I WAS born and raised in Urmston and as a child growing up, Urmston was my whole world.

As an adult I have travelled and lived in different places but I have always been tugged back to my home town. I am very proud to be an Urmstonian.

Over the years Urmston has seen many changes. The arrival of the Trafford Centre was a bit scary for Urmston and I feared it might kill off our local shops.

However, Urmston, as it always does, bounced back bigger and better than ever before.

Today Urmston really does have something for everyone. It has a fantastic selection of boutique independent shops selling everything you can imagine.

The newly opened Cheese Court, which sells artisan cheese and other nice things, is one example of the many varied shops now thriving in our town.

We also have the monthly Artisan Market here on the first Saturday of each month which always brings the crowds.

There are also some brilliant bars here. Kelder Wines, The Barking Dog, The Corner Lounge and the Three Barrels are just a few of the many independent bars scattered throughout Urmston as well as the traditional pubs we have like The Lord Nelson and The Garrick's Head.

If you're looking for a place to eat you can't go wrong here either!

We have every style of food you could want with Italian, Greek, Indian and many more there really is something for everyone.

Soon we will have Market41 on Railway Road replacing the old market, making that area once again the heart of the community adding a whole new vibe to an already bustling town.

While the adults have the bars and restaurants, the children are well catered for at Cheeky Cherubs on Higher Road. Children of all ages can find plenty to do and entertain themselves there.

We also have brilliant schools here too with Urmston Grammar, Flixton Girls and Wellacre Academy all getting fantastic results.

We really do have it all here in Urmston. It's a town that is still growing and improving and the most important thing we have here is the people.

The community in Urmston is amazing, we have groups who have adopted our train station to upkeep and improve its presentation, giving visitors a warm welcome on arrival.

We have 'Friends of' all our parks and gardens. We have groups and clubs supporting each other and we have fantastic events, from spooky Halloween walks to Christmas Lights switch on events. Our festivals rival all others with big names such as the Osmonds coming here to entertain us.

So if you haven't thought of visiting Urmston for your shopping or your evening out then please do so. I don’t think you'll be disappointed with what we have here.

I love Urmston, it's been good to me over the years and I wouldn't live anywhere else. It really is my kind of town!