Women and children worked underground digging for coal until 1840 with a graduated scale for wages depending on your age and sex. 

The tunnels route through Tyldsley, Walkden, Linnyshaw, Walkden and Bolton which were finally closed for in 1888 for transporting coal as more sophisticated methods of bringing the coal to the surface were introduced including steam powered winding equipment. 

How crowned heads of Europe would visit the Delph, Josiah Wedgewood and even industrial spies! as it was seen as one of the engineering feats of the world with canal boat trips arranged for their pleasure. 

Also the nice little perk that the owners of the stone masons cottage above the Delph had with the maintenance workers in the underground canal. 

Again I have to say that this two part series is one of the most if the best video that I have worked on, hats off to Glen Atkinson for sharing his knowledge with us and the National Coal Board for allowing us to use that amazing early film footage. 

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline in the month of October 2010, this tale of Miners is lovingly dug up and republished here with the consent of an Adult, as well as Tony Flynn with help from Young Tom Rodgers. It was edited by Mike Heap

The NCB footage, unseen for years, shows inspection engineers sailing underground in a starvationer boat from Walkden colliery to emerge at The Delph, Worsley. 

Glen tells the story of the 50 miles of underground canals, and how containerisation was introduced by the Duke of Bridgewater in the mining of coal, and how it is possible to sail from Walkden to America without getting out of a boat, incredible but true. 

Glen was also lucky enough to sail along these underground canals, several years ago and describes the blackness in the tunnels and how the brickwork arches built all those years ago are still standing as testimony to John Gilberts tradesmen. 

Personally I think this is perhaps the best local history video that we have put on SalfordOnline, Glen is a wonderful speaker but the NCB footage is truly amazing as I'm sure you will agree.

by Tony Flynn and Young Tom Rodgers 
Edited by Mike Heap 

This article is part one of two which appeared on SalfordOnline in the month of October 2010, it is lovingly republished here courtesy of the Duke of the Bridgewater (and other pubs), Mr Tony Flynn with help from Young Tom Rodgers, it was edited by Mike Heap 

The church stands on what was known as 'Zion Hill', a raised stretch of ground which gives the church a splendid view over the surrounding area of Weaste and has led to St Luke's being referred to as "The Church on the Hill". 

The church has many incredible features including stained glass windows by Charles Kempe, who is regarded as the finest designer and maker of stained glass windows in Victorian England. 

There are also windows by Clayton and Bell, but for me more significantly, there are windows by Thomas Hatton Lea, who owned a stained glass works in Hadley Place, Weaste which was at the back of Ash Grove - more on Mr Lea later. 

Most of the windows are dedicated to local parishioners, who included members of the Tootal family, The Kennedy family, and the Birley family, who were all rich industrialists and benefactors to the church. 

Local streets and roads around the church still carry the names of these people, such as Goulden Street off Liverpool Street which is named after Robert Goulden who owned a bleach works in the area and had a daughter who was to achieve world wide fame when she married Richard Pankhurst at this church in 1879. 

She was of course Emmeline Parkhurst, who was born in Salford and became leader of the Suffragette Movement, helping women to get the right to vote. 

I was fascinated by the war memorials in the church to local parishioners - all young men who died in the Great War - stone tablets on the wall and a large brass plaque listing all the names of those fallen. 

One young man, Frank Thompson, lived in a corner shop on Derby Road and poignantly his family have given the church his diary, which he carried with him and kept up to date until the day before he died in 1915 in the Dardanelles campaign. 

There is a war memorial window with the Rupert Brooke inscription: "There is some corner of a foreign field that is forever England". The other, from Psalm 107 reads: "These men see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep". 

These windows were made and installed by Thomas Hatton Lea in 1924. 

I found it incredible that there was a stained glass manufacturer in Weaste, as far as I have been able to find out, Mr Lea was at the Weaste works from 1901 until at least 1929, and we are now doing deeper research into him and his company. 

I was pleased to hear that the local schoolchildren are regularly taken to St Luke's for history lessons about the men whose names are on the memorial; Christine Allmark, the church warden and our guide for the day has managed to trace each man and the place where he is buried. This is a nice way of teaching children their local history but also reminding them of the sacrifices that those young men made. 

