The year was 1977 and the aptly named Donna Summer was riding high in the charts, renegade punk rockers ‘The Sex Pistols‘ were blissfully floating along the Thames celebrating the Queen’s Silver Jubilee with their now iconic hit God Save The Queen, James (Jim) Callaghan was Prime Minister having succeeded Harold Wilson following a Labour leadership battle (Yes they were a thing back then too), and best of all you could get a pint in most pubs for around 38p (£1.90 adjusted for inflation).
Meanwhile in one particular area of the newly expanded City, the landscape was changing with yet another face lift on the councils agenda, one which would see communities torn apart and countless homes demolished as part of the cities now infamous slum clearances.
Step forward a young wisp of a man who would spend much of that scorching summer stood amongst the rubble and detritus, a gleam in his eye, camera in hand, he was tasked with four others in capturing the demolition and destruction on film as part of an important social documentation of the everyday lives of a once proud and vibrant community, soon to be unceremoniously carted off to the outskirts of the newly expanded Salford — in the name of regeneration obviously.
Now, some 47-years-later, that trigger happy photographer is retired from his profession as a teacher and the Langworthy Cornerstone is set to welcome an exhibition of those black and white (A few colour) photos that he (Phil Portus) snapped back then, which now form the iconic SALFORD 77 collection.
Phil, said:
“I was part of a small group of photographers in the mid to late 70s called the REFLEX GROUP led by Diane Bush, a young American established documentary photographer who has since become an internationally renowned photographer, now living in the USA.
We met up occasionally as a group in between our individual Salford photo excursions. I concentrated mainly in Langworthy, Ordsall and some work in the Adelphi area. In 1978 we had a group exhibition held in the Salford Players Theatre on Liverpool Road. After the exhibition we all went our own ways.”
The images below are just a few of those which will be on display to the public at the event this coming Friday evening (28th June) at the Langworthy Cornerstone.
Phil, continued:
“In 2012, I decided to find out what had happened to some of the people, particularly the children that I photographed. I sent some photographs to
the Salford Reporter and M.E.N. This resulted in an article from which several people contacted me with names and contact details.With help from Tony Flynn (then “SalfordOnline” now Salford Media”) I followed a few of these up and took some new photos of these now young adults.”
During these past few months or so, Tony Flynn has been eagerly assisting Phil in his heroic attempts to track down some of those faces he captured back then, and we are happy to say he has been successful. Some were a little shy to come forward at first, some were more forthcoming and others were well, shall we say pretty much Shameless.
One particular young resident from what was once known as Langworthy Estate, decided that the stage and TV cameras were more to his liking, going on to star in what themselves are now considered to be classics, notably as, Eastenders bad boy Jase Dyer and resident of the fictional Chatsworth Estate – Dominic Meak. Stephen Lord has appeared in a varied collection of Films and TV shows including treading the famed cobbles of the fabled Coronation Street in fictional Weatherfield (Based on Salford).
He was captured on film along with his brother Anthony (Now a Salford Youth Worker) and friend John Howells (Currently A Courier Driver). After being recognised in one of Phil’s photos he made contact and the trio reunited at the same location so that he could get another snap for the collection.
Likewise, childhood friends Michelle Darby and Sandra Oboku would come together once more for a photo, sadly unable to stand in front of the now long demolished Langworthy Flats where they had fond and happy memories of growing up.
Speaking about his upcoming exhibition, Phil said:
“In this new exhibition at the Langworthy Cornerstone Community Centre, I want to also show some new unpublished or non-exhibited images from my 1977 collection which shows pictures of the Cross Lane Fair and rare shots taken in the Paddock pub (formally the Fusiliers).
I want to also exhibit some of the more recent up to date photographs taken of children 47 years ago next to their 1977 images with some stories.”
Phil took many photos of the Cross Lane Fair which was a regular feature along the road which retains very little trace of the vibrant hub it once was. A young Julie Crossley (Now Linney) was an attendee at the fair during one of Phil’s visits and he happily immortalised her image on film. She too would return to a now unrecognisable Cross Lane to recreate the photo for the exhibition.
Phil’s exhibition represents an important social document for the City of Salford just as it was taking it’s early steps, following the absorption of surrounding boroughs like Eccles and Swinton.
The photographs represent an era that although long gone – is still as relevant as ever within the minds of those whom experienced it at the time.
Salford had absorbed new territory and along with that came the relocation of countless families who were moved out from the inner city into the leafier suburbs such as Irlam and Cadishead, Little Hulton and Eccles as the old Salford slums were torn down.
It’s hard to not notice the irony that many of those new homes which were built in their place, are now themselves being torn down as they too are now seen as slums. Let’s hope that one day the vicious circle is broken and communities can once more thrive.
Links
Langworthy Cornerstone – Website
Location
Phil Portus – Salford 77 exhibition makes its debut on Friday 28th June at 6pm until 8pm and continues until the 29th August at the Langworthy Cornerstone Community Centre, 451 Liverpool St., Salford M6 5QQ, Entry to the exhibition is FREE.
