Despite the cold and damp weather whilst braving the freezing fog, speedo wearing Everton Superfan Mick Cullen passed through Salford today as part of his 1000 mile charity walk. The AJ Bell Trust caught up with him to hand over a hug £50,000 donation to Speedo Mick’s charity, “Leave The Light On”.  

The charity works on projects that help disadvantaged children.

Mick passed through Manchester yesterday on his charity walk from John o’Groats to Lands End, a 1,000 mile walk bravely wearing just his Everton speedos and scarf. 

Speedo Mick is fundraising for community projects for disadvantaged young people, helping to create opportunities to bring people together to overcome isolation and hopelessness.  

Andy Bell, chief executive at AJ Bell and trustee of the AJ Bell Trust, commented:

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“I have followed Mick’s truly inspirational journey for several years, and whilst all Evertonians have endured a tough few years at Goodison Park, at least we have been wrapped up warm.  Turning personal adversity into other people’s triumph is an act of selflessness on behalf of Mick and one which we are delighted to support. 

“This is a cause very close to my heart because I set up the AJ Bell Trust to support disadvantaged young people in the UK. Leave The Light On is exactly the sort of charity we want to support and we wish Mick the best of luck with the rest of his journey, both on the walk and beyond.” 

 

AJ Bell’s Kirsty Wardlaw caught up with Mick this morning before he set off on the next leg of his walk to hand over a cheque for £50,000.  

Speedo Mick says,

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“I am thrilled with this fantastic donation and would like to thank all at AJ Bell for their support.  The fact that a business based in the shadow of Old Trafford has been so supportive, is indicative of the way football fans and the public from cities across the UK have embraced what I am doing.”  

 

The AJ Bell Trust is the charitable foundation of Manchester based AJ Bell, one of the largest investment platforms in the UK (www.ajbell.co.uk).

More information about the Michael Cullen’s Leave The Light On charity can be found at https://leavethelighton.org.uk/

Local news & media website across the country have increasingly found it hard to stay afloat against the onslaught of syndicated news websites and the increasing use of social media as a news platform, many struggle just to exist never mind become profitable.

In 2017 Salford lost its much loved primary home grown local news service SalfordOnline and sadly we are more than aware that the existence of others are under threat of closure.

salford.media has been fortunate enough to have structured it's own news service to safeguard us from the same effects that have led to the demise of others and soon we will be expanding, but nonetheless just like the rest we will still struggle against the dominance and wealth of the big players who seem to be able to dominate an area by throwing money at it until they completely drive others out. As we were never set up to make profit and to require the bare minimum of funding it allows us a bit of a safety net so to speak. Sadly not all have had that.

So it is with great heartbreak we are saddened to hear that both www.irlamandcadishead.net and www.rixtonwithglazebrook.net which have been funded by the Hamilton Davies Trust will be closing down at the end of next month, the reason being cited as dwindling visitor numbers and the inability to justify spending so much money on resources to keep the sites running.

We can fully understand the reasons for their closure even if we find it sad to see another respected source of true local community led media go.

I would like to thank all those involved in creating and maintain what were both fine local assets for their areas, they will be missed. You have our total respects.

As we said though we are painfully aware of the devastating effect syndicated & social media has had on local websites looking to provide a service to a local audience.

On their respective websites they have posted the following:

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For the past 10 years Hamilton Davies Trust (HDT) have supported Irlam & Cadishead and Rixton-with-Glazebrook with two community websites www.irlamandcadishead.net and www.rixtonwithglazebrook.net

Over the years,  the way groups communicate and share news and events has changed dramatically, especially with the arrival of social media and Facebook in particular. Last year we monitored and reviewed the analytics re usage of both websites and found that visits to these websites had reduced significantly. Based on the results and given the cost in terms of hosting and the staff time it takes to manage and update the websites, we have made the decision to close both sites as from 29th February 2020.

We apologise if this causes an inconvenience to some community groups and the small number of users, but feel this is a necessary step to take.

The HDT website www.hamiltondavies.org.uk will remain open and this, along with our Facebook page will continue to support and promote the great work of the community.