Another overlooked little artefact in St Luke's is a Victorian christening robe dating from 1896. It has been used by over three generations of the Hancock family and at some twenty christenings - now it is framed and hangs quite conveniently next to the baptismal font. 

Also worth looking out for if you visit the church (which I urge you to do) are the paintings above the altar; these show Jesus and two disciples on the road to Emmaus and were painted by a local artist, while the wooden carved reredos behind the altar was produced by members of the "Home, Arts and Industries" classes which began at St Lukes's in 1886 as part of the Arts and Crafts movement led by designers like William Morris and Charles Kempe. 

It is amazing to think of an Arts and Crafts Movement in Weaste, it is almost as if that area was a virtual oasis of art and culture in what was a mainly industrial area. 

I have to thank Mrs Christine Allmark for guiding us around the church, she is incredibly knowledgable while at the same time being a quite amusing charcacter, who obviously has a great love of St Luke's. 

I would urge you to visit the church, I can guarantee that you will be amazed at the rich history of the church and how it ties in with the local area, so if you are interested in Salford please call in and you will be made more than welcome.

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline on the 11th April 2012, it is posted here with the consent and blessing of the parched bishop of Eccles pubs, Mr Tony Flynn.

The black and white footage 8mm footage shows Eccles town centre, and it is interesting to see how drastically the town has changed in the last sixty years. 

It was taken by local man John Martin, whose relatives are keen readers of SalfordOnline.com. 

We contacted the North West Film Archive in Manchester who themselves were very keen to see the footage, but they said the price of such a camera in the 1940s would be beyond the reach of most working people, so it is possible he may have been a member of a local cinematography club who lent out the camera - can anyone confirm this? 

The opening shots are of Burton's the tailors at the bottom of Church Street - now Cash Convertors - we then see 1940s cars (possibly taxis) parked alongside the Eccles Cross monument, and in the background the Hare and Hounds public house - now a pound shop! 

We then get views of Regent Street showing the Regent Cinema - now Wetherspoons - and the row of shops which are still there. 

Eccles bus station, now sadly demolished, is shown with Salford Corporation buses awaiting passengers. 

There is a lovely shot of the Broadway cinema - now demolished. If you can, have a look at the size of the pram that the lady is pushing outside: very small to say the least! 

Memories come flooding back with the shot of Redman's store, this shop was famous for its bacon and cheese and was considered by many to be the best food shop in Eccles. This is now Wilkinson's store. 

I wonder who the two ladies are that are seen looking into a photographic shop widow, possibly friends of John Martin who took the footage, does anybody remember the shop? 

Finally we see a number 67 Salford Corporation bus heading for Peel Green as it passes St Mary's RC church. 

To me I find this film footage to be not only incredibly interesting but it gives us a rare insight into everyday life in Eccles over 60 years ago, making it a rare social document that should be of interest to historians everywhere. 

This is only part one in this series, to follow shortly for your delectation we will see footage of the Whit Walks in Eccles and in particular the children from St Gilbert's RC school in Winton, led by Father Calloway as they proudly march along Liverpool Road into Eccles, then back to Winton, a band is playing and huge banners are unfurled by the congregation. 

Other footage shows daily life in Winton around Florence Street, the allotments, playing fields, soldiers and sailors home on leave, even a pet dog called Trigger, how can you resist? 

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline on the 22nd January 2013, it is reproduced here thanks to a very rare and unseen Tony Flynn.

A chance meeting in The Park Hotel, Monton between Graham and his friend Tony Gibbons set in motion the chain of events which led to the song, with Tony having photographs and poignant letters from his great grandfather, Billy Unsworth. 

Graham looked deeper into the story after reading the letters and contacted Captain Joe Eastwood of the Lancashire Fusiliers Association who supplied further details of Billy's life. 

We know that Billy had previously served in the Boer War and fought at Spion Kop. 

He married a local girl Bella and they had several children together. 

The tragedy of this story is that Billy Unsworth was a brass turner by trade and was therefore exempt from joining the forces, also he was considered to be quite old to join the army, furthermore he had done his bit for Queen and country some fourteen years earlier. 

