Who would have thought that Didsbury - that most genteel of districts - would be blessed with fairies? Legend has it that the small winged creatures have inhabited the area since the fourteenth century, although their numbers are now vastly declined because of the increased use of pesticides, chemical fertiliser, and flyswatters.

It is told that during the new moon a fairy swarm can be seen tracing its familiar path over the skies of Didsbury. Starting at Withington Golf club they fly along Palatine Road until the junction with Burton Road; they then make an about turn and fly to East Didsbury Railway station, before finally turning again and heading towards Layburn Park, where it is believed the fairies make their home, as small fairy rings can be found throughout the park. No one knows why they fly this strange path.

Stories of the good deeds of these mythical creatures abound in Didsbury, with many of the older inhabitants claiming to have played with them as children. Local resident, Dotty Dolittle, tells of when she was a girl of nine years "seeing brightly coloured enchanted creatures, no bigger than a large fly, playing in the flowers".