Star date: 10th April 2017

HOP-ON HOP-OFF TOURIST BUS COMES TO SALFORD

This Friday will see the launch of a new hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus which will take in the 'tourist hotspots' of Salford as well as Manchester, complete with running commentary by Lord of the Rings actor Dominic Monaghan.

There are 15 stops on the initial route which begins at Manchester Town Hall and includes Salford Cathedral, Salford University, The Lowry and The Quays. But will the tourists know they are in Salford?

Full details here...

Tourists coming to Greater Manchester may miss the delights of Langworthy and Little Hulton but they will see Chapel Street and Salford Quays, as a new hop-on hop-off partly open-top sightseeing bus service launches this Friday.

Run by bus tour operator Philip Higgs, the Sightseeing Manchester double decker will initially have 15 stops from its start point at Manchester Town Hall on Albert Square, including Salford Cathedral, Salford University, The Lowry and The Quays.

Tourists won't notice that they are in Salford, as most of the places the bus stops at in the city have already been re-branded - Salford University, Manchester; The Lowry Outlet, Manchester and MediaCityUK, Manchester*...

The other stops are King Street; Aytoun Street; Piccadilly Gardens; Church Street; National Football Museum and Victoria Station; Manchester Cathedral; Trafford Road; Old Trafford; Imperial War Museum North; Museum of Science and Industry and Bridgewater Hall.

The tour will run every day apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, with multiple departures per day. There will also be a taped commentary throughout the tour by Lord of the Rings and Lost actor Dominic Monaghan, who grew up in Stockport...

'...And on your left please see the historic Ye Olde Nelson pub...Oh, Salford Council's knocked it down!... And here we are approaching the new unaffordable housing, as Salford's working class gets swept away for luxury apartments...

'...And here's Media City, where we play spot the Salfordian who's got a job here...Now we're at Salford Quays – don't fucking swear, or you'll get fined by Salford Council etc...'

Tickets can either be booked in advance or bought from the driver, and are valid for 24 hours. An adult ticket is £12; young person, student or OAP £6, and there's a Family Ticket (two adults, three children) at £25; or a Four Adult ticket at £30. Click here for details

*See previous Salford Star article – The End of Salford As We Know It – click here

See also the film The White Bus – Shelagh Delaney's mockery of Sixties Salford Council – click here for article