 

It would be the tallest building in Salford, an impressive 55 Storey Greengate skyscraper towering over an accompanying 14 storey block, both of which boasting a combined 545 apartments between them - a mix of one, two and three bedrooms, as well as duplexes and penthouses, none of which would be considered as affordable by current standards.

Once more developers claim the reason for not coughing up cash as being those of what is termed 'scheme viability', instead they have agreed to pay out £2.4m towards a new pedestrianised area to make the 'Birthplace of Salford' which is to be called Market Cross. The council however are keen to stress there will be a 'claw back' included in the agreement to force the developer to pay more money if their scheme is more profitable than anticipated.

One Heritage Tower in Greengate is set to be approved at the councils planning meeting this Thursday.

Meanwhile a further 457 posh student digs are being proposed by Bricks Capital for a second stage development for Salford Quays, no dingy flats here though, they will be upmarket homes in a 'campus style space' complete with 'communal slide' and a 'sky lounge' to hang out in style in - for those of course who are lucky enough to be able to afford one.

The 15 storey block is badged by the developer as being a mix of premium quality apartments and suites. 

Sitting not far will be the companies first stage of development which is set to add an additional 400 more student apartments to the area, complete with its own Gym and Coffee Shop as well a movie theatre for residents of both blocks to use.

Due to the 'student nature' of the buildings none will be required to be affordable as there is no requirement.

If the scheme is approved this week as it is looking like, then the council will see the developer pay towards local projects including improvements to pedestrian and cycle access to the area around Anchorage and/or Broadway.

Over in the boom-town area of Orsdall they will see another 400 apartments added to it the areas ever increasing numbers, sadly only one of them will be classified as affordable.

The developer instead has agreed pay costs of up to £673,884 towards the provision of a new bus service which will run between Salford Quays and Central Manchester, additionally £60,000 will be provided towards ‘open space,’  and a further £17,000 will be put towards developing educational facilities a £3,000 parking permit scheme has been said to have also been agreed.

In November the council looked set to ask for increased section 106 contributions as well as upping the percentage of affordable housing required for residential projects. The council said it was making a minor refresh to its already existing planning documents rather than the introduction of new policy of formulaic approaches.

If these plans are green-lit then we can not honestly say that they will do anything to increase the amount of affordable housing in the Salford. 

A planning application to demolish The Cock Hotel & Public House on Walkden Road in Worsley to make way for a 70 bed care home - are to go before the Councils planning panel this week.

Alterations to existing access are proposed along with provisions for car parking spaces and associated landscaping of the area.

The hotel has had a rather odd history and somewhere within the car park lies the bones of Polly the 'Beer Swilling' Pig, who at the turn of the century was one of the most famous Porkers in the area and a notorious lover of the ale.

She is said to have had a total of 200 piglets over her 15 year life span and so loved was she by the former owners of the pub as well as the locals in the surrounding 'Hamlet' of Worsley, she was given her very own headstone and grave, pride of place within the grounds.

A inscription upon the stone read: "In memory of Polly, mother of 200 pigs - died December 23rd, 1904, aged 15 years."

During her relatively short but fruitful life, Polly was a local celebrity and so with it came all of the trappings, as a bit of a local visitor attraction those who came to see her would often (as was then tradition) *treat her to a jug of ale which she is said to have swilled down in one go.

There is no mention of a father to the piglets but back in those days without TV it was easy to get board, whomever it was he must have been a randy old swine.

The original hotel was named Meanleys and was itself demolished in the 1930s to be replaced by the much larger erection that stands before us now.

Reportedly the grave is still visited by locals to this day and fresh flowers have often been found adorning it.

It is unknown what will happen to the historic grave but it looks like its Bacon for the pub itself.

As for Polly it is unknown if she left a last Swill and Testament signed in oink.

It would be nice to think that somehow the story could live on and at least a little part of the both the hotel and it's strange history could be preserved.

To find out more about the planning application see here: http://publicaccess.salford.gov.uk/publicaccess/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=PT0ZKVNPH0900

Police are currently responding after the body of a man was found in Agecroft this morning (Monday 20th Jan).

