SALFORD STAR IS FIVE !!!
AND THIS IS THE 1000th ONLINE SALFORD STAR ARTICLE…

The Salford Star first appeared five years ago this month, in May 2006, and produced eight big glossy, juicy printed issues, before being forced online by lack of finance – we bit too many hands that might have fed us!

The Star has been online-only for just over two years and has produced exactly 1000 articles on everything Salford, from Salford Council dealings to reports from the terraces at Salford City FC.

SALFORD PEOPLE INSPIRE TOP NEW PLAY

"I wanted to tell the story of the real people of Salford and the struggle that they've gone through…" Chris Hoyle

Tinned Up
The Studio, The Lowry
30th June - 2nd July £5

Salford people affected by demolitions, tinned up streets and dodgy Salford Council decisions have inspired a new tragic-comic play by Chris Hoyle which he's hoping will make it to tv in the near future too.

So come on those people in Langworthy and Seedley, the Top Streets of Higher Broughton and the wrecked streets of Lower Broughton, the women of Spike Island and the fighters for Light Oaks Park and beyond – this is your play…this is your spirit. Make an exception and go see something at The Lowry…

LESS IS MOORSIDE

Salford Council has been shuffling its schools and its schools figures around for years, the latest being the Moorside and Swinton High School mess.

Gareth Lyons tries to get his head around the latest Council approval for a super school at Moorside and Swinton High going academy.

SALFORD'S UGLY USE OF PUBLIC MONEY

`I think a few councillors need to have a second look at the crap that they will be hoisting on the good folk of Greater Mancunia...' Skyscrapercity.com 

Plans for two horrid office blocks on the Salford side of Manc town centre have not only drawn scorn from planners and architects, they could also end up costing Salford tax payers up to £2million a year – for the next ten years.

Secret decisions, public money underwriting private profit, the destruction of a listed building and truly horrific architecture all come together under Salford Council's banner of `regeneration' and `investment'…

TOP TRUMPS FOR SALFORD HERITAGE

Modern History Greats Top Trumps Tournament
People's History Museum
Wed 1st June 11am-1pm

Blue Peter presenter and Prank Patrol guru, Barney Harwood, is set to launch a special set of Industrial Revolution themed Top Trumps cards featuring a couple of Salford greats, and the first 36 kids age 7-11 to turn up get to play in a tournament.

Which Salford stuff made the Revolution happen?

GREENING £50,000

Start in the Park
Buile Hill Park
Thurs 2nd June 1-3pm free

Back in November last year Start In Salford, the top arts based wellbeing charity, won £50,000 Lottery funding after Granada Reports viewers voted for its Start in the Park venture to turn a disused bowling green in Buile Hill Park into a community growing centre. 

Now the plans for the Green are to be revealed and everyone can have their say, as well as enjoying some great eco workshops

A Salford Star Exclusive

SALFORD'S YOUNG PEOPLE OFFERED RATES AS LOW AS £3.64 AN HOUR TO BE BBC AMBASSADORS…And if they do really well they could be offered the chance to work in `security and housekeeping'

While Salford's consultant charged with finding jobs for people from `deprived communities' pockets £650 a day, young people are being offered minimum wage rates of just £3.64 or £4.92 an hour to `welcome and look after guests' at the new BBC Headquarters at MediaCityUK.

RED RUM, SPANKING ROGER AND EXECUTIONS ON KERSAL MOOR

More Moor Tales
By Alice Searle £3

Kersal Moor is the most historically exciting place in Salford. A couple of years ago Alice Searle documented the best bits in her first booklet A Celebration Of Kersal Moor. In fact, the place is so exciting that Alice has done a follow up which is published this week.

Anyone remember the day that Red Rum came to Salford? And did you know that there's probably a body buried under Salford City's pitch?

CONDEM KILLERS - CLASS ACTIONS

Live at Salford Against the Cuts
Fri 27th May, Islington Mill £5
ConDem Killers Vol 1
Mixtape out 30th May free

Never mind Salford, Class Actions are one of the most controversial crews in the country. Their anti Royal Wedding rap hit the national press, their F*ck The BNP tune drew threats, and they've even caused raised eyebrows with their use of the `N' word.

