Keep up to date with all the big stories from across Greater Manchester in the daily Mancunian Way newsletter. You can receive the newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday by signing up right here.
Here's the Mancunian Way for today:
Hello,
I found this piece about Salford’s aim to become an 'arts and culture hotspot', by our chief reporter Neal Keeling, really interesting.
The hope is that a £750,000 Arts Council grant can be used to spread art, crucially, across ALL towns of the borough, public parks, high streets to former docklands.
There has been some cynicism from M.E.N readers. “What a load of nonsense,” one wrote, in the comments section below Neal’s story this morning.
“Lol no it's not, there's nothing cultural about Salford,” another commented.
It’s easy to be snide about these slightly intangible arts projects, especially when they are juxtaposed in the pages of the M.E.N with regular crime updates.
And I’m not sure even Neal - one of Salford’s biggest champions - could have predicted the promotion of coppice crafts, public art and family festivals across the city during his early days as a reporter in the Salford district office. But things have changed dramatically over the last few years.
Music festival Sounds from the Other City - which populates Chapel Street with some of the region’s best upcoming musicians each year - is a great example. Not that the city’s musicianship needs much of a push. After all, most of those ‘Manc’ artists we all know and love are actually from Salford - from Shaun Ryder to Graham Nash.
More recently, RHS Bridgewater has provided Salford with another cultural touchstone. There may be a perception that it’s all terribly middle class, but there have been great efforts made to ensure it appeals to locals, including with the extension of a scheme offering free entry for Salfordians.
Thanks to this new funding, RHS Bridgewater will now be able to teach young people skills like wood turning and charcoal burning. “Talking about woodcraft at RHS Bridgewater they are opening themselves up to ridicule a bit, because I don’t think that’s the first thing a Salford kid would request funding for,” says Neal. “But having said that, before RHS Bridgewater arrived, that land was a scout camp and holds decades of joyous memories for Salford kids. All kids want some outdoor adventure. So I think it’s snobbish to say ‘this arts stuff is nonsense’.”
But is this all part of piecemeal gentrification? And are the benefits of these large projects trickling through to every part of the city? Neal says Salford’s establishment as a cultural hub is testament to long-term transformation - but the benefits must be available to all.
“Salford should be rightly proud of The Lowry arts centre which stages an impressive mix of theatre, music, comedy, panto and is a major venue,” he says. “But when it was created there was a pledge that Salfordians from every corner of the borough would benefit.
“It does outreach work in the community. Hopefully this grant will mean art and events which can inspire young people and enrich lives which get to every corner of the borough. The city is brimming with talent in its schools which deserves to be nurtured. Art is for all - not just those who can afford a ticket to the Lowry.”
Neal says schemes like the Johnny Marr Award, recently won by 12-year-old John Denton, are key to unlocking local talent. But promoting that talent is just as important.
“What annoys me as someone who has covered Salford since 1998 is the narrative that Salford is a dump, is trouble, is a wasteland. It’s infuriating,” he says. “I have been into local schools where I have seen brilliance from young people both in art and theatre productions. The place is awash with talent. But it needs stimulating and promoting.”
For those still unconvinced, let’s not forget there has been snobbishness about Salford as a cultural touchstone before. When the BBC first moved to Salford Quays in 2011, Jeremy Clarkson said he would rather quit his job as Top Gear frontman than move to the city, dubbing it a 'small suburb with a Starbucks and a canal with ducks on it'.
And in 2012, a memo sent to workers moving up to the Beeb’s Salford base warned them: ‘MediaCity is a different kettle of fish to W12’ and offered to escort them to their car or tram stop if they felt unsafe. Meanwhile, the 1,000 or so relocating to MediaCityUK from London were offered a ‘buddy system’ that promoted leafy suburbs such as Chorlton, Didsbury and Altrincham as the best places to move to.
But, as local leaders have argued, MediaCityUK has become ‘a British success story’ instrumental in sparking ‘a creative and digital revolution in the city region’. There are now opportunities in the media for Northern kids that simply didn’t exist before. And it certainly seems like you hear far more Northern voices on BBC radio and television these days. Surely not a coincidence?
The huge arts grant awarded to Salford also means family festival We Invented The Weekend - staged at Salford Quays and Media City in June - will return again. There was one part of that event that piqued Neal’s interest. “They had included an art competition for kids at The Lowry. Quite an old fashioned idea but the kind of thing that can really make a difference to young people,” he says.
After all, the late great Salford artist Harold Riley, a dear friend of Neal’s, had his own career kick-started at the tender age of 11 when he was awarded first prize at a school art exhibition by L.S. Lowry.
Who knows, perhaps this latest round of funding for Salford will uncover the next Harold Riley.
Crime crackdown on transport network
Police made 19 arrests and fined 1,102 people on the Metrolink during a huge crackdown on crime across Greater Manchester's transport network. A total of 88 stolen or vandalised Beryl Bikes were also recovered in the days of action, carried out by GMP's transport unit alongside Transport for Greater Manchester.
Traffic operations on Regent Road and Bury New Road caught 333 traffic offences, which included 152 speeding offences with seven arrests made.
Superintendent Gareth Parkin says officers often refer to the network as the ‘11th district’, so having an active presence was a priority.
"Officers from each district set up specialist operations to try and combat anti-social behaviour, knife crime, theft, and other pressing priorities for that district. As you can see from the results above, there have been a great number of arrests, stop and searches carried out and fines handed out for fare evasion on our Metrolink network,” he says.