Officers discovered the body after being called shortly before 11:30am, we have unconfirmed information that the body was found by a gardener.

The investigation seems to be centred around bushes located close to the junction between Kilcoby Avenue and Agecroft Road in Pendlebury.

Police forensics officers have been seen carrying out searches around the area and a police cordon has been established around the perimeter of the section of land that encloses the bushes.

Police say the investigation is in its early stages and officers are trying to establish the circumstances of the mans death.

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Shortly before 11.30am this morning (Monday 20 January 2020), police were called to Agecroft Avenue at the junction with Kilcoby Avenue.

Sadly, officers discovered the body of a man.

A scene is in place whilst investigation work continues.

The investigation is in its early stages and officers are working hard to establish the circumstances of the man’s death.

 

Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting incident number 1067 of 20/01/20. Reports can also be made anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Photos: Main, SM - Insert, AndyAP via Facebook

People from all over Lancashire came to celebrate the life of Salford born, Albert Spiby at the Station Bar, Eccles, yesterday, Sunday 19 January who died after a short illness in December 2019

Albert was a well known and well loved figure in the Salford and Eccles area and to be honest he was hard to miss with his all black army style fatigue clothing, camera and zoom lenses strapped around his neck and his ever present can of Diet Coke!

He was a well known figure at any demonstration in the area and was at Barton Moss almost every day when the anti- fracking demonstrations were on and was to suffer for his cause when the police wrongfully seized his car, which was returned to him.

He would take me out to many stories I was reporting at SalfordOnline, going as far as Warrington on one occasion to interview a 98 year old chap, Charlie Oldham, who had memories of a famous football match at Salfords ground in 1947/8.

It will be more for his political outspoken stance that Albert will be remembered and loved and so it was as people crammed into the pub to celebrate his all too short life and hear stories about him.

Debbie Critchley Spiby thanked everybody for coming and told us all about Albert's childhood growing up in Salford and very soon a pattern was established as his refusal to conform became apparent! a proper little rebel even as as a kid.

I spoke about the times we had shared together, and couldn't resist reminding people of his bloody awful jokes he would tell, and his strange habit of putting curry powder in hot-pot to flavour it!, his views on gun control, capitalism, New World Order and his love for Guinness and pool.

It was good to see a couple of his friends, Jonathon Yates sharing their memories who told us that he, "felt safe when walking around Eccles with Albert" and the times they would spend in the pub together, his friend John Corboy echoed these sentiments, also the owner of the bar, Paul Quinn got up and told us how when he had a spot of bother with the police, Albert came to Court with him everyday to give moral support and advice.

Then the mysterious fat Ben Affleck look a like and former Winton playboy Craig Littler, who doesn’t do social media, made a rare public appearance and even rather graciously waived his usual fee to talk about Albert and basically switch the conversation to himself as often as possible...

So all in all a sad but splendid afternoon get together to celebrate Albert's life, and raise a glass to him, Albert you were a top bloke and I and many more people will miss you.

The Met Office has issued a warning for heavy fog over Sunday night and into early Monday morning with temperatures as low as -3 °C in some parts.

Drivers are being told that there could be disruption to the road networks and driving could become treacherous on some stretches, so take into account extra journey times if you are heading into work or the school run.

Visibility could be down to just 100 metres in some areas as slowly moving patches of freezing fog drift across the region, so if you are out and about tomorrow, keep your speed down and leave space between yourself and the vehicle in front.

The fog is expected to lift as the day goes on and the rest of the day will be sunny but still chilly.

Transport for Greater Manchester said:

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"Thick fog is affecting many areas in Greater Manchester.

"Please take care and allow extra time for your journey."

 

Photos: Main (Stock) Insert (Foggy Flynn, Barton Lane)

Despite a 'Save Our Wooly' campaign to bring it back to life as a community hub/pub back in 2013 and only as recently as a few years back Coffee4Craig securing a 25-year lease to use the building, time has ran out for a much loved part of the Pendleton community as soon the Woolpack last orders will be called as it faces demolition.

