This article recounts the author's experience as a reporter covering Salford, focusing on their deep connection with Salford Lads Club. The club, described as a refuge from violence and despair, played a vital role in the community. The author highlights various milestones, including the club's near-closure, its global recognition due to The Smiths association, and its protected status.
I was dispatched to Salford in 1988 as the district reporter for the MEN. By then The Smiths had split after delivering their swansong album "Strangeways Here We Come" the year before.
Lying on the edge of an estate in need of wholesale regeneration I walked into Salford Lads Club for the first time. It was a refuge from despair, violence, crime, and no hope. Generations of families from the city had gone through its doors. It proved to be a font of guidance when trying to find the right person or be ahead of the game when the council were up to something.
The least I could do was write about it when the club encountered ill winds, unexpected windfalls, global attention, fame, and acquired a neat side line as a place to hire for filming scenes for TV and films, and holding weddings. Yes, I bought the T-shirt when photographer, Stephen Wright, allowed his iconic image of The Smiths outside the building's archway to be embossed on a limited edition. They sold out and raised £40,000 for the club.
Salford Lads Club The Smiths Community Manchester Music Local History
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