I looked at the Billy Unsworth Facebook site and was amazed to find the story of Billy's life and death immaculately researched and recorded by Dave Quinn, who deserves full credit for the work he has done. 

I contacted Dave who has kindly given me permission to reproduce his article in full below, it makes fascinating reading and gives a wonderful insight into the life and death of Billy Unsworth. 

"William Unsworth was born in Salford in 1881, his first known address was on Sunnyside Street, Ordsall. He first joined the Army as a teenager and went off to South Africa to fight in the Boer War where he was involved in the battle at Spion Kop. 

When he returned to Salford he settled down and married Bella, who was also born in Salford in 1881, they moved to 65 West Dixon Street, between Mark Addy's Bridge and Ordsall Lane, where he and Bella had 5 children, one of whom tragically died at an early age and is buried in Weaste Cemetery. 

William (or Billy as we affectionately call him) liked a pint with the lads, and his local was the Greyhound Pub on Woden Street, Ordsall, when at the time, was nicknamed Nicky Burke's (after the landlord Nicholas Burke). Billy was a brass turner by trade and worked at Glovers in Trafford Park, and was technically exempt from joining up for WW1 due to his trade skill, however, after a night in Nicky Burkes, he decided to join up. 

The circumstances surrounding his decision is that on his way home from work one evening, he decided to call in for a pint, his mates were inside already and had decided between them that the next man to walk through the pub doorway would join the Army, and of course, that man was our Billy. Billy went home and the next day explained his decision to his wife, who you can imagine, was not best pleased, particularly with a young family to support, and the knowledge that he did not have to go if he chose not to. 

Just prior to actually going into the Army again, Billy tried to overturn his decision but was unsuccessful, so off he went with the 9th Battalion the Lancashire Fusiliers, who were made up mostly of lads from the Salford area. 

Billy was made a Corporal due to his previous military experience, and at the training camps in Grantham and then Godalming, trained the young enlisted men as best possible in the short period of time he had, in basic battle skills and discipline. 

The troops were then issued with brand new khaki uniforms, a new style helmet, and a rifle, there was very little time before the Battalion was on it's way to pastures unknown, and they believed that they were on their way to France as all the talk was about facing the Germans in battle. 

Billy realised that he was going to war with men and boys who had no idea of what they were about to face, and that they believed they were all going on a great adventure and that they would be back with their families, as hero's, by Christmas 1915. 

As the troop ship left England, none of the soldiers knew where they were heading, and indeed, it was not until the 6th August, when they stopped off in the Mediterranean that they were told where they were actually going...Gallipoli. 

Between then and the battle at 'W' beach, which took Billy's life, the Lancashire Fusiliers were put into battle not only against the Turk's, but against the sheer heat, the arid rocky and sandy hills, the lack of water where men were collapsing with dehydration and disease, and worst of all, poor intelligence and tactics, which led to changes in command at the highest level, and some drastic decision making by those who were sent to take charge. 

Those who did take command were unproven leaders when it came to actual battle. On the 21st August, 1915, General Ian Hamilton decided that they're would be no mass withdrawal, rather, one further attack. Billy was wounded and died, as many others did, burnt to death in the forest fires caused by the relentless bombardment which set the scrubland alight to devastating effect. 

118 Lancashire Fusiliers were also killed that very same day, and a total of around 35,000 allied troops died during the Gallipoli campaign, where at its end, a silent withdrawal was achieved under the very noses of the Turks." 

Billy's name is recorded on the Helles Memorial at Gallipoli, Turkey along with hundreds of his pals from the Lancashire Fusiliers. 

He is also on the fallen soldiers memorial board in St Clements church, Ordsall, and spookily enough the name directly beneath Billy Unsworth's is a G. Walker! 

I would urge everybody to purchase this song when it is released, it is a story of one man from Salford and his ultimate sacrifice, plus monies raised from the sale of the CD will go to SWARM the group who help save war memorials in Salford, how good is that? 

The record will be available soon and credit must be given to the boys in the band, Anthony Roach (Lead Guitar), Nigel Dunne (Harmonica), Big Vern (Cajun, Cabarra, Penny Whistle), Dave Hobson (Bass) not forgetting Graham Walker (Acoustic Guitar and Vocals). 