Former successful publican Carole Moore and her sister Gene Houghton fought tooth and nail to try and save the pub so it could be brought back to life as a part of the community once more, sadly that was not to be, it was not without trying though.

The local boozer built in the 70's was once part of a once thriving local community, the area saw its issues with crime and antisocial behaviour over the years as did too many others, but the locals loved the place, the elderly patrons felt safe and the younger folks who frequented always treated it with respect, it was always busy up until the day of its closure.

In an area that once boasted pubs on every corner it was soon to find itself as one of the last true community pubs standing, as over the years those around it were torn down as the area was developed.

Once described as the best pub in Salford it had a unique atmosphere to it, and it many said that the last grasps of a long gone true sense of Salford local community went with it as its doors closed for the last time.

Opened just in time for Christmas on the 22nd of December 1970 the Wilsons Breweries drinking house was ran by John Shortman who had ran the Wheatsheaf on Broad Street before moving to the Wooly after it too closed its doors in the 70's. 

The building itself was actually prefabricated and built further down the A580 in St Helens, it was then transported piece by piece by truck and constructed in situ where it stands today.

Sadly the landlord retired in the summer of 2008 and not long after the pub was put on the market for £175,000, leaving a community broken hearted and longing for the good old days.

Salford Council bought the pub and the land around it back in 2011 as part of its twenty year plan for Pendleton which was to see over £650m pumped into regenerating the local area, there were plans to save it and talk of it becoming a community hub and even at one point Salford University’s Centre for the Built Environment students showed off redesigns for the building - but sadly despite assurances by former MP Hazel Blears, it was just not to be.

Speaking at the time, Blears, who was then MP for Salford and Eccles, said:

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"This is an exciting venture. We are holding a meeting to pitch to the contractors the plans for The Woolpack. 

"We have got to make sure there are social facilities in the area. Definitely there should be a pub in that area owned by the community." 

 

That was about as far as that plan went.

As time went by the pub remained closed, neglected and in an every increasing state of disrepair, however, their was a brief moment in which the building looked like it was going to be brought back to life as a homeless shelter renamed as 'The Meanwhile' as part of the Coffee4Craig project which had managed to secure a 25-year lease from the Council to take it over. 

The plan being to turn the derelict building and the land around it into a community hub growing fruit and veg for local families who were struggling. A provisional deal was signed which was to allow the group to seek funding and come up with a plan for its use but sadly the building was in such a state that the only real option was to demolish and replace it with whatever comes next.

Legendary Happy Mondays front-man 'Bez' was also linked to the pub after his team of guerrilla gardeners planted 30 apples trees which he had grown in his own back garden, sadly that ship also sailed and the poor Wooly was left standing alone, left to decline and rot from within. 

A look at council documents reveal its fate is sealed as yet another of Salfords former fine drinking establishments looks like it is destined to be reduced to rubble in the name of 'progress and development'.

For the proud pub patrons of Pendleton, all they have now are photographs & memories, it truly is an end of an era.

Article with help from Tony Flynn

A local football club awoke to find their pitches had been torn up in an act of blatant vandalism by idiotic dirt bikers overnight.

Team members from Barr Hill Juniors Football Club were devestated to see that their pitch had been completely torn up, with tyre marks dug into the ground  by mindless individuals on dirt bikes. They have now called on Salford Council to do something about it.

Writing on Facebook they said:

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"This morning our teams where welcomed to a very disappointing act of vandalism to our
5 v 5 football pitch along with other damage to other pitches around the site buy mindless individuals on off road motorbikes.

"This has been an ongoing issue for years, but it has become even worse in the last year, we have sent numerous emails into Salford City Council and Salford Community Leisure regarding the ongoing fight that we have constantly with these off road bikes, the safety issue is at such a high level for our players, the people on the bikes have no respect for the safety of our players, they ride through training sessions and even football matches."

 

Just last week one man was filmed tearing up the pitch of Parkwyddn’s Football Club in Eccles by doing 'Donuts' on the sodden grass with his quad bike, the wheels ripping up the ground and making the pitch completely unplayable on.

