Star date: 7th September 2010 

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.

Star date: 6th September 2010 

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…"

Star date: 5th September 2010

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.

Star date: 5th September 2010 

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.

Star date: 5th September 2010

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.

Star date: 5th September 2010 

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…

Star date: 3rd September 2010 

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.

Star date: 3rd September 2010 

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.

Star date: 3rd September 2010 

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.

Star date: 1st September 2010  

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?'