We apologise for the variable sound quality on this video. It is my fault, mea culpa. Tom (News Ed)

Article by Tony Flynn with additional material from Dave Quinn. Edited by Tom Rodgers.

This article originally appeared on SalfordOnline, it is reproduced here courtesy of man of the peephole Tony Flynn.

Tony Wallwork acquired the derelict Kempnough Hall which lies tucked away in Roe Green close to Worsley woods, from Peel Holdings in December 2014. 

Once the ancestral home of Norman knight Elias de Workesley (from whom the name Worsley is derived), the hall has been the home of aristocratic families across the centuries and it is even reported that Elizabethan courtier John Dee - the celebrated mathematician, astrologer and occult philosoper - exorcised demons from the seven members of the Starkey family here. 

Tony paid £580,000 for the house and by his reckoning has spent a further £320,000 on renovations to bring it up to the guidelines set out by English Heritage. 

Pottery pulled from a 13th century ditch within the grounds indicates that an estimated 800-year history of Kempnough Hall is correct. 

Tony told SalfordOnline.com:

Quote

 

"We lived at the back of the hall for several years and when it came onto the market, we decided to sell our house and renovate it back to its former glory. 

"When we first looked at the property which had lain empty for four years, it was a complete mess, with plasterwork and wattle and daub hanging off the ceilings, we knew that we had a big job on our hands. 

"We have done a lot of historical research into the house and its previous inhabitants and have uncovered some intriguing stories. 

"Our excavation work unearthed an oak witching post inscribed with a perfect circle and eight pointed stars to ward off evil. 

"We also unearthed a wattle and daub Tudor Rose which dates back to the 16th Century. 

"Research has shown that on this site has stood a pharmacy and an ale house, where legend has it that highwaymen would come to sell their ill gotten gains, sadly I haven't found any yet!" 

"We have been told that Queen Victoria passed the hall when she visited Worsley in 1851, and went for a walk through the woods which meant that she would have had to walk past the house, sadly we have no record of her calling in, which would have been marvellous for us. 

"We have had to completely rip out and restore lots of plasterwork, amazingly many original oak beams are still in the house, which we have cleaned up and protected and they should last another five centuries. 

"We also unearthed a timber frame hall which had lain hidden behind the wattle and daub plasterwork for centuries, these are all really exciting finds. 

"It was on the market as having planning permission for four houses, however with the weight of history behind us we shall lovingly restore it and make it a family home which is what is should be." 

 

Tony's restoration work has attracted much attention from passers-by and local schoolchildren, so much so that he has installed two large history boards outside the building detailing the history of Kempnough Hall and what the finished project will look like. 

The restoration work should be completed in early March 2015.

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline on the 26th January 2015, it is republished here with the blessings of its author Tony Flynn a man possessed by the spirits and the odd pint. 

Camera work by Young Tom Rodgers

Suprisingly for a royal visit, a crowd of no more than 30 people gathered to welcome the couple to Ordsall; it was an audience who were outnumbered by policemen and plain clothes officers! 

Local scout and cadet troops were also due to meet the Prince, who was also meeting members of the Christians against Poverty group. 

One local resident who did not wish to be named complained that the street sweepers that were busy outside the building had been sweeping throughout the night and had kept him awake, however he admitted that the streets had never been cleaner. 

Outside on Coronation Street we interviewed Iain Mellor, a drummer who had been invited to the club to help conduct a samba band of local schoolchildren in a rendition of a particularly tricky-sounding song called the "Swedish Drill", which Iain told us had no instructions on how to perform it, only photographs! 

Camilla had earlier visited the 'other' Coronation Street at ITV's Quay Street Studios in Manchester and pulled a pint in The Rovers Return whilst Charles visited the Museum of Science and Industry in Castlefield. 

The Mayor of Salford, Councillor Roger Lightup was in attendance along with the High Sherrif of Manchester in full cap and regalia. 

Salford MP Hazel Blears and the Chief Executive of Salford Council Barbara Spicer also welcomed Charles and Camilla. 
 

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline on the 4th of February 2010, it is republished here with the blessing of 'Salford Lad' Tony Flynn.

Football fans, friends and ex-work colleagues stood outside the church ready to pay their final respects, whilst many more packed into the church awaiting the service. 