The problem with dirt bikers across the whole city is getting out of hand, only this morning on a visit to Peel Park to report on a knife crime initiative - I had to quickly move out of the way as two teenagers - one on a clearly stolen moped and another on a dirt bike came screaming past us, seemingly oblivious and unfazed by the large police presence in the area.

It was as if they were goading the police to give chase.

Barr Hill JFC is a much loved local club founded back in 1944, it is at the heart of football within Salford, producing some amazing talent over its life span, to see it being disrespected in this way is nothing more than disgusting.

The club went on to tell of how it is not only dirt bikes they are having problems with but also horses being left to run around the pitch.

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"We even have horses running around the site and this has been reported more times than I can remember, one game was cancelled today due to safety concerns by the referee and managers and one other game had to be halted whilst the horse was led away from the game.

"Parents/grandparents then stood in front of the horse to make sure that it didn’t cause more disruption and to keep the players safe.

"The horse was reported last week to the council and videos sent of the horse running across games and it’s still here this week!"

 

The Club has called for help from Salford City Council as well as Salford Community Leisure, saying:

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We as a club have had enough now and require urgent action from the Council, we don’t want action when it’s to late, i.e. when someone gets seriously injured.

 

It is high time something was done to protect this amazing local community asset.

If you have any information on those responsible please contact the club or police on 101.

Greater Manchester Police were out in force this morning to take part in Operation Scholar, an ongoing initiative to tackle the increasing numbers of knife crimes across the region.

Residents and visitors to Peel Park in Little Hulton may have been shocked to see a large police presence descend on the area -with police officers scouring park-land and undergrowth with sticks. At one point the police even deployed its trusty four legged heroes.

There was no need to be alarmed however, as it was nothing more than the police a pro-active police force scouring the local area for stashed away knives and other weapons which could be used in violent crime.

In mid 2019 police launched a similar initiative 'Operation Sceptre" in which they asked members of the public to help in spotting weapons hidden in public places.

Criminals are increasingly using new tactics to avoid being caught, one of those is to hide weapons in public places so that if caught or searched the police will not find the weapons on their person.

At the time the assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said:

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"It's a sad fact that people are not only carrying knives, but are now also hiding weapons in and around public places and that can be very worrying for members of the public."

Today's search of Peel Park was conducted by Salford Branch with the full backing of Greater Manchester Police.

As a result we are told that a number of knives were found and have now been taken away to be disposed of.

In recent weeks there have been a number of incidents in which knives and even a broken bottle were used in incidents within the Manchester city centre, Salford police have zero tolerance of knife crime and so this morning put on a highly visible and thorough search of this local park.

Knife crime plagues the capital and GMP is doing its upmost to ensure that the trend for stabbings does not become a part of life on their turf.

One lady who was walking her dog 'Harry' told us:

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"I think its great, it's nice to see the police putting on a visible display of force, many of those my age miss seeing the bobby's on the beat.

"There has been a lot of crime around here of late, mainly kids acting up and setting bins on fire etc but there have been more serious crimes.

"I was worried when I first saw the vans and the police all over the place, I feared the worst but I am glad to see them doing something positive."

 

Poetic Justice

The police tackle knife crime in their own way, whereas one Salford woman, Lillian Fallows has decided to tackle it lyrically with a 'cutting' (no pun intended) message to criminals on the devastation that knife crime brings to communities and even those who wield them.

Entitled 'CUTS DEEP' the poem spells out the consequences and reality of carrying a weapon.

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Tightly coiled spring deep within
unfounded reasoning, it’s me or him
heightened reactions, all is unclear
at the end of the day it's driven by fear

Why do we do it ? why why why
Misconceptions ? do or die ?
would it be too easy to just walk away
and allow ourselves to live another day

Evil rises with knife in hand
does it really make you feel so grand ?
think of your loved ones how they would feel
if you become a number on another newsreel

Is it bravado, it's certainly not brave
just look back on the way you behave
is it the way you were brought up ?
how do you feel when you make that first cut ?

