TRADE UNIONS TURN OUT TO OPPOSE CUTS IN SALFORD

"We need to send a message to Salford Council – they were not elected to pass on these cuts, that's not what the people of Salford want. And if they try to pass on those cuts it will be resisted…" Steve North, Salford Trades Council

Today over one hundred people took over Salford's Town Hall steps to show their opposition to both the ConDem coalition government cuts and any axe wielding that Salford's Labour Council might be contemplating.

Salford City 0 Skelmersdale United 5

Er…

Theatres and Music Halls of Salford and Beyond
29th September 2010 6pm Free
Working Class Movement Library

A talk by Les Willis on Salford's disappearing theatres and music halls.

DEMONSTRATION AGAINST CUTS AND JOB LOSSES
Noon Wednesday 29th September 2010
Outside Civic Centre, Chorley Rd, Salford

"…they force the pain on low income families, attack public services and propose cut backs which will hurt the weak and most vulnerable in our communities" Ray Walker, UNISON

SELL OFFS…CUTS…THE SALFORD AXE IS COMING…

Tomorrow, at noon, Salfordians are being urged to protest outside the Civic Centre in Swinton, against the coming cuts and job losses in the city.

The demonstration has been called by Salford Trades Council and trade unions UNITE, UNISON and GMB as part of a Europe wide Day of Action, which will include general strikes in Greece and Spain.

JARVIS COCKER, BILL DRUMMOND, SUZUKI METHOD, BRIGGZY ET AL STAR AT UN-CONVENTION.

Un-Convention 1st-3rd October
£14-£40

Jarvis Cocker, Bill Drummond, Billy Bragg, Don Letts, Gaby Young and the Eccles Borough Brass Band will join the likes of local stars Suzuki Method, Briggzy, John Herring and The Black Knights at this year's Un-Convention.

Un-Convention, a sprawling music, talk and happenings anti-fest that was born in Salford two years ago, has now gone world wide but this week it's back at strange venues across the city including  Salford Central Station, barges outside the Mark Addy pub, Sacred Trinity Church and Salford Lads Club.

Mid-Life Crisis MCC 7th Anniversary Party
9th October
Ship Hotel, Irlam

Mid-Life Crisis MCC is the only motorcycle club in Salford. Next month it celebrates its 7th anniversary with a party at the Ship Hotel in Irlam, plus its annual Memorial Motorcycle run to Blackpool.

It's all about `two wheels and a sense of freedom and fun'.

POWER TO SCHOOL KIDS

A schools charity is urging Salford's kids to take power and play a part in sorting out their school.

Across Salford there are currently 27 positions for school governors that need to be filled, which is a massive shortage, and charity the School Governors' One-Stop Shop (SGOSS) is calling on pupils to get their voices heard.

Salford City 0 Chester 4

WHOOOPEEE FOR CHESTER

`Oh West Cheshire…is wonderful…West Cheshire is wonderful-u-u-l'

You where? You what? How sad is it when about 600 Chester fans come to Salford and start singing about the delights of `West Cheshire'? Very sad!

Yes the whole village of Chester visited Salford today, bringing with them their stereotyped image of the big city… `You're the scum of Manchester…You're the scu-u-u-um of Manchester'

You what? You where?

MEDIACITYUK GETS 19 NEW POSTCODES…
SO GO COMPARE…GO COMPARE…GO COMPARE…

"Don't get mad, don't be had Go Compare"

MediaCityUK has been allotted 19 new postcodes which it's chosen itself. The postcodes include M50 2HQ for the studio block and M50 2PF for the Pie Factory, further underlining Peel Media's claims that it is building a new "city" within Salford.

We thought we'd Go Compare, so Mary Burns was sent to get a car insurance quote for a MediaCityUK postcode and one in Ordsall just across the road.

How did she get on?

WHAT THE 'ECK'S THIS?

Former Lib Dem Salford councillor, John Deas, got a shock this morning when he opened his post. He was invited to vote for the next leader of the Labour Party, via a legitimate ballot paper and candidates' literature and everything.

So what did he do?

ATTIC ATTACK IN HIGHER BROUGHTON

A Salford resident living in the demolition area of the Top Streets in Higher Broughton got a massive shock yesterday when thieves tried to break into his house through the attic.

