Newsletter, July 2025
First of all, an important announcement! That there will be no meeting in August the next meeting is on the 3rd of September. This is because it is the long school holidays and the rooms in the building will be used for extra curricula activities.
Our speaker in July was Keith Warrender on the subject of underground Manchester I cant remember if he strayed into Salford but the situation would be almost exactly the same.
Keith’s first slide was a photo of Chris Makepeace. Chris was a well known local historian and a founder member of Disley local history Society where for many years he had served as Treasurer. He has spoken to our group in the past and it was sad to hear of his demise. Keith started his talk with a slide of the C I S building and said that rumour had it that there was as much under ground as over which was a myth.
We were shown images of stairs which Keith said seemed to go on forever, the building was erected during the cold war. We were shown images of the Co-op building on Dantzic street, Balloon Street etc, And a giant walk-in safe we went down below and saw that a room was decorated in orange, white and blue tiles this type of room or accommodation we were told was mainly below big buildings as air raid shelters.
An interceptor was shown in which any objects found should be put, this was like a normal plastic dustbin with a large yellow plastic lid and certainly not bomb proof.
We saw spare rooms below where “junk” was stashed away broken chairs etc, giving a general untidy image that should not have been.
We were shown a door which when opened revealed the Manchester and Salford junction canal, in water and having many stalactites coming from the ceiling, this had also served as an air-raid shelter during the war. The canal served as a refuge for hundreds o people at this time and it was cold and damp So tents were erected and the people were entertained with Sing- songs and talks etc. This canal ran under Granada Studios and its beginning and end can still be seen starting near the hotel across from the studios and coming out of a small arch on the Rochdale canal near Deansgate and overlooking the river Irwell.Victoria Station was built over the river Irk which was culverted and ran under the station then into the river Irwell we were shown the signs on the station canopy which declared travel to Scotland, Ireland Belgium and Bury and inside a door when opened one could see the river irk flowing past. Walkers Croft graveyard was also nearby.
We were shown the Victoria Arches just below Salford Bridge (the current one not the original)There was also reference to Deansgate tunnel, which was big enough to take a double deck bus.
We were shown a letter written by a boy aged 8 called Cyril White who went down a tunnel with his sister, which stretched from All Saints to Pomona docks where they heard the sound of other children, this seemed a bit inconceivable in the dark with no lighting.
Away from tunnels we were shown the Shambles and New Cathedral Street were there was a shooting range and skittle ally and Goulburns prize fruit stall and a cheese store below ground that was hit by a bomb ruining all the cheese.
It was said that Irish workers had built most of the tunnels and we saw a shaft that had been blasted out.
There was an incident where one of the workers took a stick of explosive and was arrested, but let off because it thought that there was no intent planned.
We saw an image of a giant concrete slab that was able to be slid over in case of bombing. smoking was disallowed in the shafts and in one case a cigarette butt was left we were told that the person was apprehended due to D N A being found on it.
There were tunnels for telephone cables ran But only B T workers were allowed access so Keith was thwarted in his ambitions on this occasion.
In the Q and A session after the talk the Regent Road flats were mentioned and access to the cellars were mentioned with the artwork on the walls of the cellars. I know personally the person who painted those scenes.
Once again an interesting talk by someone that knew his subject and had experience of seeing most of what he spoke about.
In reflection I think that when tunnels are mentioned we do not think of vast caverns that would take a double deck bus, or as in one case rails for some vehicle to be guided along, but we get an image in the mind of someone crawling through a cave-like opening With a small candle burning atop of his helmet. Then squeezing through a small aperture just big enough to take a smallish snake.
Then once on the other side he finds his way into a room filled with jewels and gold bars, only to realise that on hearing an alarm he is in the vault of Barclays Bank, before making a hasty retreat through the hole from whence he came.
Don’t forget! make a note on your cupboard door that there is no meeting in August.
