TOPMAN SELL OUT SALFORD LADS CLUB

Morrissey fans and Salfordians are fuming over Topman's new range of northern stereotype style which the company has dared to call Salford Lads Club, without the permission of the famous landmark, of course.

The `look' which includes a `navy and red bowtie', a `grey soft stripe trilby' and a `blue polka dot neckerchief' has been absolutely slated on Morrissey fan forums and on the streets of Salford today…

There's loads going on at this year's Salford Show which includes a circus workshop, a horticultural show, Lancashire Hawks and Owls, a tug of war, a dog show, art and music workshops, a rugby display, charity and community stalls, tombola and a fair.

The show has been organised by Friends of Buile Hill Park with support from Claremont and Weaste Community Committee and Langworthy and Ordsall Community Committee.

There will also be a car boot sale from 8.30am on both the Sunday and Monday.

Music, dance, sports and hopefully sunshine will feature at the Ordsall Festival this Saturday. Organised by Friends of Ordsall Park, the Fest also includes Lads and Dads Bowling, the BBC Story Tent and Under The Sea Sculptures, plus an Ordsall's Got Talent contest and loads of stalls.

A great family day out is promised for all...

Further details phone Gail on 0794 6529048

The wild, the weird and the sonically wacky arrive in Salford this weekend for an indoor fest with a difference…

EDUCASHUN…EDUCASHUN…EDUCASHUN!!!

You couldn’t make it up! 

And this is absolutely true...

EDUCASHUN…EDUCASHUN…EDUCASHUN!!!

You couldn't make it up! 

And this is absolutely true...

A Salford Star Exclusive
Higher Broughton Special – Part 1

£130,000 TO REFURBISH A TERRACE!!!

Incredibly, Salford Council is arguing that it would cost over £130,000 per property to refurbish terraced houses. This astronomical figure was quoted by Salford Council's `Strategic Director for Sustainable Regeneration' to justify a decision by the Council to rat on its commitment to save 15 houses from demolition in the Top Streets area of Higher Broughton. Yet only two years ago the figure to do up the same houses, given via the Prime Minister himself, was estimated at below £70,000…

What the hell is going on in Higher Broughton?

TREE OF KNOWLEDGE LISTED!
SALFORD STAR PEOPLE POWER SAVES PRICELESS SCULPTURE!

Salford's Tree of Knowledge has been declared of national interest by the Government, which has now designated the mural Grade II in the national list of protected `buildings of special architectural or historic interest'. 

The ceramic sculpture was due to be demolished by Salford Council but a speedy campaign launched through the Salford Star website managed to halt the demolition. Now the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has recognised the Tree of Knowledge as a "rare surviving example of a bespoke 1960s ceramic mural" with a "high level of aesthetic and artistic quality".

A news release today by the Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society states: "If it had not been for the Salford Star's readers protest against the imminent thoughtless demolition of the Tree of Knowledge, Salford Council would have crushed the mural within hours."

Now, despite Salford Council acting fast to halt the demolition, questions must be asked about how it managed to get into the position of being hours away from demolishing an artwork of national importance…

For the full story click here…

A Salford Star Exclusive

TREE OF KNOWLEDGE LISTED!
SALFORD PEOPLE POWER SAVES PRICELESS SCULPTURE!

Following the energetic campaign by the community to save Salford's Tree of Knowledge we have learned tonight that the ceramic mural has been listed Grade II by the Rt Hon Ben Bradshaw MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport.

`Disreputable' Student Gives Testimonial For University

The University of Salford recently drummed out lecturer, union rep and PhD student, Gary Duke for `bringing the University into disrepute' and making "malicious" and "damaging remarks". So what better way to promote the University than to use Gary's testimonial saying that studying there is "stress free and a continuing pleasure"?

Hmmm…

`Disreputable' Student Gives Testimonial For University

The University of Salford recently drummed out lecturer, union rep and PhD student, Gary Duke for `bringing the University into disrepute' and making "malicious" and "damaging remarks". So what better way to promote the University than to use Gary's testimonial saying that studying there is "stress free and a continuing pleasure"?

Hmmm…

Last night at Moor Lane the Great Escape was all Lancaster's as they somehow smuggled the points out of Salford against all logic and odds. Lancs were totally tortured by Jody Banim's man of the match performance. Full of swerves, flicks and tricks, by the end Salford's no 9 had three quaking defenders near him every time he got the ball.

However, while Salford has a new hero, we ain't got any bleedin' points on the board yet…

"I'LL BE BACK" CLAIMS WHYTE…

Chek Whyte, the `Secret Millionaire' developer who left Salford owing thousands of pounds to companies working on the Langworthy Church project, failed to get creditors to back him yesterday in his bid to keep trading.

