"Rub the teapot and get your house demolished" Guy Griffiths
Over the last decade, the Salford Star has been documenting the destruction of 'proper' Salford to make way for the march of the developers, unaffordable housing and sterile privatised public spaces.
Along the way, we've been collecting relics from the blitz which we are reluctantly having to sell in a bid to save the Salford Star. The community has also been donating items which will all go on sale this Sunday 9th December in an auction to be conducted by former Coronation Street star Nigel Pivaro (Terry Duckworth) who has also been a long time Salford Star contributor and supporter.
The Star has created a special mausoleum at its pop-up exhibition and shop at Salford Precinct to display the relics...
The auction will include the following lots...
A Genuine Piece of the Salford Quays Cargo Cranes this unique three inch long fragment from the jib of one of the cranes was obtained on the night of their demolition in 2013, documented in horrifying detail by the Salford Star at the time. This was one of the most odious acts carried out by Salford City Council during the life of the Star a very public philistine act of cultural vandalism that shocked anyone in the city who cared about heritage.
At the time, Nigel Pivaro implored the then City Mayor, Ian Stewart, not to go through with the demolition... "Do you really want this destruction to be the legacy of your leadership?" he asked, while slamming the city's civic leaders... "They have no emotional connection to our older neighbourhoods, pubs, public buildings and industrial heritage..."*
The Salford Quays Crane Fragment is open for bidding with a reserve price of £100 (a bid has already been received for this amount).
A Genuine Bolt From The Dirty Old Town Salford Gas Holders a beautiful relic from more heritage destruction, as the first of the two gas holders, made world famous in Ewan MacColl's Dirty Old Town, has already been demolished.
Despite pleas from the community, protest events and a flea in the Council's ear from Peggy Seeger, the full destruction will be completed after Christmas.*
The Dirty Old Town Gas Holder Bolt is now open for bidding with a reserve price of £100.
The Last Brick In Broughton The demolitions in Higher Broughton were the most clear cut signal of social cleansing in the whole of Salford, as affordable terraced homes were bulldozed to make way for new houses costing up to almost £240,000 (2013 prices). People in the Top Streets were offered an average of just £50,000 for their homes. New houses slapped on the site cost an average of £150,000.
This collection of relics from the Top Streets features The Last Brick in Broughton a brick from the very last house bulldozed in King Street, plus a set of house keys and a religious icon found in the aftermath of the destruction.
The Aladdin's Cave of items also include The Teapot That Has Been CPO'd (compulsorily purchased) Three Times, donated by the Griffiths brothers who were physically thrown out of their houses by Salford City Council as they resisted eviction. The family has had their houses compulsorily purchased by the Council three times and this teapot has been there all the way on their harrowing journey of 'regeneration'... "Rub the teapot and get your house demolished" says Guy Griffiths who has now been 'exiled' to Wales, where he makes incredibly strong apple wine from the trees in his rural retreat. A bottle of Liberty wine is included in the auction lot.
The Last Brick in Broughton and items are now open for bidding with a reserve price of £500.
A Bag of Genuine Agecroft Colliery Coal a bag of genuine coal from Agecroft Colliery which shut in 1990, complete with a book called The Last Pit In The Valley which documents the Irwell Valley mines
The Agecroft Coal and book are now open for bidding - No Reserve.
The Toilet of Broken Salford Promises a genuine 1970s avocado toilet overflowing with regeneration strategies, pledges, plans and 'bright futures' for Salford. The city's poverty levels haven't budged an inch.
The Toilet of Broken Salford Promises is an art installation by Rob Lever and is now open for bidding with a reserve price of £1.
All these lots and more will be up for bidding this Sunday the auction takes place from around 2:30pm with events beginning at 1pm full details to follow
Save The Salford Star Auction
Conducted by Nigel Pivaro
Sunday 9th December from 1pm 5pm
Salford Star Pop-Up Shop, Salford Precinct (next to Lloyds Bank)
To bid, bring your cash in person to the Save The Salford Star Auction this Sunday...
You can also put in bids by emailing info@salfordstar.com or by phoning 07957 982960. All proceeds will go towards helping to Save The Salford Star
All items and more are on display at the Salford Star shop and exhibition open today (Friday), Saturday and Sunday
* See previous Salford Star articles...
Nigel Pivaro Says Stop The Salford Cranes Demolition click here
The Salford Quays Cranes Execution Show click here
Peggy Seeger Slams 'Land Grabbers' As More Heritage Disappears click here
Dirty Old Town Gasworks Demolition Begins click here
Salford Council Assassinates Higher Broughton Community click here
The Guy Griffiths Story click here
Update: 8th December
Can Ringo Starr save the Salford Star? A brick from The Beatle's childhood home to be auctioned by Nigel Pivaro in Salford Precinct tomorrow Sunday 9th Dec from 2:30pm! http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=4853