Put yourself forward, thirty years ahead
at the family dynamics because you are dead
the children, grandkids, career all gone
because as a teenager you wanted to be "the one"

Life could be so different if attitudes change
if we learn to communicate without all that rage
young people go out, have fun, be free
don't become a statistic, choose life, just "be"

People change when they hold a knife
they have no respect for the value of life
If you are lucky to grow old and grey
I hope you reflect, look back and say
I do remember those words that I read
and ditch the knife, choose life instead.

 

Photos: SM (Police carrying our searches of Peel Park, Little Hulton as part of operation Scholar)

Police appeal for information after yesterdays collision on the M602 which left a 61-year-old man dead after his bmw hit a stationary highways vehicle on the hard shoulder

At around 11.50am on Friday 17 January 2020, police were called to reports of a collision involving two vehicles on the M602 Eastbound in Salford which brought gridlock to local roads and saw the closure of the motorway for hours whilst emergency services dealt with the situation. 

The incident involved a 61-year-old man who was driving a blue BMW, sadly he died at the scene after colliding with a Highways Agency vehicle which was stationary on the hard shoulder.

Two others were said to have been seriously injured in the crash and had to be taken to hospital, their condition is currently unknown.

Police are now appealing for any members of the public who may have captured dash cam footage of the accident to come forward.

So far police say that no arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.

Detective Constable Diana Dyer-Barron of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said:

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“Our thoughts are with the family of the man who sadly died after this tragic incident in Salford and our officers are working strenuously to find out more details about what happened before the collision.

“We are asking anyone who was on the M602 Eastbound between junction 1 and junction 2  and saw the moments leading up to the collision or was there during and after the incident to contact police as soon as possible.

“Any dash cam footage of the collision could prove invaluable in our search for more evidence.”

 

Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 8564741 quoting incident number 1101 of 17/01/2020, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111

Police have charged Richard Graham (22/01/1991) of Bolton Road North, Edenfield  - with three counts of indecent exposure, one count of common assault and one count of engaging in sexual activity in presence of child.

He has been now been remanded in custody and is set to appear at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Wednesday 12 February 2020.

On Sunday 12 January 2020, police received several reports of a man indecently exposing himself as well as committing a common assault and sexual activity in the presence of a child in Bury, Salford and the Padiham area of Lancashire.

Police are continuing to appeal for information in relation to this incident and anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 8032 or 0027 quoting 1816 12/01/20.

Alternatively, the independent charity – Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Salford residents are being urged to bring their broken possessions to a special Boothstown Repair Café on the 15th February in what will be part of an event being held right across the UK.

Salford will be joining together with the other Greater Manchester Repair Cafes for this extra event to their schedule to be held at Wilbraham St Ninian's United Reformed Church, Egerton Rd South, Chorlton, M21 0XJ

The Big Fix 2020 will see up to 109 repair cafes across the UK being held simultaneously to make the ‘biggest Repair Café ever held.’

The goal is to fix as many broken, worn and once loved possessions in a single morning.

The national event is being coordinated by Devon County Council and follows the success of The Big Fix in Exeter last year when volunteers broke the record for the number of items repaired at a single repair café.

Repair Cafes are community events where skilled volunteer 'fixers' donate their time once a month to help members of their local community and fix broken household objects.

More people than ever are choosing repair and reuse over discard and buy more, and everything from clothing, electrical items to furniture and toys can be repaired for a small donation.

These are often items which people may not be able to afford to get fixed or not sure how to do it themselves and are brought back to life and saved from the bin.

Repair Cafes also have a second, equally valuable role as meeting places where anybody can sit down and have a chat over a cup of tea and slice of cake.

So far well over half of Britain’s 109 repair cafes have agreed to take part. 

Event organiser Chris Blood said: 

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“Climate concerns are causing more people to look at the way they live and ask what can I do to help the environment?

“Well one thing you can do is to attend the largest Repair Café ever held.

“Repair Cafes are wonderful places – they teach people to see their possessions in a new light and appreciate their value.

“They can also help change people’s mindset which is essential to encourage people’s enthusiasm for a sustainable society. But most of all Repair Cafés have a lovely community atmosphere and can show just how much fun repairing things can be. So why don’t you pop down for a visit.”

