DRAG SALFORD COUNCILLORS SCREAMING TO THIS PRODUCTION!

Review
Tinned Up
The Lowry
June 30th-2nd July

Every councillor in Salford should be rounded up and frog marched to The Lowry (well you can't get a bus) to see Tinned Up, the fictional play of the reality of Salford's regeneration where comedy, tragedy and space cakes collide in demolition land Langworthy.

5000 SALFORD AND MANCHESTER PEOPLE MARCH AGAINST GOVERNMENT…

`1-2-3-4 We won't pay a penny more
 5-6-7-8 We won't work 'til we're 68!!!'

Five thousand people from Salford and Manchester marched against the ConDem Government today, as strikes against the cuts in workers' conditions shut schools, court rooms and tax offices.

The march, from All Saints to Castlefield concluded with a huge rally where NUT National executive member, Helen Andrews accused David Cameron of being a `bully', a `liar' and a `thief'. Teacher always knows best!

SALFORD STRIKES AGAINST CONDEM GOVERNMENT

National Day Of Strikes
Thurs June 30th
March, Oxford Rd, Manchester 11am
Rally Castlefield Arena 12:30
Salford Against The Cuts/Salford TUC Fundraiser
Saffron Restaurant, 7pm

Salford schools will close, as will the County Court and Tax Office as part of a national day of action on June 30th against the ConDem Government's attack on public sector workers.

There's a march, a rally and picket lines going up all over the place, and the day ends with a special Salford Against The Cuts/Salford TUC Fundraiser to which everyone is invited.

SALFORD IN NOT PART OF FESTIVAL

Not Part Of
Various Venues
June 30th- July 16th

The Not Part of Festival describes itself as the Fringe of Manchester International Festival which is `totally open and inclusive'. And for those Salford people who can't get to The Lowry's £300,000 opera there's plenty going on around the city at affordable local venues...from Something Like A Fairytale at Salford Arts Theatre to Nice at Studio Salford.

SALFORD POLICE USE TWITTER TO KEEP IN TOUCH

Salford people can now use Twitter to see what the police are up to in their area and to interact with cops on the beat.

The new police Twitter service is available in all areas of Salford but the Salford Star went down to East Salford to see how it's working on the streets…

TALES FROM A NORTHERN CITY

John Herring
Sacred Trinity Church, Chapel Street
Friday 1st July 2011 7pm £6

Anyone singing along in the audience at Friday's John Herring gig will not only be featured on his new album but will also get a credit. The Salford singer-songwriter is recording the whole concert and is offering 15 minutes of fame for those brave enough to sing up to some new songs.

PEEL HOLDINGS AND THE BBC

This week's The Impact of MediaCityUK event, organized by How Do, looked mainly at the business impacts of the BBC move to Salford and the creation of the new `media city'.

In the first of his reports from the event, Nigel Pivaro attempts to look at the impact of MediaCityUK on media democracy – and draws a blank with Shadow Culture Minister, Ivan Lewis.

COULD THIS BE THE END OF MASS DEMOLITIONS IN SALFORD?

"It has been obscene to see authorities acquire, evict, devalue and demolish thousands of Victorian terraced houses without even submitting a full planning application, simply so the land they stand on can be handed to development driven quangos for private profit..." Jonathan Brown

As Salford Council continues its demolition programme, despite in many cases having no developer in sight, a series of court rulings are set to change the conditions under which houses and heritage sites can be bulldozed.

Court cases in Lancaster and Gateshead brought by SAVE Britain's Heritage have changed the game completely. Demolitions in Liverpool have been stopped, now residents in Salford are more than taking an interest.

GRAFFITI PALACE DESTROYED

Salford City Council officers and councillors with the imagination of tennis rackets have given the go ahead for the destruction of Salford's Graffiti Palace.

Walls along the Ordsall stretch of the Ship Canal, up until a few weeks ago covered in fantastic works of graffiti art, have been painted over in dull brick red.

The art has been destroyed to make way for a new riverside walkway between Manchester city centre and MediaCityUK, with Salford Council fearing that BBC workers might be offended by 20ft high works of art.