Regards to all … Roy
June 2025 Newsletter
Our Speaker in June was Paul Hindle who spoke to us about Salford Through Time, one of his published books. His presentation was of multi images of our city In a before and after situation. Part one of his talk covered the Chapel Street area of Salford showing the changes over the years.
Paul is also connected to the Bolton Bury Canal Society who are doing a great job in trying to get canal opened again. the Ceremonial Mayor of the City of Salford for 2025 to 2026. Councillor Heather Fletcher was present at the meeting and had her photo taken with a group of members
Going along Chapel Street we were shown the ramp to Exchange station, which had two ways to get to the former station the Salford approach and the Manchester approach
the Salford approach started from Blackfriars Road next to the The former tram ticket office on Chapel Street in Salford located in a building that was originally built as a police station. It was later used as a tram ticket office before being acquired by a printing company. The building is situated on a piece of land between Chapel Street and the Salford Approach to the former Exchange Station. The Manchester approach to the station was directly in front of the station opposite the Cathedral
Moving along we were shown the Sacred Trinity Church unique because it is the only church with that name in the country. So as not to repeat myself too much Paul showed many buildings that were smoke blackened and then similar images that were in the cleaned up period.
We were shown an image of the Threlfall’s brewery The building still stands and is now part of a business estate although the don’t brew beer any more In 1961 the brewery merged with Chester and the business estate in known as the Deva Centre and were acquired by Whit bread in 1967. Deva is the Roman name for Chester (clever eh!)
We were shown images of the flat iron Market next to Sacred Trinity Church. So called because of the shape of the piece of land on which it stood.
All in all Paul had over one hundred images so it would be difficult to write about them all in detail here, but briefly the former Chemical Tower got a mention that used to sit between Peel Building and the Salford Museum & Art Gallery
The landslide was given a mention, although it was known about well in advance and the council had already diverted the tramlines to a new exit to Bury New Road
an image of Chain Brow was shown, showing the ornamental chains on the right going down the hill This raised portion and the chains were to keep people away from the muddy road at the time and provide safety from the horse drawn traffic.
The reason it is called Chain Brow is not because of the ornamentation of the chains but because Horses were employed on the then steep brow to give extra aid to any horse drawn vehicle that was struggling up the hill with a heavy load.
I can validate that by a story I saw in my research of the nineteen 30s when the park superintendent wanted a greenhouse moving and his comments were that he would borrow a chain horse from the brow.
Anyway back to Paul he showed us images of Pendleton Town Hall and church together
and the cluster of churches that used to stand along Broad St. The Bee Hive and Poets Corner pubs were shown with their fancy domed roofs. The pubs and the property in between were joined together to make one much larger pub now demolished.
The tram depot on Frederick Road was shown Kersal Toll bar St Paul’s church with its unusual architecture of small and large steeples Paul’s final image was of the ancient Kersal Cell.
If you watched the F A cup final between Manchester City and Crystal Palace the young girl who sang Abide With Me in the pre-match entertainment was from Salford and used to sing in the Egerton Arms pub on Gore Street next to Salford Central Station. I think that she will go far, and she’s back at the Egerton at the moment although I am sure that her singing career will take her far.
Frederick Road is set to shut between Lissadel Street and Leslie Hough Way from Saturday, July 12.
The road is a major route across Salford, connecting the A6 Broad Street and going towards the River Irwell in the direction of north Manchester and Bury.
The closure will allow the building work of Salford Rise, a massive 220m elevated walkway creating a traffic-free route across the city for pedestrians and cyclists.
Salford Rise is aiming to get more people walking and cycling around the city, creating a new link over Frederick Road to the University of Salford’s campus.
Work started on the scheme in September last year and is set to finish next summer.
It is part of the £2.5bn Crescent Salford project, a huge 240-acre masterplan to transform part of Salford city centre with more than 3,000 new homes and buildings for research and businesses.
This project is a partnership between developer ECF, Salford Council, and the university.