But Class Actions are for real. There's a lot more to them than mere slogans.

SALFORD AGAINST THE CUTS LIVE GIG
Friday 27th May 7:30pm
Islington Mill £5

A fundraising, awareness raising, government exit hasting gig is taking place this Friday at Islington Mill, put on by Salford Against The Cuts.

It features five live bands and DJs and is only a fiver in.

GREAT SCOTT!

Vertigo Challenge
Imperial War Museum – The Lowry
4th and 5th June 2011  

"I'm terrified of heights, I'm terrified of open spaces, I'm terrified of deep water…you don't know how bad I am!" Janieve

Salford mum, Janieve Petruzis, is facing her fears and will soon go flying across Salford Quays. But Janieve, whose son Scott was very, very poorly, is doing the zip wire from hell to help other parents who find themselves in a similar situation to herself.

LIFTING THE LID AT ORDSALL COMMUNITY ARTS

For the past few days there's been a top exhibition of Salford art at Ordsall Community Arts and Neighbourhood Office. It featured the work of all of the city's top artists and included paintings, photos, installations and sculpture, plus live music and workshops and a painted up BMW.

For those who missed it we thought we'd give you a taste of salford art at its best.

CLOSER TO HEAVEN

Review
Peter Hook's The Light 
The Factory

A few nights ago Peter Hook's The Light played live the whole of Joy Division's seminal album, Closer, at The Factory. How was it? Did it work?
Here, Steven Speed reviews the night

THEN HACIENDA NOW
Richard Goodall Gallery
Until May 28th free

A pair of Hacienda doors for ten grand anyone? Or a genuine Hacienda guitar for four and a half grand? Never mind. Just seeing everything Hooky and Hacienda on display is well worth a visit to the posh side of Manc-land.

A SALFORD ODDITY: Part 3

THE GOBFATHER

More comic reflections on Salford by Tom Short. And this time it's doctors' waiting rooms, Langworthy Road and bother…

LIFTING THE LID
Ordsall Community Arts
Friday 20th to Sat 21st May 2011 free
Robert Hall Street, Ordsall

The cream of Salford's artistic talent is on display at Ordsall Community Arts for two days, as Joe Coffey and Jo Carlon plus loads of others show their works in a special Lifting The Lid exhibition.

Also on display is a BMW car, done up after loads of local kids were let loose on it with loads of paint. Meanwhile Saturday sees a whole day of live events with music, kids activities, crafts and more fab art.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON RALLY TO DEFEND THE NHS
Friday 20th May 1:45-4pm
Bobby Owens Room, Unite The Union, Merchants Quay, Salford Quays

Tony Lloyd MP, NHS frontline rep Frances Kelly and Dr Aneez Esmail from the Medical Practitioners Union are just some of the speakers who will be appearing at a rally tomorrow afternoon to Defend The NHS, called by Unite Greater Manchester Pensioners.

SALFORD'S GOT TALENT
First Qualifying Round
Friday 20th May 2011
The Old Pint Pot 7pm-1am free

A major Salford talent competition full of qualifying rounds and open to anyone in the city begins tomorrow night at the Old Pint Pot pub on The Crescent. Acts will be battling it out to win an eventual first prize of £500.

MORE CONSULTANTS AND MARKETING AS SALFORD CITY COUNCIL  SPENDING GOES ON…

Did someone mention £40million of cuts? February's expenditure over £500 for Salford City Council knew no bounds as consultants, marketing companies and recruitment specialists all cashed in while budgets still allowed.

We have the ex deputy chief executive of Salford Council picking up over £13,000 in consultancy fees; we have `creative economy consultants' scooping nearly £26,000 – and the first £1million instalment of the loan to the City of Salford Stadium, jointly owned by Rich List climber John Whittaker and his Peel Holdings group.