The thieves hammered their way through about half a dozen attics in derelict houses on the street to reach the occupied house, and stunned the resident who saw a hand coming out of his attic panel.

Yet Salford City Council which owns the houses and has a `duty of care' to residents still living next to tinned up properties, were warned that something like this could happen three years ago and, more recently, over a month ago…

A Salford Star Exclusive

SIR BOB KERSLAKE, TOM BLOXHAM AND THE BUBBLE HOUSE PARTY IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

"There's more scope for the private and public sectors to work together more closely" Tom Bloxham, Urban Splash

Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Exec of the Homes and Communities Agency, partied at Tom Bloxham's opulent bubble house in the South of France, weeks before he took up his post as head of the public agency that deals with affordable housing.

The Homes and Community Agency has since, we estimate, handed over £60million to schemes associated with Tom Bloxham's Urban Splash…

Ossett Albion 6 Salford City 2

SHOCKER IN OSSETT

A linesman apparently swearing at fans… a goal dreamt up in the empty brain of the ref…the Salford City chairman sent off…two penalties…eight goals…and cows making more noise than the home fans…

What on earth went on in Ossett this afternoon? And where on earth is Ossett?

JOE COFFEY - HOODLIFE
Langworthy Cornerstone
Sept 2010 – Jan 2011 free

NEW LOWRY ART OF HOODIES

If LS Lowry was around today he'd be painting `kids on the corner of the streets', only this time they'd be wearing hoodies rather than clogs.

Coming out of the same school of alienation art is Joe Coffey, Salford's new Lowry, whose paintings cover the streetscapes of the city which are a million miles away from the shiny, sterile confines of MediaCityUK and The Lowry at Salford Quays. Joe depicts what he calls "the other side of Salford" – the destruction and demonising of working class communities.

BULLDOZERS MOVE IN ON LANGWORTHY ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Despite Salford Council official policy which states "historic and cultural assets that contribute to the character of the city will be preserved and wherever possible enhanced", the bulldozers have moved in on locally listed Langworthy Road Primary School, built in 1898.

Langworthy, Tootal Drive and Seedley are three historic school sites that have been shut over the summer and merged into the new Willow Tree school that was too small to take all the displaced kids. While the demolition of Grade B listed Langworthy Road has begun, no-one yet knows the fate of the other two schools.

LITTLETON ROAD RIVERSIDE STREETS JOIN THE `LOST'…

Another seven streets of Salford have joined the 1500 that have disappeared in the city over the last 50 years. During the last twelve months we have visually documented the destruction of the area.

The 184 terraced houses, right on the River Irwell, were bulldozed to fit in with Charlestown and Lower Kersal New Deal for Communities plans for "riverside development" as part of its solution to Salford's "image problem"…

TUC STATS SHOW SALFORD WILL SUFFER IN RICH v POOR

As the TUC Congress meets in Manchester this week, a new report by the TUC and UNISON shows that Salford will be hit hard by the forthcoming ConDem Coalition cuts.

The Report, Where The Money Goes, shows that the "poorest 10 per cent will be hit 13 times harder by spending cuts than the richest ten per cent". And Salford, the birthplace of the TUC and with its huge proportion of disadvantaged people, will lose out more than most.

Salford Local History and Family Fun Day
Sunday 19th September 2010
11am-4pm Free entry
Salford Museum and Art Gallery

Next Sunday a huge event is happening with loads of heritage and history societies converging on Salford Museum and Art Gallery for the ninth annual  Salford Local History and Family Fun Day.

Together with stalls run by local community groups and organisations, there's also lots of things for kids to do, including rides on vintage buses.

FIRST SALFORD MUSIC FESTIVAL THRILLS CITY 

The first Salford Music Festival drew to a close last night with a huge line up at The Ritz, which included The Fall, The Salford Jets, Girl Peculiar plus many of the bands who had been touring the pubs and playing for free for the previous three nights.

Everyone who saw the Festival agreed that it was a huge success – when's the next one?

FA CUP First Qualifying Round
Salford City 0 Northwich Victoria 1

SALFORD GO DOWN FIGHTING

Unfortunate Salford went out of the FA Cup, beaten by a solitary goal from a team which is joint top of the next league up from the Evo-Stik First Division where the Ammies play.