And watch you don’t get run over by an electric scooter or bike.
Things we don’t say any more, “get me a pat of butter” and “nip to the coal yard and get a quarter of nutty slack.
Regards to all … Roy Bullock
May 2025 Newsletter
Our meeting in May was fronted by Dr Carole O’ Reilly who spoke to us about the De Trafford family mainly recognised for their association with Trafford Park, there were 16 people present. Dr Carole as most of us will remember had spoken to us about Parks in the area.
The De Trafford family Carole described as a homogeneous class of British aristocracy and John DE Trafford being given a Baronetcy by Queen Victoria.
John lived in Trafford Park and the family motto was Gripe Griffon Hold Fast
We were shown an image of the family coat of arms which had an image of a peasant holding a flail, which immediately resonated with me because I had heard stories about the reason for the attire, which I vaguely remember as one of the De Trafford family being hunted by the Round heads and approached in a field under the suspicion that he was one of the family, which was true, but he had purposely dressed in peasants clothing and when spoken to replied in the two words on the coat of arms Now thus, Now thus, continually until his interrogators took the opinion that he was a peasant and mentally unstable, which worked in his favour and they left him to his own devices.
The Family had built a hall in Trafford park that served many uses over the years. They also had Croston Hall which was demolished in the mid 1960s they also built the monestary at Barton on Irwell, built by Augustus pugin which still stands and can be visited especially the graveyard at the back in which Marshall Stevens is buried who became general manager of Trafford Park a company set up by Ernest Terah Hooley to develop Trafford Park.
The estate was passed to his oldest son Humphrey who married the daughter of the Earl of Shrewsbury and following him all the males contained the title Humphrey as part of their name. The talk was fast moving with multiple slides, which I found difficult to keep up with at times so just a few brief lines on what was said. The estate was put up for sale in 1896 and the asking price of £300.000 was not met but later that year it was bought by Ernest Terah for £360, 000 with Hooley having ambitions to create the worlds first industrial estate.
He was declared bankrupt in 1907, with gambling and racehorse betting being much of the cause in much disgrace for his family and Evelyn Waugh describing him as a ‘fine desperado.’ towards the end we were shown an historical map of the estate giving some idea of its rural aspect totally different from what we see today.
My thanks to Don, Mandy and all who put together the March newsletter I completely overlooked the fact that we had a meeting. I think there’s a name for it.
April was the event of our A G M and historically we do not have a speaker for that month, although we have in the past enjoyed the viewing of members slide collections.
It was decided that for a change this year we hold hold a quiz based mainly on the countless personalities, and achievers of our great city. There were twenty members in attendance so we can take some comfort from that, whether they were there for the quiz or just to renew their memberships is not known, but an audience of 20 for the A GM is
As there is no speaker to review. The questions asked at the meeting have been replicated below with the answers.
Salford Quiz Questions A G M 2024
Q1. It is part of Salford myth that Guy Fawkes visited Ordsall Hall to scheme with his cohorts to plan the Gunpowder Plot, this is recorded in a book called 'Guy Fawkes'. Who wrote that book?
Q2. What was the motto on the Salford coat of arms before 1974?
Q 3. What is the motto on the current Salford coat of arms
Q4. What is the meaning of the motto on the current Salford coat of arms?
Q5. Who was the second chancellor of the Salford University, SALFORD?
Q6. Who was Salford's first M. P.?
Q7. Which Salfordian has a crater on the moon named after him and reference to his name can be found on every packet of cornflakes, sauce bottle can of Cola etc?
Q8. Which Salford born composer and Master of the Queen's Music. wrote a piece called 'Cross Lane Fair' and also a piece called 'Farewell to Stromness?
Q9. Which Salford Lad first sent a letter from America in 1946 and then weekly for more than 50 years?
Q10. A pub on Chapel Street was known locally by its nickname the Tallow Tub to which it was eventually changed, what was its original name.