Controversial scheme here to stay
It certainly ruffled some feathers when it was first introduced to parts of Levenshulme and Burnage - but it looks like the Active Travel scheme is here to stay.
As Adam Maidment has reported, extensively, traffic calming measures introduced as part of the trial at the start of 2021 were met with fury by some residents. More than two and a half years on the project - which aims to improve road safety and air pollution - is set to become a permanent reality.
Manchester Council has received £7m in funding to finalise plans - though bosses acknowledge it’s vital to get things right with a scheme that elicits ‘such passion and community feedback’.
The brunt of the concerns from residents have been aimed at a series of ‘strategically placed’ planters that doubled up as road filters. Within hours of being installed - and therefore blocking vehicle access - some of the filters were knocked over and damaged in acts of vandalism.
There were also concerns when residents claimed emergency services, such as ambulances and fire engines, were getting ‘stuck’ and having to reroute around the filters. Other cars were also seen driving ‘around’ the filters onto the pavement on some occasions.
A further consultation will soon take place. You can read more about the controversial scheme here.
Illegal for almost 200 years, but still rife
Greater Manchester has been named and shamed by the RSPCA as the second worst area in England and Wales for cases of dog fighting. Despite the coronavirus lockdown, the charity revealed it has tackled 82 reported cases here since 2019, more than anywhere outside of London.
As Paul Britton reports, the barbaric abuse of dogs has been illegal for almost 200 years, but RSPCA inspectors said it sadly remained 'rife'.
Figures have been released as part of the new Cancel Out Our Cruelty Campaign under which the charity released shocking figures revealing a surge in cases of intentional animal cruelty across Greater Manchester.
The RSPCA said the figures showed 'an alarming increase in intentional cruelty against animals' - there were 605 reports in Greater Manchester last year, an increase of 9 per cent compared to the 553 made in 2021.
"It's staggering that something which has been illegal for almost 200 years, which most people would consider consigned to history, is still so rife,” Ian Muttitt, RSPCA dog fighting expert and Special Operations Unit chief inspector.
Sign up to The Mancunian Way
Has a friend forwarded you this edition of The Mancunian Way? You can sign up to receive the latest email newsletter direct to your inbox every weekday by clicking on this link.
Weather etc
Thursday: Cloudy changing to sunny intervals in the afternoon. 20C.
Road closures: M67 Eastbound entry slip road closed due to long-term roadworks at J2 A57 Hyde Road (Denton). Until December 1, 2025.
Trivia question: Which Rochdale born singer and actress was considered the highest paid film star in the world in 1937?
Manchester headlines
Suspended: Another senior officer has been suspended by Greater Manchester Police - the second in nine months. The force says a Superintendent has been suspended from duty and referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following an internal allegation of misconduct. GMP has not revealed the nature of the allegations against the Superintendent. The Independent Office for Police Conduct says it carefully assessed a referral from GMP regarding allegations of inappropriate conduct by an officer of Superintendent rank. “We have informed GMP the nature of the allegations mean an investigation is required. We determined GMP should carry out the investigation and have made recommendations of matters for the investigating officer to consider,” a spokesperson said.
- Strikes: The NHS has issued a warning ahead of sweeping strikes due to hit hospitals this week. Patients are being urged to choose NHS services wisely as the next spate of industrial action is about to unfold across the health service. Junior doctors are taking action from 7am on Thursday July 13 to 7am on Tuesday July 18. Hospital consultants will strike from 7am on Thursday July 20 to 7am on Saturday July 22. In addition, the Society of Radiographers has announced its members will strike from 8am on July 25 to 8am on July 27. You can read the latest advice to patients here.
More strikes: Teachers are set to walk out in the new school year amid a dispute over pay. Members of the National Education Union have already taken strike action in England over the current school year, but other unions had not been involved. A ballot in January among members of the NASUWT teaching union did not reach the 50 per cent turnout threshold required by law. However, the results of a fresh ballot from the union have been announced this morning with a turnout of 51.9 per cent. Overall, 88.5 per cent of NASUWT teacher members in England who voted in the ballot backed strike action. Of those who voted, 94.3 per cent backed action short of strikes. More here.
Boss quits: The chief executive of HS2 has announced he will resign later this year following major delays and cost pressures for the high-speed railway project. Mark Thurston will leave his role at HS2 Ltd in September after six-and-a-half years spearheading the Government-owned company. Initially scheduled to open in 2026, the railway project has been delayed to between 2029 and 2033 due to construction difficulties and rising costs. Mr Thurston said someone else should take over as the project transitions from construction to a ‘defining period’ involving the installation of railway systems, such as track and signalling equipment. More here.
Worth a read
Locked up, more than 100 miles from their home city, ‘homesick’ Desmond Noonan Jnr and five other teenage Mancs caused mayhem during a seven hour siege.
It only came to an end when the 'tornado team' - an elite riot squad charged with keeping Britain's unruly prisoners at bay - stormed the chapel at the Deerbolt Young Offenders Institution, where the rioting teenagers were holed up.
The rioters included Desmond Noonan Jnr, the then 19-year-old son of Manchester crime boss Damien Noonan, who had died in a motorbike crash in the Caribbean two years earlier, and nephew of murdered gangster Desmond Noonan. Others were or would go on to become members of the notorious Gooch gang offshoots Fallowfield Mandem and the Rusholme Crips, including convicted gang boss Zico Reid.
Here, reporter Damon Wilkinson looks at how Noonan teamed up with others for the 'Satanic' riot back in the February of 2005.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk.
If you have enjoyed this newsletter today, why not tell a friend how to sign up?
The answer to today's trivia question is: Gracie Fields.