TASTY WORLD
Refugee Week
20th-26 June
Various venues

Dance, discussion, art, food and fashion all make up the mix of events for the fifth annual Refugee Week in the Salford. The events take in everything from the hardship refugees have to face, to the stunning culture that has arrived on our doorsteps. Plus the fab Multi Cultural Munch Group…

A MOST VICTORIAN BEXLEY SQUARE
Saturday 25th June 2-8pm

Next Saturday Bexley Square, off Chapel Street, turns Victorian with a traditional market, food stalls, a music hall, Punch and Judy show, maypole dancers and Victorian dressed cycle ride. There's also a prize for the best Victorian fancy dress costume.

SALFORD'S GOT TALENT

Tom Short on the world of am-dram in Weaste, Top Gear on tv and Superman in Krypton…

…Oh, and the Big Bang Theory…

OFFICE OF FAIR TRADING AND PEEL HOLDINGS

Salford's MediaCityUK has become embroiled in a huge row with the future of the British film industry at stake. 

At the centre of it, the Office of Fair Trading is looking into Peel's proposed takeover of Pinewood and Shepperton Studios and whether, with MediaCityUK already in its ownership, Peel would have too large a share in the tv production business.

But behind this there's green belt destruction, property speculation, media democracy and, as always, John Whittaker…

NATIONAL CARERS WEEK SEES SALFORD COUNCIL LAUNCH FORUM BUT CUT OVER £250,000 IN CARER SUPPORT

This week is National Carers Week and Salford Council has launched a new online Forum where "carers in Salford are being encouraged to share their stories as part of a national campaign to raise awareness of what life as a carer is like".

Perhaps the carers will be discussing what life is like facing over £250,000 cuts to carer support currently being imposed by Salford City Council…

SALFORD COUNCIL TOURIST SNUB

`It's a kick in the teeth isn't it?...It's disrespectful and spiteful' Salford tourist

A whole coach load of tourists arrived in Salford yesterday to see Alan Boyson's grade II listed mural, the Tree of Knowledge, plus his fab concrete screen at Pendleton College.

Their awe at Boyson's work was only matched by their horror of Salford Council's attitude towards visitors to our city. You might think that charging them £50 to undo the padlock to the Tree of Knowledge was bad… but it gets worse…

THREE FAB PRODUCTIONS FROM JOE O'BYRNE

I'm Frank Morgan, Rank and the Watcher
DIGITfest, The Lowry
Sunday June 12th 3pm and 8pm £12/£5

Joe O'Byrne has been building up a growing reputation as a top dramatist thanks to his Tales From Paradise Heights series – set on an estate with all the social, financial and psychological problems that entails. Everyone has a story.

Joe's put those fictional stories on stage to great acclaim, and now he's added two short films being premiered at DIGITfest this weekend, plus the half film half play Rank. If you're under 25 or on conscessions you can see them all for a fiver!

TOURISTS COME TO EAST SALFORD TO SEE FAMOUS LISTED MURAL – SO HOW DID SALFORD CITY COUNCIL RESPOND?

"There's never been a better time to visit. We look forward to seeing you in Salford soon" From Salford City Council's `Visit Salford' tourist website.

A bus load of tourists from all over the country is coming to Charlestown this Saturday to view Alan Boyson's Grade II Listed Tree of Knowledge sculpture, sited near the Cromwell roundabout.

With Salford City Council now trying to push heritage and tourism you might think they would be welcomed with open arms – a personal greeting from the Mayor maybe?

In yer dreams! So how did Salford Council treat the prospective tourists?

FLAT IRON PUB VANISHES FROM SALFORD MARKET

The Flat Iron, one of the most well known pubs in Salford, now lies in a pile of twisted metal and bricks, bulldozed just a few months after finally closing its doors.

The pub, one of the last in Salford to actually have Dirty Old Town on its jukebox, has been flattened to make way for new developments on the Precinct.

SALFORD CITY FC PAINT DAY

Saturday 11th June 11am
Moor Lane, Kersal

Salford City FC needs its tangerine army to help paint and do up the Moor Lane ground on Saturday to give Rhodri Giggs and his team the stadium they deserve. It's going to be an all day makeover kicking off at 11am and everyone's welcome.

Meanwhile pre-season friendly fixtures have been announced that include Oldham Athletic, Stockport County and Preston North End.