Oh but it could have been so, so different.

SALFORD RETRACED FOR HERITAGE

As part of Heritage Week, ReTracing Salford came to the United Reform Church on Chapel Street today with its collection of old Salford street signs, photos, maps…and the Key To Broughton and Ordsall? What on earth is that?

TWO MORE DAZE OF THE SALFORD MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Salford Music Festival kicks off for another two days with bands, MCs, singers and starlets hammering the pubs around the city.

Today, from 2pm, there's huge line ups at The Kings Arms, The Hope, The Crescent, The White Horse, The Town Hall, The Weaste and The Plough (all events are free), while Sunday sees the big all day Main Stage event at The Ritz starring The Fall et al…

SALFORD BAND GO TO BURY

Salford rock band, Jealous, are picking up fans and gigs in the Sates. But in the meantime they played a small acoustic set in a shop in Bury.

Graham Williamson went shopping with the band.

SALFORD STREETS MUSEUM

Over 1500 streets have been demolished in Salford over the last fifty years and the communities dispersed.  Now a new museum dedicated to the city's lost streets has opened online to preserve memories through family snapshots, films, objects and oral histories.

The Salford Streets Museum is a result of loads of work done in the community by the ReTracing Salford team and their latest exhibition happens this Saturday 11th September as part of Heritage Open Day at the Chapel Street and Hope United Reform Church.

SALFORD MUSIC FESTIVAL STARTS TONIGHT!
9th-12th September
Venues all over Salford - free

75 bands at over 60 live gigs over four bursting days - with virtually all of them free. The first ever Salford Music Festival kicks off tonight at five pubs - The Hope, The Crescent, The King's Arms, The Weaste, The Town Hall and The Plough and continues for three wild days…

A Salford Star Exclusive

SALFORD'S SHOCKING UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURES

The latest unemployment figures suggest that MediaCityUK is having almost no impact on jobs in Salford, despite claims by Salford Council that "approx 1500 residents have worked on the MediaCity development".

Unemployment rates in the wards nearest to the MediaCityUK development are some of the worst in Greater Manchester, with Langworthy (8.8%) and Broughton (8.7%) showing double the average rate of Job Seeker's Allowance claimants.

Over the last year, while every other area of Greater Manchester showed an increase in JobCentre Plus notified vacancies, Salford's fell by 31%. There are now almost five people chasing every JobCentre Plus vacancy…

THE NIGHT THE FA CUP CAME TO SALFORD 

Last night the FA Cup arrived at Moor Lane, home of the mighty Salford City, and went on display before the kick off against Curzon Ashton to promote the Ammies' FA Cup tie with Northwich Victoria this weekend.

Loads of kids and families turned up to have their photos taken with the famous old trophy. But once the match against Curzon Ashton kicked off, it really kicked off with Salford City finishing the game with nine players to Curzon's ten.

The FA Cup represents all that's magical about the game. Shame we had to play Curzon - who represent everything that's bad about the game. Plus yet another duff referee…

THE QUEEN CHASES SALFORD COUNCIL FOR OVER £500,000

Never mind the summons for your Council Tax, Salford City Council itself is now being chased by `Her Majesty's Court Services' for over half a million quid it owes for five year's rent and stuff on Bexley Square, site of the old Salford Town Hall and now the city's main courthouse.

As Salford Council tries to stop Her Maj merging its courts with Manchester following the no-show of the new Eccles court building, there's the little matter of the £578,468 bill to settle – or the Council could find itself in the court rather than fighting for its survival.

REPORT RECOMMENDING HOPE MATERNITY UNIT SHOULD STAY OPEN WAS `IGNORED' AND CONSULTATION WAS `BIASED'

An official report recommending that Hope Hospital's Maternity Unit should stay open was "ignored" and there was "a clear indication of bias" in the consultation proceedings, according to a new document produced by midwives.

