Some Sweet Things About Salford

Manchester isn’t the only city I developed an attachment to.  I’m also incredibly fond of Salford, which is the city I actually lived in.   Just to be clear, it’s not pronounced SAL-ford, it’s SUL-ford.  You don’t have to say it with a mock British accent, but you can easily say the ‘sul’ part right.  There are lots of reasons to like it, but here are a few that I found pretty convincing:

Salford’s municipal color is magenta.  It’s just precious.  All the little city vehicles are painted bright pink, any construction barriers are pink, even the signs for the city are done in bright pink.  Not sure who picked that, but excellent work, sir or madam.

Salford's an exciting place right now.  There’s a lot of development in the city, or redevelopment in some cases.  A good example is the Salford Quays, a dock that is no longer used for shipping and has since been turned into a neighbourhood with waterside housing.  Also in this area is the brand-new MediaCity UK, a new centre of production for the BBC.  The area by the Quays also has some cultural attractions, including the Lowry, which functions primarily as an opera house and a museum for the works of L.S. Lowry, a painter from Salford that drew scenes from Salford and Manchester daily life in the 20^th century.  The Imperial War Museum North is also by the Quays, which is cool if you’re into war history and significantly less so if you’re not (i.e. me).  

The Lowry

The Imperial War Museum North

Salford has some cool sites, like the Salford Lads Club, which was the background for a photo of The Smiths in the 1980s.  The photo was used for the  album for The Queen Is Dead.  And though the football stadium for Manchester United FC is not technically in Salford (it’s in Trafford), it is really close to the Salford Quays and is cool enough that it’s worthy of honorary mention.  I visited and took photos as proof.  

Some parts of Salford are not the nicest looking, but Salford does have some very pretty buildings, such as Salford Cathedral and the old hospital, Salford Royal.  Salford is also home to my uni, naturally, and I have a lot of pride for it.  

A subway tunnel near the Precinct

Salford Cathedral

And while some parts of Salford are not very clean (dropping litter is a fairly big problem in Salford), the city provides many friendly and convenient reminders to…

…and to love your city, too.  I mean, I’m quite fond of it.