A police escort brought Albert's coffin to the church while numerous cars carrying family and friends followed behind. 

A coach carrying representatives of Manchester United United Football Club followed seperately, alighting from the coach were ex-Reds, Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, Nobby Stiles, Bill Foulkes, David Sadler, Alex Stepney, Wilf McGuinness and Kenny Morgans. There were also a sprinkling of the youth team there ready to show their respect for the ex-Busby Babe. 

Gordon Taylor the President of The Profesional Footballers Association was also in attendance along with numerous people from the footballing world. 

A packed church heard the Mass conducted by Father Shaun K. Braiden, whilst the Eulogy was read by Sir Bobby Charlton, CBE. 

The funeral party then left for a private internment, leaving dozens of teary-eyed Manchester United fans outside the church each telling their own story about Albert and his playing career, whilst others reminisced about their time spent in his company. 

A sad day for football.

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline on the 13th of January 2010, it is lovingly republished here with the blessing of Tony Flynn as a touching tribute to one of the countries finest footballers and a fellow proud Salford Lad.

Glen dispels several myths about her visit, a popular one being that she alighted from the Royal barge at the Packet House steps. It's not true, Queen Victoria's landing place in Salford was actually past the present road bridge where a special ornate canopy had been erected for her. 

It is fascinating to hear Glen's stories and anecdotes about the truth behind the visit. 

Have you heard the tale of how several horses - who were pulling the barge from Patricroft - startled by the cheering crowds and fell into the water, also the unfortunate fate that befell the Duke of Wellington as he gallantly attempted to help the Queen ashore. 

Did you know that Nasymth the inventor of the Steam Hammer who had his engineering works in Patricroft was also a keen astronomer and had actually taken photographs of the moon? 

James Naysmyth was wealthy engineer who was summoned to Worsley New Hall by the Queen who too had an interest in astonomy, she wished to see his drawings and photographs. 

Nasmyth had a lifelong interest in astronomy and constructed a 20-inch reflecting telescope in the grounds of his home in Patricroft in Manchester. 

He used the telescope to observe the Moon's surface and make drawings, calculating the height of lunar features by the length of their shadows. 

The resulting photographs produced better results than could be achieved at the time by direct lunar photography. Nasmyth photographed a whole series of his lunar models which were used to illustrate a book, The Moon, that he published with James Carpenter in 1871. 

Were you aware that during Victoria's state visit over 150 years ago - at great expense, no less - the exterior of Worsley Old Hall was illuminated with electricity, and the glow could be seen all the way over in Eccles? Not much nowadays, but in a time when none of the surrounding houses had electricity at all, it must have been an astounding sight. 

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline on the 20th of August 2010, it is lovingly re published here courtesy of the Queens loyal reject subject, Tony Flynn.

Video by young Tom Rodgers.

Many thanks to Glen Atkinson.

The show looked bigger than last years and there was plenty of attractions for the visitors. 

Apart from the usual fun fair there were loads of other stalls and events. 

Majorette marching bands from such clubs as The Brighouse Star Twirlers, The Bramley Sapphire Majorettes, The Higher Blackley Dance Troupe and many more proved to be a big attraction, a bit too American for my tastes I'm afraid. 

Cirque De Salford housed in a large marquee entertained the crowd with feats of magic, juggling, singing, music all with a good old fashioned Victorian style which involved audience participation, reluctantly or not. 

Other stalls included Guide Dogs For The Blind, Friends of Buile Hill Park, Lancashire Hawks and Owls, car boot stalls, an Army recruitment stall, food and drink stalls, face painting, something for everybody basically. 

It was interesting to see the Salford Dog Show, with a motley collection of dogs parading around the ring with the Mayor George Wilson choosing the best of breed, a large German Shepherd incidentally. Prizes were awarded in other categories so that most dog owners got a small prize. 

For me the highlight was the Salford Allotments Association marquee which housed an amazing collection of prize winning vegetables and fruits including, marrows, leeks, onions, courgettes, carrots, runner beans, cabbages, rhubarb, tomatoes, potatoes, apples, plums, strawberries, basically anything that could be grown on an allotment, but bigger and better. 