 

You can find out more information via their Facebook page links below. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/409706746585204/
https://www.facebook.com/events/1572294729575643/

Salford is to mark Holocaust Memorial Day with an event in partnership between Salford City Council and The University of Salford.

The memorial event is to take place later this month on the 29th of Jan and salford.media will be there to pay our respects and stand in remembrance of those who were brutally murdered by the Nazi regime. 

As the world marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp - Salfords University will host an event with a theme of "Stand Together" to make the special occasion.

Salford City Mayor - Paul Dennett will open the event with an introduction which will be followed by moving contributions from the Walkden High School Anne Frank Ambassadors, The community choir of Whitefield's Synagogue and a musical accompaniment from the Salford based BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. 

To conclude the event a candle lighting ceremony will take place in remembrance of those who lost their lives during the atrocities of the second world wars Nazi Holocaust as well as the more recent genocides inflicted upon Rwanda, Bosnia, Dafur and the people of Cambodia.

Let this happen never again, for anyone.

These disgusting acts of human barbarity inflicted misery, suffering and death on millions of innocent people, the cost in human life is incalculable. 

Tickets can be booked via Eventbrite, you are advised to email the Equalities&CohesionTeam@Salford.gov.uk for a link to book tickets.

For more information see: https://www.hmd.org.uk/what-is-holocaust-memorial-day/this-years-theme/

salford.media will be there on the evening to pay our respects.

The A57 bridge was closed on the 13th of this month (Jan) to carry out essential repairs which could not be completed during an earlier work carried out in December 2019.

The closure has had a huge impact as it has meant that more traffic has been funnelled onto the areas other roads and bridges and for many the route home has gotten a whole lot longer.

Relief is on the way however as work is commencing nicely and the bridge is on schedule to be reopened by next Friday the 24th of Jan.

The work has been carried out in order to improve the mechanical maintenance of the bridge as well as perform essential maintenance. 

The contractor Hocheif apologised for the inconvenience caused and said it was doing all it could to minimise disruption.

The Go Northwest bus route has been affected and diverted so if you are using that route please be aware.

There have been reports of widespread disruption to the power network in Eccles along with parts of Weaste and Seedley that started around 10am this morning.

Electricity Northwest says it is aware of the situation which had originally affected up to 6000 properties and they have staff currently onsite investigating the fault. Most of those without power have had it restored although around 700 homes are still without, they hope to have power flowing for those again asap.

The worst affected areas were parts of M5 and M6.

West One was also left in the dark as were parts of Eccles Precinct this morning, the problem has also reportedly affected Salford Royal Hospital which fortunately has backup generators which take over in such a case, the good news is that the power to the hospital has now been fully restored.

The company has now given a timescale of around 13:00pm when they expect services to be fully restored for all customers.

Rumours circulating that the cause was due to our very own Tony Flynn trying to operate his new toaster are unfounded, he still hasn't figured out how to plug it in.

We will update this page as we get more information.

The Billionaire bookie/property developer Fred Done has shown off plans for an 18 storey tower block comprising of 115 apartments after his Salboy company submitted plans to Salford Council. 

Existing buildings would be demolished to make way for the new block on a 0.22 acre site on Queen Street in Greengates 'regeneration zone',  which lies just off Trinity Way in what is seen as an up and coming part of the city dubbed 'Salchester'.

The proposals suggest that the development would be a mix of one and two bed apartments offering those lucky enough to be able to afford them to view scenes of the city from a communal roof top terrace which would be accessible to all residents.

Salboy says its vision is for a building that ‘meets the ground, touches the sky and turns a corner’.

Greengate has seen a boom in property construction and development in recent years and there are further plans for the area from developers Renaker for what some have dubbed the three sisters, a trio of tower blocks that will reach for the skies in the ever expanding and increasingly blurred boundary between our two cities.

This is not the first foray into Greengate for Fred as his company recently completed a gated community of 380 flats.

This latest venture has been designed by respected architects  John Mathews and if the proposals are given the go-ahead - work will commence as soon as possible thereafter.