The document states that "there was never a chance of maternity and neonatal services being retained at Hope, from the very start of the consultation process". And, as a result of population increase, it adds, "We judge that the new unit at St Mary's will be barely able to meet the needs of its own population let alone that of Salford…"

KEEP HOPE MATERNITY OPEN RALLY ATTRACTS HUNDREDS

"Why has the almost 100% opposition to this, been arrogantly ignored?" Mike Sweeney

Hundreds of people wearing Born In Salford t-shirts gathered in Buile Hill Park on Saturday to show opposition to plans to shut down the Maternity Unit at Hope Hospital, now called Salford Royal.

Backed by Ryan Giggs, Mike Sweeney, John Thompson and Salford Reds, the campaign is gathering renewed momentum as pressure mounts on the new government to reverse the decision to close Salford's baby unit.

FA CUP COMES TO SALFORD CITY ON TUESDAY

The FA Cup is coming to Moor Lane, home of Salford City FC, on Tuesday night to promote the Ammies' FA Cup tie with Northwich Victoria next Saturday.

Salford City has a league game against Curzon Ashton on Tuesday night and supporters are invited to have their photo taken with the FA Cup before the 7:45pm kick off. Get there very early though because the famous old trophy is off on its travels again at 8pm.

Meanwhile, Salford City, with a patched up team, drew 1-1 with Radcliffe Borough yesterday.

Salford Throws A Party In Broughton

Yesterday, Albert Park in Broughton hosted a top family fun day as the sun shone over Salford. There was everything from donkey rides, to a big wheel, to the brilliant Cirque de Salford.

There were exotic animals to hold, arts and crafts, and loads of stalls, including the popular Re-Tracing Salford stand inviting the community to re-trace the lost streets of Salford.

Salford’s Splintered Gets UK Cinema Release

Stuff your Hollywood big budget blockbusters, Salford based production company Not A Number has just got its first feature film on nationwide cinema release.

Splintered, a psychological thriller with lots of blood and gore, was shot on a tiny budget but managed to swing a swanky premiere last Friday at London’s Empire in Leicester Square, and is being shown locally this week by the Odeon at the Trafford Centre.

More details here…

RALLY TO SAVE SALFORD'S MATERNITY UNIT
2pm Buile Hill Park, Eccles Old Road, Salford

Tomorrow (Sat 4th September) there's a big Keep Hope Maternity Open rally, backed by Salford TUC, Ryan Giggs and loads of others, to help save Salford Royal Hospital's Maternity Unit. Since the general election, the ConDem coalition has said it will review all of Greater Manchester's maternity closures, and one of the criteria is whether mums, families and GPs had been consulted properly.

Tomorrow's rally and march to the NHS HQ in Pendleton will hopefully show the views from Salford. Loud and clear.

CHEMISTRY FROM WHIT LANE TO BROUGHTON

The Chemical and Capricious `A Glimpse Within'
Exhibition and DVD screening
Lower Maxwell Hall, University of Salford 3rd Sept 11am-3pm
Broughton Family Fun Day, Albert Park, Saturday 4th September 12-4pm

Young people from across East Salford have been doing films, photos and words to try and make sense of their place in a city that's changing before their eyes - from the demolition zone of Whit Lane to the new white houses of New Broughton.

SALFORD'S GOT TALENT
Friday 3rd September 2010 7:45pm-1am
The Willows, Weaste Lane, Salford
£5 door fee (proceeds to CHRISTIES APPEAL)

PETER HOOK, TERRY CHRISTIAN JUDGE SALFORD TALENT

Tonight, at The Willows, Peter Hook, Terry Christian and Ed Blaney are judging a top line up of Salford talent, including dancers, singers, hip hop artists and drummers.

The night is a fundraiser for Christies and there will be an auction of signed footy shirts and a raffle with some top prizes. There's also a special performance by Girl Peculiar and the Costa Del Salford Disco featuring Hooky and others on the decks.

OSTRICH DEMOCRACY SALFORD STYLE…

Accountability, transparency and democracy seem to have ground to a halt in Salford as no public body seems to want to answer questions in the public interest…about school buildings, about MediaCityUK, about the University of Salford, about half a million pound costs in Bexley Square.

Neither the Council, nor the University, nor the Information Commissioner himself appears to want to let the taxpayers of Salford know what is happening with their hard earned money…

We ask `Who is running Salford – an accountable council or a flock of ostriches?'