"If they think we've been awkward, they do not know they've been born yet..."
In all the history of Salford's recent `regeneration' there has been none as fearsome as the amazing RITA women...
RITA was Riverside Island Tenants Association, and these women fought off Countryside Properties which wanted to demolish all the houses on Spike Island for the dream of `New Broughton'. Joining them were some equally vociferous women, Val Broadbent and Ann Bailey, from Ascension Road Action Group, who didn't want their houses trashed either.
These were all proper Salford women, proper community activists, who weren't frightened of speaking their minds and standing up to authority, be it cowering councillors or be-suited developers.
You can still hear Val's voice echoing around Lower Broughton... "The way we've been treated, you'd think we're all coming from slum clearance. We're not. We're not sat around a coal fire with a tin bath on the wall, having to go out in the yard to the loo. We've all got perfectly good houses...If they think we've been awkward, they do not know they've been born yet..."
She saw her community and way of life being bulldozed before her eyes; one where neighbours looked out for each other and houses were homes. It was her warmth for old Salford values that motivated her spirit, which always came with a sense of ironic humour.
Val, accompanied by her barking dogs, was forever laughing at the wonky plans that Countryside had put in place for the new houses – sinks against window-less walls, a `ski-slope' for a garden, houses looking like `chalets at Pontins'...and, together with other residents, got the developer to change its plans, making the regeneration process in the second phase more accountable and the houses more amenable.
However, when she had to move into one of Countryside's properties, Val's health deteriorated, although not her determination to speak out...
"I still to this day can't understand why they took that house off me and gave me this rubbish" she told the Salford Star in 2011 "The house I had was only 22 years old and it was twenty times better than this new one. There was nothing wrong with any of the houses but they've replaced them with matchboxes...
"This was supposed to make everything better" she explained "But we didn't get what was promised. We are lonely and isolated. We had driveways at the other house and you met your neighbours on a daily basis – they were cleaning their cars, sat out reading the paper, doing bits of gardening…you'd go in the back hanging your washing out and see them, or sit at the back when it was sunny and speak to your neighbours over the fence. But here I'm surrounded by a 6ft fence – the only time I see next door is if I meet her on the street going shopping.
"There's no contact with your neighbours other than going and sitting in their houses which we don't really want to do all the time" she added "You never see a soul unless you go out."
Val continued to keep in touch with the Salford Star, and less than a year ago she was in contact about pigeon poo problems in `New Broughton'. Despite failing health, she was still on good form... "I even threatened to hire a ladder, get the newspapers in and go up with a power washer myself" she laughed. The pigeon problem was solved immediately.
Although in and out of hospital, Val was never without a comment on Facebook, forever watching what was happening to her city. In the history of Salford's recent regeneration, Val Broadbent was a shining example of ordinary people speaking up and standing up to authority.
"We're just fighting for what we want; it's us who have got to live here..."
It was with great sadness that we learnt of her passing this week.
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