Rare Salford photographs to go on display

A collection of rare photographs of Salford in the 1960s and 1970s will go on display in a special one-off photography exhibition.

Salix Homes is hosting a one-day exhibition – Our Salford: Bygones and New Beginnings – to celebrate the city’s social housing through the years.

As part of the exhibition at the historic Ordsall Hall on Friday, October 30, a collection of photographs will be shown of the streets and people of Ordsall taken by renowned photographer Laurie Asprey.

The photographs were taken during the late 1960s and early 1970s when the terraced houses were being pulled down as part of the slum clearance project.

The black and white images capture some of the children of Ordsall as they played outside, as well as now demolished streets, including Gertrude Street, which was known as tea leaf valley to locals as it’s where the women used to empty their tea pots.

Photographer Laurie Asprey grew up in a two-up, two-down in the now demolished Dorset Street, Ordsall, with his mum, dad and two brothers. His brother Frank now lives in Charlestown and has donated the images to the exhibition.

Laurie left Salford during the 1960s and moved to London to pursue a career as an actor and has since carved out a successful career as a photographer, having photographed some of the greatest musicians including John Lennon, Bob Marley and the Rolling Stones.

Lee Sugden, chief executive at Salix Homes, said: “We are very privileged to be able to feature photographs from the Laurie Asprey collection as part of our exhibition charting the changing face of Salford.

“These fantastic images document the changing street life for the people of Ordsall and capture the area as it underwent rapid social change as part of the slum clearance project. Despite the poverty you can feel a real sense of community spirit in the pictures and it’s that Salford spirit that makes this city what it is today.

“I’d urge people not to miss out on this wonderful exhibition, where they’ll be able to take a trip down memory lane as well catch a first-look at some of our exciting regeneration schemes and plans for the future, which will see our city change once again.”

The exhibition will mark the transfer of 8,500 homes from Salford Council to Salix Homes, which took place earlier this year, and has unlocked £75m funding to invest in improving homes and communities in Salford over the next five years.

The event promises to be a fun day out for the whole family with Halloween themed children’s activities, competitions, an interactive exhibition and the chance to chat with Salix Homes’ employees about the exciting investment plans for the city.

The exhibition will also feature a collection of images from Salford Local History Library as well as photographs donated by the public and will run from 11am till 2pm.

To find out more go to www.salixhomes.org/ordsall-hall