Another marquee had a fascinating display of flowers and bonsai trees, really colorful but sadly my knowledge of flora and fauna is limited so you will have to glean what you can from the video. 

Bob and Ann the beekeepers from Clevelys allotments who we featured last month had a stall giving out information on beekeeping and providing tasty samples of honey. 

Thanks should go to the Friends of Buile Hill Park who managed the event and made it a complete success, well done to everybody involved.

All Souls was due to close in summer this year but building work at the proposed new school, Holy Family, was not yet finished. 

The school was built on the site of a previous All Souls school and was served by All Souls RC Church which recently closed in October this year. 

The school has had several famous past pupils including the brothers Adrian and Chris Morley who represented Salford and Great Britain at rugby league, also Paul Kenny who is know an internationally-reknowned photographer. 

People may recall teachers such as Mrs Ford, Mr Neild, Mr Willis, Mrs Seale etc not to mention the present caretaker Joe Salmon who will be moving to the new school, Holy Family off Langworthy Road when they merge with St James's RC primary school in January next year. 

I was really impressed with tiles depicting cats, rabbits, fish and tulips in one of the class rooms. To my eye they are very similar to the art style that was prevalant after the Festival of Britain in 1951, I would love to know more about them and hopefully some of them can be saved. 

Sad to see yet another part of Salford's history being swept away but hopefully this short video will bring back memories of happier times for past pupils

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline on the 20th December 2010, it is lovingly reproduced here courtesy of Tony 'The Truant' Flynn who will be getting a £50 fine if he doesn't have a note from the doctor.

This Wednesday, I went to Salford Astronomical Society on Chaseley Road to see this hidden gem for myself and I was both delighted and amazed at what I found. 

I was met by club treasurer Frank Rourke who kindly showed me around the building which is neatly tucked away in Chaseley Fields and out of sight to the general public. 

Downstairs is a small club house with a library of books, films, maps etc, all relating to astronomy and the solar system, also a computer for the use of members and a collection of cameras and telescopes. 

Upstairs is the Observatory dome in which is housed the club's prize possesion, a huge Newtonian reflecting telescope with two refracting type finder telescopes. 

The telescope which was originally at Jodrell Bank, Cheshire was a gift from the late Professor Z. Kopal of Manchester University in 1971 and can traverse through 360 degrees to view the night sky. 

The club has been running since 1971 and has around forty members but Frank was keen to stress that they are always loking for new members, there is no age ruling and even if you are just interested in astronomy or a keen amateur you will be made more than welcome. 

Club members are prepared to give tips to new members on how to align their telescopes, where to purchase equipment whilst the club has several telescopes that can be taken outside to view the Salford night sky. 

The club has an open night on the first Wednesday of each month, also they have guest speakers with the talks being held at Salford University. 

Whilst I was there six curious new visitors attended and they were delighted with the reception they received by the friendly and informative staff and vowed to return. 

I would urge anybody who has an interest in astronomy to give Salford Astronomical Society a visit, I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed at this Salford treasure.

This article was first show on SalfordOnline on the 4th February 2011, it is reproduced here with the blessings of Emperor Flynn of Thargon 5.

David Henry of the Salford Youth Council attempts to make a citizen's arrest on Salford MP Hazel Blears at her recent de-selection meeting.

Hazel didn't even show her face at the meeting, which took place behind closed doors, entering and leaving by a side door, and leaving most of the media and local protesters waiting for hours in the cold and rain without telling them what was happening. 

After four hours, the head of the constituency Labour Party, John Cullen, emerged from Swinton Civic Centre to tell the assembled crowd that Ms Blears had not been deselected following her expenses scandal and would be returning to represent Salford at the next general election.

Protesters also headed down to 'Blears Land'

Comedian and activist Mark Thomas visited the house of Hazel Blears on a protest against the fact that Hazel appears to live in a Tax Free zone.

He invited us all to enter the free trade zone that is Hazel's house in Salford. 

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline on the 24th June 2009, it is reproduced here with the blessing of second runner up at the annual Tony Flynn look-a-like contest, Tony Flynn.

First Interview by Tony Thornborough 

Second Interview by Tamisin Maccarthy Morrogh 

The building will cease to be the centre for local justice in our city on 21st December 2011, so it has been our privilege to be allowed exclusive access into the partly-crumbling building to discover its many treasures. 