The Big Boss of the BBC has told how he aims to relocate more and more of the broadcasting corporations jobs outside of London with Salfords very own MediaCityUK set to become the beating Heart of BBC Sounds.

Director General of the Beeb, Tony Hall, told of his vision to have at least two-thirds of the broadcasters staff based outside of the capital by at least 2027, with two brand new hubs set to open in Bristol and Newcastle.

Speaking during his New Year speech in Cardiff he told members of the audience that he had a big plan for BBC Sounds which is set to be based in Salford with the existing team relocating to the Media City where they will join the controller within the next couple of weeks.

He added that there will be much more journalism with a lot of the companies digital growth coming from their Northern HQ in Salford.

BBC Sounds is a streaming media and audio download service that includes live radio broadcasts, audio on demand, as well as podcasts. The service is available on a wide range of devices, including mobile phones and tablets, personal computers, cars, and smart televisions, it recently replaced the radio app side of iPlayer.

He said:

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“We’ve got big plans for Sounds. Radio transformed for all generations.”

“There’ll be a step-change in podcasting with more world-class storytelling from within the BBC. And, for the first time, we’re going to open up Sounds to new British creators wherever they are and bring the best podcasts to everyone.

“We’ll be launching new music streams bringing together favourite radio shows and on-demand content; more gems from the archive; and the Sounds app will showcase the great audio we produce in this country to the world when it goes global later this year.”

 

Detectives are appealing for more information after a firearms discharge at a home on Furrow Drive in Winton, Eccles.

At around 8.45pm on Monday 13 January 2020 police were called to reports that shots had been fired inside a property on Furrow Drive, Eccles.

A 22-year-old man was taken to hospital with serious injuries to his right foot and left ankle.

A cordon was put in place on Furrow Drive whilst a forensic examination was carried out but this has since been lifted.

Police are not linking this to other firearm attacks across the city at this time.

No arrests have been made and enquires are ongoing.

Detective Inspector Chris Mannion of the Salford District said:

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“This was a violent attack which has left an innocent young man in hospital with serious injuries and our thoughts are with him and his family at this difficult time.

“At present we don’t believe this incident to be linked to any other investigations and our officers are working strenuously to establish the facts and find those responsible.

“I would also like to reassure the community that we are doing all we can to protect residents on Furrow Drive and investigate the incident. You will see extra patrols across the area who will be working to find those responsible for this attack and prevent further incidents of crime in this area. 

“We are particularly keen to speak to anyone that was on or around Furrow Drive at the time of the incident and may have heard or seen anything unusual or suspicious.

“If you have any CCTV footage that could help police in our search for more information please contact us as soon as possible.”

 

Anybody with information should contact police on 0161 856 5345, quoting incident number  2927 of 13/01/2020, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

A Salford mother was handed a suspended sentence after a binge on alcohol combined with failing mental health issues led her to set her family home on Cloughfield Avenue, Ordsall alight - whilst her teenage kids slept oblivious to the fire burning below .

A next door neighbour was standing in her garden having a cigarette at around 4am in the morning when she heard Ferries saying "Get the baby out, I am going to set the house on fire".

Within minutes she notice flames emanating from the home and sprang into action, managing to rescue the teenage son and daughter as a drunken 42-year-old Anna Ferris seemed oblivious to what was going as she attempted to rescue her pet turtle and bird.

No sooner had the flames been extinguished, Ferries reentered her home and attempted to set the curtains alight again.

A neighbour heard her shouting that she "no longer wanted to live and wanted to die", later telling the police that she had intended to kill herself.

The mother who had been suffering mental health issues had sought help from the community psychiatric team via her GP but unfortunately due to funding being cut she lost contact with the help she desperately needed and was discharged.

Her mental health deteriorated in the following months.

The court heard that she is now fully complying with her medication and has had no further incidents since.

The QC, Judge Susan Goddard handed Ferries a 16-month suspended sentence for Arson suspended for two years, she was also ordered to complete an alcohol treatment programme as well as 20 days rehabilitation, she was also ordered to attend a women's problem solving court.

Had it not been for the quick thinking and actions of her neighbour - the situation could have been far more dire.