Q11. Where in Salford was Salford Grammar School originally situated?
Q12. Where in Salford is Little Bolton?
Q13, Which famous Salford swimmer who died in 1890, rescued 50 or more people from drowning in the river Irwell?
Q14. New Barns, Castle Irwell and Kersal Moor were once homes to which sporting pursuit? New Barns was also home to other sporting events.
Q15. What is the present day name of what was originally called Height Lane?
Q16. Where was Broughton Suspension Bridge and what happened to it in 1837?
Q17. Where in Salford was is the original 'Millionaires Mile'?
Q18. Which was the last road junction in Salford to be regularly manned by police?
Q19. Syncopating Sandy Strickland set a world record of 227 hours in the Eccles New Road area in 1951, doing what?
Q20. What world record did Eamonn McGirr beat in Patricroft in 1973?
21. Q. What was the name of the Salford astronomer and mathematician who observed the transit of Venus over the face of the sun?
22. Q which Salford actor when told by his teacher that he was sending him to R.A.D.A. allegedly said RADA what’s that?.
23. Q Which Salford born scientist whose father had a brewery, was born on New Bailey Street and has a house on the Crescent and a crater on the moon, and a pub-bar in Salford takes his name
24. Q. Who visited Salford with his show between December 1887 and May 1888?
25. Q. Where was the first gas lit street in the country possibly the world located in Salford?
26. Q Which singer, more famous for his pants splitting once resided in the Salford Arms pub on Chapel Street.?
The next six questions are about films books or songs that are based in or about Salford.
27, Q Who Wrote Love on the Dole?
28, Q Who wrote East is East?
29. Q who wrote The Classic Slum?
30. Q Who wrote A Taste of Honey?
31. Q Who wrote ‘Dirty Old Town’
32. Q Who wrote Hobsons Choice
Q. 33. Which man came to Salford and married here and is now buried in Agecroft Cemetery, claimed that he was the son of the King of Matabele Land?
Q. 34 He was responsible for probably the most famous saying in sport “There’s some people on the pitch, they think it's all over, it is now!” Who said it?
Q. 35. How better do we know Martin Austin Ruane or Luke McMasters? Same person
Salford Quiz Questions Answers
A1. William Harrison Ainsworth. A2. Integrity and Industry.
A3. Salus Populi Suprema Lex. A4. The Welfare of the people is the Highest Law
A5. Sarah Ferguson. Duchess of York. (Fergie) A.6 Joseph Brotherton.
A7. Scientist, James Prescot Joule, a reference to the amount of energy from the contents of the container. (|Although I have seen it expressed in Joules in the past it is now shown as K J followed by Kcal.
A8. Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. A9. Alistair Cooke, who was born in Isaac Street, Ordsall.
A10. The Queens Arms. (Apparently a reference to a candle factory nearby.)
A11. Leaf Square on Broad Street where the three concrete sculptures now stand.
A12. It is the area between West One trading estate and a point just after Stott Lane, leading down to the ship canal, originally the river Irwell.
A13. Mark Addy. A14. Horse Racing. A15. Claremont Road.
A16. It was on the site of the present Gerald Road footbridge linking Pendleton and Broughton. It collapsed on April 12th 1837 as a regiment of soldiers marched over it.
A17. Eccles Old Road, so called because of the number of wealthy cotton magnates and industrialists who live there in the late 19th and early 20th century.
A18. The junction of Chapel Street and Irwell Street until traffic lights were installed in December 1961.
A19. None stop piano playing. A20. Non stop singing, for 71 hours 31 minutes.
21. A. William Crabtree. 22. A. Albert Finney. 23. A. James Prescott Joule. The Joule.
24. A. Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show. 25. A. In the area of Chapel Street near Sacred Trinity Church.