One of the most bizarre elements we've ever seen is a war memorial in the building's main entrance that is factually incorrect. 

What the eagle-eyed must think when they find that the memorial is dedicated to men who apparently died in the future is not recorded.... 

We must thank Mary Appleton, who has been our tour guide on this fascinating journey through Salford history, and it's a story that'll likely never be heard again when the building closes in just a couple of weeks' time.

You can find the other videos in this series on the links bellow.

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline in November 2011 and is reproduced here with the full blessings of renowned recorder of historical stuff, Tony Flynn.

The ghost is purported to be of a woman called Mary, who has been seen by staff and customers alike, she is described as wearing a shawl and dressed in Victorian clothing. 

The pub dates from the 1820s and is named after the "packet boats" which plied for trade alongside the nearby Bridgewater Canal carrying mail from Worsley to Manchester and vice versa. 

The landlords Anthony and Carole and son Stephen have all seen Mary, as well as Carole's mum who works behind the bar. None admit to being the least bit frightened by the ghost and admit to actually looking forward to seeing it! 

Carole is contacting a paranormal society to spend the night in the pub with light monitors and sensors in the hope of detecting the spirit of Mary. 

If you have any stories relating to ghosts at the pub we would love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a comment below.

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline on the 15th September 2009, it is reproduced here with the blessing of Tony the 'Tipple Terror' Flynn.

Video by Gruesome Tom Rodgers, Narration by Tony Flynn

But before we leave the cellars, it is worth mentioning the downstairs Gents, eight porcelain urinals in all, made by the Salford company of Giddings and Dacre. 

These would have been used by the staff at the Town Hall but certainly not the prisoners in the cells, no such luxuries for them! 

As we ascend upstairs to the ground floor we pass along tiled corridors, mosaic tiled floors and a huge tiled stairwell with awesome emerald green tiles in an ornate Art Nouveau style. 

We believe these tiles may have been made by the local pottery company of Pilkington's, again we are fascinated to know what will happen to them when the building finally shuts down on 21st December 2011. 

Did you know that this building has an upstairs ballroom? Neither did we. 

It is more of a function room with a bar, however there is a small dancefloor for wandering magistrates.... 

Coronation Street have filmed part-episodes in the upstairs space, and the room has been used by several film companies including the BBC and Red Productions, who made a retrospective look at the early career of Morcambe and Wise. 

However, the highlight of this tour is the three incredible stained glass windows on the first floor which depict the history of our beloved city and are truly magnificent to behold. 

The detail and craftsmanship is breathtaking and it would be a criminal act if these stained glass windows were to be destroyed or moved when the courts leave Salford.

You can find the other articles in this series on the links bellow.

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline in November 2011 and is reproduced here with the full blessings of renowned recorder of historical stuff, Tony Flynn.

Peter Lobengula professed to be the son of King Lobengula of Matebela, which became Rhodesia after the Matebela wars of 1893, and is now modern-day Zimbabwe. 

He came to England at the request of Frank Fillis, a showman entreprenuer, in a show called Savage South Africa which alleged to show the battles that Cecil Rhodes had fought against the Matabele tribesmen. 

Fillis had heard about the success of the Buffalo Bill Wild West tours and saw this a great chance to jump onto the bandwagon and make a pile of cash into the bargain. 

Prince Peter was the star of the show and even got to drink champagne with the Prince of Wales in 1899 when he visited the London show at Earls Court. 

Controversy dogged the show with the London press complaining that local women were becoming too friendly with the African showmen, going so far as to describe the Africans as "savages". 

Matters were not helped when Prince Peter announced that he was going to marry a white woman called Kitty Jewell, thus causing further outrage, with the London Evening News going as far as to say, "there is something inexpressibly disgusting about the mating of a white girl with a dusky savage". 

Their attempts to get married were obstructed by the local vicar, the owners of the show and by Kitty's mother, this prompted Lobengula to quit the show and threatened to return to South Africa, which he never did. 

The Savage South Africa Show moved to Salford in 1900 and set up camp at Broughton Football Club where Prince Peter reappeared but lower down on the casting; the Boer War had just started and the show's main attraction were families of Boers that Frank Fillis had brought over. 