ORDSALL HALL OPEN AFTER £6.5MILLION RESTORATION

`The £6.5million restoration of Ordsall Hall has been timed to fit in with the whole tarting up of parts of Ordsall estate, which stands between Salford Quays and MediaCityUK on one side, and Manchester city centre on the other. It's just another piece in a bigger jigsaw…'

Salford's oldest building, Ordsall Hall, has now reopened following a massive restoration of the Grade 1 listed building which dates from the 14th Century. What's it like? Why has it been done up? And is there really a ghost haunting the place?

ADDICTS ADRIFT IN THE CREEPY CRYPT

THE CRYPT PROJECT
Tues 17th – Tues 31st May 2011 £8/£10
The Crypt, St Philip with St Stephen Church, Salford

Down in the crypt of the old Greek-style St Philip with St Stephen Church, off Chapel Street, something is stirring.

The underground crypt, which until now has been sealed off from the public, is the venue for a new dramatic experience by Happy Storm Theatre where addiction is uncovered and explored in creepy crypt kicking detail…

STARS OF CORRIE ST, SHAMELESS AND BENIDORM PRAISE SALFORD SCHOOLS

This week Salford schools, St Ambrose Barlow and Harrop Fold, were winners at the annual Clapperboard Awards, held at The Lowry. The ceremony was hosted by Benidorm's Crissy Rock, the judges included Shameless star Tina Malone, and Corrie's Holly Quin-Ankrah were amongst those handing out the prizes.

Dawn O'Connor checked out the movie missives, with photos by Simon Teasdale.

HANKY PARK
The Inn Of Good Hope, Sat 14th May
The Bluebell, Monton 21st May
The John Gilbert, Worsley 28th May
from 8.30 pm free

Top Salford rock band Hanky Park begin three free gigs starting this Saturday, before playing Rumble At The Reebok in June for millions of worldwide tv viewers. There's also a new album and loads more. Dawn O'Connor met up with Shinny and the lads to talk of drugs, alcohol and sex…

105 RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE SOCIAL SERVICES AS SALFORD YET AGAIN FAILS TO PROTECT A CHILD…

"This report does highlight a number of missed opportunities to help this child" Gill Rigg, Chair of Salford's Safeguarding Board

The Salford Safeguarding Children Board Serious Case Review into the murder of 12 year old Tia Rigg has exposed yet another catalogue of disasters and failings by agencies that are supposed to protect the city's most vulnerable children.

Salford Council Chief Executive Barbara Spicer was ultimately responsible for many of the criticisms by the Board which looked into the case. So will Barbara Spicer resign?

PEEL HOLDINGS ALLOWS ILLEGAL PEAT MINING IN SALFORD'S RAINFOREST

Peel Holdings, owners of MediaCityUK and builder of the new Blue Peter eco garden for Children's BBC, has been allowing illegal peat mining on its land on the Chat Moss green belt, known by many as Salford's Rainforest.

William Sinclair, the company that has been bleeding the precious land to death for a number of years, has applied to Salford Council for planning permission to continue extracting peat. The application goes before Salford Council soon but the company has continued to mine the peat illegally in the meantime, while land owner Peel Holdings has done nothing to stop it.

A Salford Star Exclusive

SALFORD'S MULTI MILLION POUND DEMOLITION BUSINESS

Salford Council's continuous demolition of the city has now become a multi-million pound industry with almost £2million worth of contracts shared by just three companies over the last twelve months.

The bulldozing business has now got so big that demolition apprentices are being taken on, and the Council is even considering having the Mayor posing for photos with bulldozers at the start of demolitions…

SALFORD COUNCIL TRASHES TOP HOUSES AT A COST OF OVER £200,000

An old three storey dairy with a cobbled courtyard is just one of over a hundred houses about to be demolished in Higher Broughton at a cost of £228,000.

While Salford's housing waiting list grows, and without a developer confirmed to build any new houses, the demolitions in the Top Streets of Higher Broughton begin this month…in what people might see as an act of intimidation towards residents holding out against Salford Council.

