This year, everything has gone a bit too weird and unbelievable for anyone to play April Fools' Day pranks, so instead we bring you ten years of 1st April articles, in no particular order, from the Salford Star for your spring merriment...
Boom Time For Media City (2009)
As MediaCityUK was being built, the Salford Star revealed that the site could blow up at any minute, with the proof being a real advert for a £50,000 contract to 'survey for unexploded bombs' on Plot B, Media City UK.
We quoted an old docker called Alf Pristir who remembered a live and unexploded bomb at the Quays in the 1970s which couldn't be excavated because of marshy ground..."I used to watch them trying to heave it out but it kept going further and further down so in the end they just left it and concreted it over" he explained "It could go off at any time!"
We also quoted French media student, Avril d'Poisson, who told the Salford Star that she was seriously considering leaving her course at the University of Salford before the expected move to Media City UK in two years time..."No way am I going to put myself in danger just to get a degree" she said "The place could blow up at any minute. Only in England could they do this to students."
Yes, the survey for unexploded bombs was real, but the rest was garbage and the media was totally taken in, with the Manchester Evening News running an 'exclusive' the next day titled 'Bomb Worry At Media City' and other media sites trying to get quotes from Peel Holdings which owned the land.
See the original article and the following fall out click here and click here
Salford Quays Amongst 10% Most Deprived Areas In England (2016)
The Quays featured again on 1st April a few years later, when the Salford Star revealed that according to latest official Government measures of deprivation, the area was ranked 2,927 out of 32,844 neighbourhoods in England putting it amongst the 10% most deprived areas in the country for Living Environment Deprivation. Meanwhile, Media City itself was ranked 4,479 out of 32,844 neighbourhoods, putting it in the 20% most deprived areas in the country for Barriers to Housing and Services Deprivation.
We asked Salford people to 'spare a thought for the poor BBC souls living and working in Peel Holdings' poverty den on the Quays'...
After noon on that day we revealed that every single word of the article was true! To read it click here
Salfordians To Ride Rickshaws To Media City (2010)
Yet another 1st April 'exclusive' by Salford Star announced that Salfordians were to be encouraged to set up their own cycle rickshaw operations to transport them to any potential job or leisure opportunities at Media City.
The proof came via a high level meeting at Salford City Council where it was discussed that a new £382,076 bus service to Media City would omit communities of Kersal and Broughton, and a councillor raised the concept of 'cycle rickshaws'... "Could we integrate these into the transport system and encourage firms to set up?" they asked.
"Nothing surprises me, they must think we're in the Third World or something" said Lower Kersal bus user Mike Skeffington "They want us to have an 18th Century transport system in the 21st Century which they want us to set up ourselves. With the rain we'll get wet through are they going to give us pacamacs and triangular hats as well?"
The story, yet again, was totally true! Read it here.
Salford Council To Spend £1million Destroying Ordsall Graffiti While Keeping Its Own Graffiti! (2011)
Even the staff of the Salford Star found it hard to believe that Salford Council was to spend over £1million on riverbank improvements in Ordsall, which included the destruction of Salford's famous graffiti wall displaying work by artists from all over Greater Manchester while on the same stretch of waterfront wall keeping Salford Council-friendly graffiti with the names of Salford councillors, regeneration agencies and depictions of Manchester buildings.
Unfortunately the story was true as the Council became a culture vandal extraordinaire read the full article here
Salford Council To Introduce Rat Tax (2014)
This article hailed the introduction of Rat Tax for anyone found to have rats on their premises, even if it wasn't their fault. A £50 Rat Tax was considered by Council officers but it was rejected in favour of a £10 fee to "minimise the impact on residents living in deprived areas of the City and those on low incomes"...although the controversial Rat Tax would increase every year in line with inflation
Was it true? You bet! Read about it here...
Bez In Shock Lead To Be Salford MP (2015)
As Rebecca Long Bailey was nailed on front runner to become the new Salford and Eccles MP, replacing Hazel Blears, the Salford Star revealed a new YouGuv poll showing that Happy Mondays star Bez, who was also standing on the Reality Party ticket, had a slender 1% lead and was 'odds on' to be crowned as our Parliamentary representative. Loads of people were taken in but, unfortunately, Bez didn't win and the rest is Rebecca Long Bailey's makeover history...Read the full article here...
SNP To Stand For Greater Manchester Mayor (2017)
A few years later, elections resurfaced with a Star exclusive about the Scottish National Party, or SNP, standing a candidate in the Greater Mayor Election. We revealed that the SNP's manifesto promised 'penalties for councils still not paying equal pay, a push for proportional representation and all adult social care workers to be paid the real Living Wage'...Oooh where have we heard that recently? Seems the Labour Council is only just catching up!
Unfortunately, the story wasn't true and Andy Burnham romped home. It could have all been so different...Read about it here
Pigeon Slimming Club On Salford Precinct (2019)
This unlikely story was really popular and revealed that the management of Salford Shopping Centre was to launch a pigeon slimming club to tackle bird obesity...
"We have invested in some specialist technology used by ornithologists that recognises birds by their footprint and will be able to record weight loss" explained Centre Manger Nick Pitt "This live data will then feed into the centre and for every pound a pigeon loses, we'll add a golden feather to a chart which will be unveiled on the mall, so shoppers can also follow their progress.
"We are very concerned about the portly pigeons' welfare and hope the community will show its support, and our slimming club will become a beacon of hope for other birds in the city" he added.
Of course the story was garbage but it brought a smile to many a reader...See it here
The Salford Star's April Fools stories only ran when the date fell on a weekday. When it fell on a weekend we just reported on what was happening and for two of those years Salford City FC, then in the Unibond First Division North were getting hammered by Harrogate Railway FC at home (1-4 2012)...
"It might be April Fool's Day but hats off to Harrogate Railway who came to Moor Lane on the back of one win in 13 games (against Salford at home!), with a centre forward in goal, no manager, and four players having walked out last week" stated the match report "This compares to Salford City who merely had one player walk out last week.
"But for once, this comprehensive defeat couldn't be blamed on a lamentable referee, dodgy penalties, animal opposition tactics, cursed divots or a bad mascot" it added "Nope. Harrogate deserved it..." (read the full report here)
...And by Trafford FC (0-6 2013) with a super detailed sulky report... "Salford City got beat 6-0. End of..." (read the 'full' report here)
Main photo of Bez by Steven Speed
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