A View From The Bridge

Today was my morning meeting with the planning research students to discuss the lack of regeneration of Pomona Dock. We had arranged to meet by 10 at Salford Quays at The Lowry, but I was too early, so I went for a bit of a wander and to reminisce.

This shot I suppose compliments my 17th century bridge of rural Barden yesterday. Here though is a 20th century equivalent betwen Salford and Trafford and crossing the old Ship Canal (the River Irwell) here.

They say the name 'Salford' originates from an Anglo Saxon notion of 'Safe Ford'. Upstream from here was even a Saxon grotto called Woden's Den, where travellers prayed to their pagan gods before taking their life into their hands and wading the river. The nearest to that shrine now is the old holy trinity statues of Law, Best and Charlton at nearby Old Trafford. I still pray at that alter.

Salford used to have the reputation for being pretty wild in modern times, and for all it's visitors having to take their lives into their hands whenever visiting. It still has it's odd moments (and places to avoid) today of course, but a slow gentrification here of first the Quays, then Lowry Arts Centre, followed by Imperial War Museum (on the Trafford side) and now MediaCity has changed all that.

All change is good I suppose, but personally, I also fondly recall the old grungy side of life here as well. I still remember an amazing day in the mid 80's when I once cycled round all the old docks photographing the derelict sheds and cranes. They were mostly ripped down not long after.