Again the show ran into trouble, local people were often in the Magistrates court for causing trouble with the black performers, also more trouble occured when Kitty Jewell ran away from Lobengula threatening suicide going so far as to leave a suicide note on the canal bank. It has to be said that Kitty was never seen again, but there is no evidence of suicide. 

The show lasted for eight weeks before moving to Blackpool, Leeds and Liverpool, however losses of £1,800 a week meant that Frank Fillis sold the props and moved back to South Africa. 

Peter Lobengula remained in Salford and little was known of him apart from the odd court appearance for drunkeness, it is known that he married an Irish woman called Catherine and had four children, living in Gladstone Street, off Indigo Street, Pendleton whilst working as a collier at Agecroft colliery. 

He made the news again in 1913 when he appeared at Salford Magistrates Court saying that as son of King Lobengula of Matabele then part of Rhodesia he was entitled to vote. 

He won the case and was allowed to vote in the Salford East ward. 

His health had deterioated over the years and he contracted consumption, the local vicar of his parish applied for a pension for him, this caused further controversy when The British South Africa Company investigated Lobengulas family tree and declared him to be a hoaxer and therefore not entitled to the money. 

Sadly Prince Peter Lobengula died from consumption in November 1913 and was buried in a public grave in Agecroft cemetery. By 1920 his wife and four of their children were to join him in the cemetery. 

As a footnote I was pleased to read that after his death, his funeral cortege passed by Agecroft colliery and that his workmates dropped their hats as a mark of respect to their friend, also crowds lined the route to the cemetery. 

We will never know if he was a Prince or not, but he certainly conducted himself like one and showed better manners than many of his so called superiors, an extraordinary man who led an extraordinary life. 

Many thanks to Salford Local History Library for allowing us to use the image of Peter Lobengula. 

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline on 21st June 2011 and is reproduced here courtesy of the unenviable Tony Flynn.

SalfordOnline was granted exclusive and unprecedented access into the building now used as Salford Magistrates Court. 

The building closed on 21st December 2011 as part of government cuts to courts across the country.

So watch here to find out where a fabulous new Town Hall was proposed - but never built, and to discover the mystery of the stone busts of two unknown Salford dignitaries from the 1800s.

We think the stone busts may represent: William Lockett who was the first mayor of Salford in 1844, Joseph Brotherton, the city's first MP, Edward Langworthy, Salford's second-ever MP, or Elkanah Armitage, a Salford mill owner.

This article first appeared on SalfordOnline in November 2011 and is reproduced here with the full blessings of renowned recorder of historical stuff, Tony Flynn.

Once the Salford Town Hall, this impressive building dates from 1824 and was designed by Richard Lane. 

Mary Appleton the Asssistant Liasion Officer for the court building was our guide as she took us into the cellars of the building to show us some incredible records of life in Salford dating back to the 1840s. 

In one of the many underground rooms are literally hundreds upon hundreds of ledgers which detail every court case heard before the Magistrates; these give an incredible insight into life in Salford and we were priviliged to have a look at them. 

The ledgers tell stories of petty crime, drunkeness, theft, attempted suicide, army desertion, prositution, every aspect of crime that you could think of and some of the stories are truly heartbreaking. 

Mary told us of an Australian woman who was tracing her family tree, one of her ancestors was deported to the country with her young daughter for the heinous crime of theft. She was taken from the court, placed on a waggon and taken to Portsmouth for deportation. Deportation of this kind eventually ended in 1868. 

The labryinth of tunnels revealed some amazing sights, huge cast iron ovens for use by the Town Hall staff, marble toilets, long forgotten ledgers, workrooms for the maintenance staff, and some incredible stone busts of Salford dignitaries which had lain in a locked store room for many, many years (however you will have to wait for part two to have a look at these). 

There's even some grandiose plans from the 1930s for a new Salford Town Hall to be built on the Crescent, all fascinating stuff.

The second part in this series of four will be posted tomorrow 01 August 2017

Article by Tony Flynn 
Video by Tom Rodgers 

This article has originally appeared on SalfordOnline on 24th November 2011 and is reproduced here courtesy of history fan, Tony Flynn.