton, but he paid particular attention to chimneys and the men who worked on them. He began his working life as a joiner, before becoming a steeplejack. From age 22, he served for two years in the armed forces, as part of his national service. Once demobilised, he returned to steeplejacking but met with limited success until he was asked to repair Bolton's parish church. The resulting publicity provided a welcome boost to his business, ensuring he was almost never out of work.

In 1978, while making repairs to Bolton Town Hall, Dibnah was filmed by a regional BBC news crew. The BBC then commissioned an award-winning documentary, which followed the rough-hewn steeplejack as he worked on chimneys, interacted with his family and talked about his favourite hobby—steam. His Lancastrian manner and gentle, self-taught philosophical outlook, proved popular with viewers and he featured in a number of television programmes. Toward the end of his life, the decline of Britain's industry was mirrored by a decline in his steeplejacking business and Dibnah increasingly came to rely on after-dinner speaking for his income. In 1998, he presented a programme on Britain's industrial history and went on to present a number of series, largely concerned with the Industrial Revolution and its mechanical and architectural legacy.