Whyte will now face a bankruptcy hearing in the near future, which he claims "would be the easy way out for me because I'm an entrepreneur and in 12 months I would be back"…

SECRET MILLIONAIRE FACES COURT

Chek Whyte, who came to Salford in the full glare of Channel 4's Secret Millionaire cameras two years ago, is now facing court and bankruptcy after failing to strike a deal with his creditors, who are owed upwards of £30million. 

Whyte had hoped that a creditors meeting today would accept an Individual Voluntary Agreement (IVA) that would have enabled him to carry on trading. But secured creditors, including banks (owed £26million) and the Inland Revenue (owed up to £2million) refused to back him, we understand. The next step is court and most probably bankruptcy…

Remembering Salford's Legends
29th August, Lower Kersal Social Club
Starring Salford Jets, The RSL Band, El Vato, The Helmets, Duluth and John McFadden
Gig £10; Family Day free

Rowing the full 63k length of the River Irwell indoors at Lower Kersal Social Club is just one cool event in a full day and night of family fun and top sounds included in a major charity event on 29th August...

Trafford 5 Salford City 1

The second half hadn't even kicked off yet when the Salford fans, orange flags waving behind the goal, began singing last season's Great Escape anthem. Did it inspire the team to hit the come back heights of last spring? A few minutes later Trafford scored again to make it 4-1. Ooops…

THE BIG KICK OFF

After last season's sensational last minute Great Escape, Salford City kick off a new Unibond League 1 North season tomorrow (Sat 15th) when the team travels to Trafford FC for the big local derby.

Be there and fly the flag for Salford – kick off 3pm

SALFORD UNDERVALUES CPO HOUSE BY 40% - OFFICIAL!

Jimmy Griffiths, the first person in the country to be forcibly evicted from his home as a result of the Government's ill fated Pathfinder programme, has won his long running battle with Salford Council over compensation for the now demolished house.

A Lands Tribunal has found that the Council's `independent' District Valuer had undervalued the compulsorily purchased (CPO) property in Higher Broughton by 40%. The landmark case also showed that house prices on which the original compensation figure was based were "selective to a considerable degree" and that other valuations for CPOs in the area were based on an "arbitrary reduction"…

Residents in the `bottom streets' of Higher Broughton who originally accepted Salford Council offers as low as £21,000 for their houses pre-2005 will now find that the properties were actually worth well over double that figure…

COUNCIL DAMNED BY COMMISSION

"Affordability…clearly only applies to the more affluent local households…"

The Audit Commission is hardly a radical body.  It's an independent watchdog that aims to ensure that public money is properly spent, and chose Higher Broughton for a `Performance Review' because it received over £13million,  the highest level of Housing Market Renewal (HMR) funding in Salford between 2003 and 2006. 

The massive housing project has been created by the Higher Broughton Partnership – a partnership between Salford City Council, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Inpartnership and City Spirit – and the Commission looked at the role of public money within this – who takes the risk (Salford Council) and who get the profits (everyone else).    

Its remit wasn't necessarily to look at affordable housing.  Indeed, it praises Salford Council in parts and salutes the Partnership's objectives to establish `housing products and neighbourhoods that will attract new, more affluent residents'.  Yet, in a 40 page report, released last December, the Audit Commission, in its own bureaucratic terms, let rip…

Here's the main points with a translation underneath…

John Earnshaw, Low Demand Project Manager with the Empty Homes Agency, gives his views on the treatment of the residents and their terraced houses…

SUE'S STORY

Sue Davies has lived in the Top Streets of Higher Broughton for almost 24 years…

GUY'S STORY…

I'm seen as a trouble maker by the council because they had to get the police and the bailiffs to get me out of my house.  But I'm a very altruistic person and what they're doing here is wrong and unjust, like it is in Langworthy. Basically they're getting rid of people who are poor or working class, so somebody more affluent can come in...

LIVING ON THE FRONT LINE

Higher Broughton's Jimmy Griffiths and his brother Guy are infamous as the only people in the country to be forcibly evicted from their own homes as a result of `regeneration'…Here, Guy, Jimmy and his daughter, 18 year old Madeline, tells what it's like to live through years of tension in the terraces…

HIGHER BROUGHTON...

Another `award winning' development...Another can of worms

Here, we look at the human cost through the eyes of the residents… then we take a peek at the shocking Audit Commission Report, and finally, John Earnshaw, a housing professional of 40 years standing, gives his views on the scheme…

7pm Monday 24th August 2009 £2
Swinton Moorside Cricket Club, Deansway

Swishing is a new style of ethical party shopping that’s sweeping the globe – and it’s coming to Salford on 24th August, with all proceeds going towards the Children’s Heart Appeal…

Ashton United…Ashton United…Can we not play you every week? Can we n-o-o-o-o-t play you-oo every week? Not 'cos you're any good, just 'cos you're dull, functional, and fall-asleep methodical. We've seen more joy in a wheelie bin.  And, considering Ashton are a league above a way more entertaining Salford, there wasn't that much between the teams – maybe a few bits of orange peel and some old baked beans…

Star date: 11th August 2009

Millions and millions of pounds collected by Salford Council from developers under controversial Section 106 agreements have been `insufficiently monitored' according to an Internal Audit, completed in July last year but which has only recently come to light.