26. A. P. J. Proby. 27. A31. A Walter Greenwood. 28. A Ayub Khan Din. 29. A Robert Roberts.
30 A. Shelagh Delaney. 31. Ewan McColl. 32. A Harold Brighouse. 33. Peter Lobengula. 34. Kenneth Wolstenholme. 35 Giant Haystacks
It is strange how we believe in things that we have learned over the years until that information is refuted in some way. I am initially thinking of the Bridgewater canal being claimed as the first in Britain. I was alerted to this while watching the T V Programme Great Railway Journeys, presented by Michael Portillo, who visited the Fossdyke canal
A search of the internet reveals: “The Fossdyke Navigation dates back to Roman times, giving it a strong claim to be Britain’s oldest canal.” confirming what he claimed.
In a later programme he claimed that the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway and made a point of saying that it was the first, pre-dating the Manchester Liverpool railway, but needed pulling up inclines with a cable. The internet says There are a number of other claimants to the title "first railway in Britain", including the Middleton, (Leeds) Swansea and Mumbles Railway and the Surrey Iron Railway amongst others.
In the end after trying to put this down and making sense, I thought does it matter? And lets just believe what we like best.
I hope that I have not made too many errors as there was some replication of questions as I wrote them down from the top of my head.
Regards to all and happy home quizzing. … Roy Bullock
April 2025 monthly newsletter
Our meeting in April was the A. G. M. in which the committee was re-elected whether willing or not following which we had a Salford based quiz, which was non competitive with no winners or losers with the questions being answered, hopefully by individuals who could add to the answer with more information from personal experience etc. An old quiz from December 1998 was used.
A number of available picture quizzes were handed out with pictures of then Salford personalities either from sport, art, or politics The answers to the picture quiz being 1. Steve (The Viking) Foster 2. George Costigan. 3. Ben Kingsley. 4. Tom Bergin, Salford Reporter editor. 5. Bill Hinds, then leader of Salford City Council, 6. Joan Lestor MP. 7. Royston Futter, Head of Arts and Leisure. 8 Ken Wolstenholme. 9. Albert Finney. 10. L.
S. Lowry. 11. Harold Riley. 12 Anthony Wilso. 13. Ryan Giggs. 14. Robert Powell. 15. Terry Lewis. M.P. 16. Peter Maxwell Davis (later Sir). 17. Mike Leigh. 18. Hazel Blears. 19. Tony Warren. 20. John Merry. 21. Don Rainger. 22. Eddie and Ruth Frow. 23. Brenda Dean. 24. Christopher Eccelestom.26 – 29. Rocky, Rex, Regent and Ranger. (Salford Council horses) 30 Allan Clarke 31. John Cooper Clarke, 32 The Horbick car, made by Horsfall and Bickham. 33. The Salamander car. 34. John Motson. 35. Tony Frankland.
Further questions that were asked at the meeting- below are forty of them. There were 50 originally others will be used in later newsletters.
1. what were the pubs that were turned into places of worship (at the time)
The Lowry. The Duke of Wellington, The Broughton Hotel.
2. At the bottom of Regent Roadwhere Sainsbury’s now stands there were 3 blocks of flats known as the Dales, what were the names of the 3 blocks
Langdale, Patterdale and Ennerdale.
3. He was born Jimmy Miller in Broughton and wrote many songs including Dirty Old Town, By what name did he gain fame.
Ewan McColl
4. Which lady who was more well known for her television work on news and current affairs, led the bid for the for Lowry Centre lottery millennium fund money.
Felicity Goody.
5. When Tesco first moved into Salford in the early 1960s they set up shop in a former cinema. What was the name of the cinema.
The Bijou on Broughton Road.
6. The last cinema to open in Salford was at Salford Quays was taken over by Virgin Who owned it when it opened
Canon
7. Who was the leader of Salford Council 03/05/1984-06/05/2027
Bill Hinds
8. What was the name of the Salford comedian known s Parrot Face.
Freddy Davis
9. Which large reptile was cut out of the river Irwell in the 1950s
The Anaconda bend
!0. Which Salfordian said There’s some people on the pitch, they think it’s all over, It is now. (arguably the most famous saying in sport).
