Silly Sod

Thought I'd share this as an example of how life can change for the good.
I just got off the phone with one of my best friends who, like me, is a raggedy ass Manchester kid who got the hell out and now lives in Oz with his Oz wife.

We always said life had more in store for us than weekends in Salford, getting into trouble and eating kebabs (great as kebabs are!!) So, the lesson here is you never know what's around the corner. God bless america ha ha and god bless BE

Just shows ya dunnnit ha ha.

Dogbyte

Ive met some lads/girls from Salford who dont have the brains to think like you,All it takes is some imagination and the world really is your oyster,its always good to hear a success story,good for you and your mate.And for people who dont know what Salford was /is, it is an area of Manchester near to what used to be the Port of Mcr which little employment after the port shut down.A tough area in many ways. Now it is being regenerated but has attracted the drug gangs and at times a bit like Bronx(with no disrespect to them)

Silly Sod

I know a few of those people myself. Not the smartest bunch in the world. Salford has a bad rep of course but not always entirely deserved. Thre drugs and gangs are a problem of course but you can generally avoid that life if you want to. Also, the guns are becoming more and more of a problem over the last ten years. You have Moss Side gangs fighting it out for territory with Salford gangs over everything from car parking to cocaine. Best thing the police did was to push for the downgrading of pot, I think that took a lot of stress fthe police leaving them more scope to go after the more hard core types rather than wasting man hours fillg out paperwork for some kid with a few joints. America could learn from that.

On the plus side it is actually a very beautiful city in parts and has a great history. Older than Manchester and with a lot more famous sons and duaghters - Ben Kingsley, Albert Finney (who was brought up on my doorstep) - and many more. Karl Marx lived in Ordsall while writing the communist maifesto which not a lot of people know and my mum are dad are bloody great ha ha.

All that said, thanks for the reply dogbyte, I guess you have experienced some of the idiots in my town but not all are that way.

isgraham

I'm originally from Salford (Worsley) and I know quite a few people who have moved on, it certainly is/was a popular place to get away from. Having said that I have lots of good memories of living there but it was the move to London that finished the UK for me.

BigDavyG

By coincidence this is currently my desktop background...

Dogbyte

Lowry captured the views in his pictures.One of my favourites is the uphill cobbled pavement a it it off Hillgate in Stockport and I used to walk down it out on patrol as a very, young cop on the beat in the town centre.Very icy in winter though.On my bum twice !!Cape and helmet flying, muttering !

Silly Sod

Ha ha, shoudn't laugh dogbyte, but the cape and hat thing forms a funny picture. Regarding Lowry, the collectoin used to be based at Salford University for years and my father, on his only day off work (Sunday) would drag us kids around the drafty, ehoey, austere and forbidding museum (facing the crescent police station) whispering to us about our heritage. It used to bore us silly looking at those miserable (for kids) paintings when we would rather have been charging around Peel Park.

Years later however, I found myself dragging my two kids around the place saying the same stuff lol. My daugher was always scared of his self portrait. Maybe it was some kind of Salford tradition on a Sunday. He had to do it so we had to do it so my kids had to do it etc. It wont be the same for my grandkids though, now it is based at The Lowry Centre on Salford Quays. THat could prove to be too much fun for the little uns, with all the boats and shops. Oh well, another tradition dies.

(

Thydney

Don't Man U come from Salford?

Dogbyte

Man Utd are actually in Old Trafford(district)of Mcr . Salford,is a city,both are actually separate, is actually on the other side of the Mcr Ship Canal, you would be talking about 400 yds distance in the boundary.

Silly Sod

Yayyyyy!!!!! Well, technically speaking.......................
They are known as salfords team yes, but they were originally based in Newton Heath and was called Newton Heath F.C.

Old Trafford, or The Theatre of Dreams as it is now knows, is acutally in Trafford and comes under that authority. But, sprititually it is Salford, right on the border of Ordsall and in sight of the quays. It has been a while since I could afford to go though, costs a bloody bombthese days!!!

It seems funny that it has been taken over by a yank millionaire and their only real rivals are chelsea who are now owned by a russian billionaire wo can buy the worlds best players and has poured bucket loads of cash into them.

Another interesting bit of trivial drivel (sorry for going on a bit) bringing this thread into the realms of USA is that a number of Buffalo Bills wild west show members, native americans, settled by the Quays, near old trafford and stayed after the show left. Members of Salford council now go to pow pows with the tribe on this side of the pond to promote links. Not sure of the tribe but there are descendants still living in Salford. Bit off subject there. Sorry

Dogbyte

Ah yes,members of the Salford LABOUR ! council getting another free jaunt at the taxpayers expense,the drivel as you said, is not, it would explain that Friday night special 'Gunfight at the Noonans' A plan to take over the territory from the indians !

Thydney

Are the Noonans still larging it? Used to lock the up at Salfords own jail

Silly Sod

You lost me a bit there Dogbyte. To be honest?
Typical Salford council though, wasting my mums tax paying money on **** all but free hols!!! Buggers ha ha. Who the hell are 'the noonans'?

Thydney

Well depends on your point of view either local Gangster/hard man or toadying little prison snitch

Dogbyte

My, My, you must either be a very good boy (which you probably are) or have not been there for the last 15 yrs.The 'Noonans' are the local crime lords or so they like to think, cant remember all the names but Desi,the older is now deceased, (what a shame,but no loss)He was featured on a TV prog about the gangs in the Mcr area,the Moss.Cheetham Hill a couple of yrs ago, when we had all the shootings in the Moss and Levenshuilme over drugs etc.However I'm now a little out of touch having finished. I had dealings with their fathers, who were old fashioned and characters but this new lot are just nutters.Sorry to go on,its the dementia setting in,who am I ?I'll have to go to my dark room for another lie down.