Tomorrow the Friends of Light Oaks Park are running a fab Fun Day, complete with street dancers, face painters, children’s entertainers, fair ground rides, circus skills and sports events.

The weather's looking good so get down there and have some summer fun in Salford…

MP, Adrian Sanders, who sits on the House of Commons Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport, has praised the Salford Star for "shedding light on local decision-making and holding people to account for their actions"…

Star Date: 6th August 2009

English Heritage has been in touch to thank everyone who aired their feelings about saving Salford's Tree of Knowledge. All the comments and e-mails we received were passed onto EH this morning...

"The comments will all go on file" said an officer for English Heritage "We are moving the file as quickly as possible and hope to have it with the DCMS (Dept of Culture, Media and Sport) by next week. Please pass on my thanks." 

Meanwhile, Christopher Marsden from TACS (The Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society) has also made the Tree's artist, Alan Boyson, aware of the Salford Star response and we hope to get some comments, or hopefully an interview, with Alan as soon as possible.

GARY DUKE SACKED SHOCK (?)

This morning Salford University lecturer, Gary Duke was sacked for `bringing the University into disrepute' after producing a spoof `Vice Consul's Newsletter' during the spate of job losses announced by the University.

"There is a long satirical tradition within our University system" said Gary after the hearing "Private Eye and other publications emerged from this tradition. These newsletters were produced within this tradition. They were and are extremely popular. They gave people a sense that at least someone was fighting back when people were being bullied and hounded out of their jobs by management as part of 'Project Headroom'. I believe the decision of the panel and the University, to dismiss me on the basis of these findings, has serious implications for Freedom of Speech within this institution…"

UNIVERSITY LECTURER'S JOB ADVERTISED BEFORE HE'S BEEN OFFICIALLY SACKED!

The University of Salford is currently priding itself on its employment of human rights campaigners in top jobs. But where are the human rights for lecturer, Gary Duke, who went into a disciplinary meeting yesterday only to find that his job was already being advertised nationally?

Salford City 1 Oldham Athletic 2

HIGHLIGHTER PENS NEW SEASON

Unlucky Salford City should have got a draw, and could have had a win against an Oldham side wearing shirts that would make a set of highlighter pens reach for their shades. But a last minute penalty by Oldham and a point blank save on the final whistle by their goalie ensured the win for the anonymous crew sent down from Boundary Park…

Hazel’s Seat To Be Declared `Marginal’ By Labour

A Labour Party insider tells me that Salford has nowbeen declared “a marginal constituency” for the first time in…well, ages! People say you could stick a red rosette on a donkey and it’d get elected in Salford, but it seems that the Labour Party itself no longer thinks so. …

Hazel’s Seat To Be Declared `Marginal’ By Labour

A Labour Party insider tells me that Salford has now been declared “a marginal constituency” for the first time in…well, ages! People say you could stick a red rosette on a donkey and it’d get elected in Salford, but it seems that the Labour Party itself no longer thinks so. …

Star Date: 4th August 2009

Late last night we received an e-mail from Chris Marsden of the Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society (TACS) thanking Salford Star readers for helping to save the Tree of Knowledge from being demolished this morning. The artist, Alan Boyson, is `chuffed',  English Heritage is visiting the site today to see if the artwork can be listed, and TACS is now working with the Council on the possibility of salvaging and re-siting the Tree of Knowledge.

Stop Press 5:00pm

Star date: 3rd August 2009

Following the Salford Star story this morning, it now looks like Salford's Tree of Knowledge might be saved.

A missive has just arrived from Salford Council Leader, John Merry...

"I can confirm that demolition has been stopped and I am now looking into the matter with a view to preserving the mural if possible..."

What's this? Salford Council actually listening to its residents? Looks like it! The next step is to get the sculpture listed and re-housed...over to you Councillor Merry...

Star date 3rd August 2009

Only in Salford could the Tree of Knowledge be demolished! 

Tomorrow, Tuesday 4th August 2009, Salford's Tree of Knowledge is due to be demolished. The Tree of Knowledge is a huge, outstanding ceramic sculpture that currently adorns the end wall of the former Irwell Valley High School (latterly part of the University of Salford's visual art department), near the Cromwell roundabout in Charlestown.

It's the only 20th Century ceramic mural in Salford and is described as `important and special' by the Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society (TACS), which adds that it is "Tragic that Salford's heritage is being destroyed without due consideration".

 There's basically only 24 hours to save the Tree of Knowledge…

Depite the constant downpour, Party In The Park was swingin' and singin' in the rain, as Whit Lane's annual Amber Project jamboree kicked off with a didgeridoo and ended with dread town reggae...