Kenneth Wolstenholme.
11. which Salfors born jockey won the National Hunt jockey Championship for the 1959-60 season and also became the first to reach N.H.1000 winners.
Stan Mellor.
12. In a special ceremony held in Glasgow in 1993 the City of Salford awarded its Silver medal to a Nobel Prize winner and world renowned leader the medal replaced what used to be the freedom of the city before 1974. who was the recipient of the medal
Nelson Mandella
13. Which Salford born singer had hits in the record charts with Crying in the Chapel and Suddenly there’s a Valley.
Lee Lawrence.
14. which Salford pop music group had their only entry in the charts with ‘ Who you Looking At
The Salford Jets.
15 where in Salford would you have found the Statue of Liberty
on the roof of Riverside House at he junction of St Simon street and Broughton Bridge
16. What could have been found in the Broughton area bounded by Bury New Road Broom Lane and Northumberland Street between 1838 and 1842.
Broughton Zoo
17. Which Salfordian has a crater on the moon named after him.
James Prescott Joule
18. Who was the Chief Constable of Salford Police who served for over 38 years who introduced many pioneering road safety methods, mainly with children in mind including play streets, etc.
Major C. V. Godfrey.
19. Which Salfordian actor was a Papal Knight and provided the voice over-for the television advert for Hovis bread.
Joe Gladwin.
20. It was originally called Broomhouse lane by what name do we know it now.
Eccles Old Road.
21. Syncopating Sandy Strickland, Eamon McGirr and Beau, created separate world records in Salford, what did they do to achieve those records.
Non stop piano playing, singing and organ playing. In that order.
22.Whose body was taken from its burial place in Salford and re-interred in Edinburgh Castle.
Ensign Charles Ewart.
23. Where would you go to find the ghost of of Owd Billy.
The Whit Lane Brindle Heath area of Pendleton, it is the ghost of mill owner William Douglas, known as Black Douglas
24. Which Salfordian was was the musical staging and choreographer of the long running musical Grease played at the Manchester Opera House
Arlene Philips.
25. which Salfordian printed the first railway timetable.
George Bradshaw.
26. Agecroft Hall was shipped over to America in 1924, in which state of America is it now based.
It is now in a suburb of Richmond Virginia.
27. Where could you regularly see trains crossing the street in Salford’
Irwell Street, between two railway goods yards that stood on either side of the street.
28. Which famous comedian was born in Kipling was born in Kipling Street Broughton.
Al Read.
29. Who and what was El Engles
He was Frank Evans, who performed as a bullfighter in Spain.
30. Which Salford brewery sold Blue Label pale ale
Threlfalls brewery
31. Which Salford brewery sold Red Rose Stout
Grove and Whitnall.
32. Which public park opened in Salford in 1846.
Peel Park.
33. Who was thr first mayor of Salford in 1844
William Lockett.
34. what was significant about the deaths of Miles Weatherfield and Timothy Flaherty in1868
They were last people to be executed at New Bailey Prison, Salford.
35. Which Salford man had hits in the pop music charts between 1959 and 1967 which included his most famous Fanlight Fanny which reached number 22
Clinton Ford.
36. Which pub in Broughton changed its name to Hanky Park then eventually changed it back.
The Grosvenor.
37. By what name was Salford musical artiste Elsie Cotton better known
Lily Elsie or little Elsie
38.Which Salford born recording artist had a hit with the song Lilac Wine
Elkie Brooks.
39. Which Salford person was reported missing in 1979 being assumed to be lost up the Amazon
Albert Finney who was working in South America at the time.
40.Brothers, Billy, Teddy, Jack, Mark and Albert Marchant were famous. for what sport.
Boxing.
Regards to all-Roy