Hanky Park, Then And Now: A Lesson In Regeneration?
A talk by Tom Murphy
Wed 11th May 2pm free
Working Class Movement Library

Hanky Park was Salford all over. Then it was condemned to make way for the brave new world of Salford Precinct and the tower blocks.  A `lesson in regeneration' or a disaster?

This first talk in the new Invisible Histories series at the Working Class Movement Library will aim to provide some answers.

DESIGN STUDENTS PRODUCE I25UE 

Students from the University of Salford have produced a top newspaper looking at the issues that affect the hype industry of branding and marketing – everything from whether relaxation drinks can `create a new competitive category in the soft drinks market' to `Design, psychology and responsibility'.

The 24 students who have been involved are the marketeers of the future so it's well worth reading their ideas. Plus there's a live discussion to go with it all at Duke's 92 in Manchester on Tuesday.

WAS IT GOLD UNDER SALFORD OR SOMETHING MORE SINISTER?

In the 1950s rumours were rife that gold had been discovered under Salford, as bangs and blasts punctuated the working day. No-one knew what was going on – but then it turned out that Salford and Manchester were preparing for nuclear war. It all started in Chapel Street – and has ended with a CPO order.

Here James Foster goes digging for the truth…

Salford Community Media Partnership (SCMP) is looking for budding writers and photographers who would like to gain experience and get involved in producing the third issue of Salford Media Scene - the only magazine dedicated to Salford's creative community.

FIVE GAINS FOR LABOUR IN SALFORD AS LIB DEMS AND TORIES LOSE SEATS…

Labour won five new seats in Salford as the Lib Dem vote completely collapsed in last night's local elections.

The Lib Dems lost the two seats they were defending in Claremont and Swinton South, and came bottom of the poll in eight wards out of twenty as the Nick Clegg factor swept Salford. The Tories also lost two seats, in Cadishead and Eccles, while Independent councillor Geoff Ainsworth lost his seat to Labour in Weaste and Seedley.

Lib Dem leader, Norman Owen said "The clear message to us is that the Liberal Democrats are taking the flak for this coalition"…

GUNS, BUMS AND LOCAL ELECTIONS

"We're left with a bunch of idiots" ex BNP councillor

Two BNP candidates standing in today's local election in Salford have been photographed fooling around with replica guns at a BNP camping trip in Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, the Salford Star has discovered that a fake letter from the Muslim Parliament has been circulating around Salford in an effort to stir up racial hatred…

SALFORD COUNCIL DOESN'T REVEAL EXPENDITURE OVER £500

From December last year, like all councils in England, Salford City Council was duty bound by the Government to publish every penny of spending over £500 each month.

Salford Council did produce the figures for December 2010 and January 2011 but since then there's been nothing. What's going on?

VOTE VOTE VOTE ON MAY 5th ! WHY?

Politicians with a capital `P' are kind of out canvassing for Salford people's votes on Thursday. But is there any one candidate or political party worth voting for?

Here, Gareth Lyons, from Swinton South, gives his personal opinion on why he'll be voting `None of the Above'…

A SALFORD ODDITY – The Gritty Sequel

Part Two of Tom Short's comic reflections on Salford.

On bikes, Tesco and petrol bombs…

SALFORD KNIGHTS FIGHT FOR ST FRANCIS HOSPICE

Salford to Italy Bike Ride
September 2011
Fundraising Dinner, Cresta Court Hotel, Altrincham
13th May 2011 

The Salford Knights Scooter Club are leaving their 'chines and in September are peddling from Salford to southern Italy to raise money for the St Francis Children's Hospice. In the meantime, there's a fundraising dinner on 13th May to help the top cause. Graham Williamson goes riding with The Pit Bull, The Poodle and The Greyhound…with photo by Emma Short.

THE FRANK BUCKLEY FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
De La Salle, Lancaster Road, Salford
18th and 19th June 2011

To launch the redevelopment of De La Salle FC's top football site there's going to be a massive tournament for five age groups - Under 6s, 7s,8s,9s and 10s – in June.

With over two thousand people expected, any teams or players wanting to take part should book a place now!