as an alternative proposal to create a constituency of Salford and Old Trafford. The Boundary Commission rejected Trafford Council's proposals, noting that there was "strong opposition to the creation of a constituency that crossed the Manchester Ship Canal and ... that the Canal provided a clearly identifiable boundary which should not be breached". Geography The area is unusual in effectively being a peninsula. Its northern boundary was the River Irwell, now canalised into the Manchester Ship Canal. To the east was a tributary of the river Irwell, the Cornbrook. This was culverted as the area grew in the 19th century. In fact, Victorian Hulme and Old Trafford seemed indistinguishable, as the hidden river made its way out of sight. Similarly, the southern boundary was the Black Brook, which was culverted at about the same time as the Cornbrook. Thus Upper Chorlton Road, under which it flows, does not seem to be a natural boundary. Both sides of the road look similar, and Darley Park, on the Trafford side, could easily fit into Whalley Range. Some small anomalies due to the brook's underground route were not amended until the late 1980s. Similarly, the inter-war development of Firswood is almost indistinguishable from its Chorlton-cum-hardy neighbours. Old Trafford makes up the northeastern tip of Trafford and adjoins St. Georges, Hulme, Whalley Range and Moss Side – all of which are within the boundaries of the City of Manchester – and Ordsall to the northeast, which is within the boundaries of the City of Salford. At the crossroads of Brooks's Bar the boundaries between Old Trafford and Hulme, and Moss Side and Whalley Range meet. The boundary passed through the playground of Loreto College, as was famously illustrated by a photo of girls straddling the line, in the 1970s Nuffield O-Level Geography Textbook. On the western side of the area, the road named Seymour Grove has an interesting origin. In the 19th century, the people of Chorlton called it Trafford Road, and the people of Old Trafford called it Chorlton Road. Neither name was appropriate, as nearby roads already had those names. So the area's richest inhabitant, a millionaire grocer called Sir Thomas Seymour Mead, decided the road should be named after him. Landmarks Until the mid-20th century there were four cinemas in Old Trafford: the Imperial Picture Theatre in Chorlton Road, Brooks Bar, The Globe on Cornbrook Street, The Lyceum in City Road