FORTY years ago these 'perky little lads' were looking forward to a new future, as Salford embarked on a massive slum clearance.
Where are they now? And how bright did their futures turn out to be?
This iconic picture was taken in April 1967, on a street in Ordsall that was soon to be bulldozed.
The caption in the Manchester Evening News of the day read: “Though present surroundings may be drab and dismal, the future is green and happy.”
Salford Corporation was clearing the Coronation Street terraces and building modern new estates.
But many of the new homes did not live up to expectations.
Families who had had the same neighbours for decades were separated, and there was a general feeling of loss of community.
Now, 41 years later, the hunt is on to find these lads and see how they fared.
Their picture graces the front page of Salford Past, a new nostalgia title published by the MEN.
If you recognise the lads – or if indeed you are one of them – please contact the Salford Advertiser newsdesk on 0161 789 5015.
Salford Past is a picture history of a city at the heart of the industrial revolution.
It recalls the days of clog shops and outside toilets, horse-drawn ice cream vans, cargoes still being unloaded at the Docks, and lessons for schoolgirls who were to be the “housewives of tomorrow”.
To order your copy, priced £15.60 including postage and packing, call our hotline on 0800 9888003.
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massive slum clearance???
This should have read "A massive community killer" After years of building a community up the local council killed all those great communities off.All in the name of progress? look how far weve come "Killers,rapists,theives,and all the other ills of a poorly society" PROGRESS.?
The children in the picture look nothing like children of the Salford of today,for a start they have all got hair and all are individualy dressed.
If Salford and all the other terrace house communities had been left alone and perhaps houses upgraded, the community sprit would have been saved and the youngsters would have had a damn sight more respect these days.
Is that Ken Barlow in the middle of the picture ?
perhaps another "slum clearance" is over due?.
Did Salford co op realise what it was really doing,?those where the days you could leave your front door open . and the kids would go to the shop for there neighbour's,My father was a salford docker in those days,and there was no head scarf issues, nearly every woman wore a head scarf.
Where is one of them now? he carried on walking,
Yours a perky big old salford lad,
And now they are charging people £15+ for a publication they haven't even properly described?
I honestly cant see the point of asking some one where are they are know.? and when they contact you via the telephone,you fail to get back to them...
Hi,
I am the boy on the left and now 48 years old.
The street was Gertrude street and was known as "Tea Leaf Alley" as all the old women would swill there tea pots out and empty the used tea leaves over the veranda and into the street !
Would love to know who the other two boys were as I'm guessing they would have been my friends at the time.
Jim Livingstone.
That photo brings back distant memories, we lived in the street until 1965 ish` and i can remember spending many happy hours playing on the coal lorry ...well, what else could a four year old get up to
in them days??
Hey Jeffrey,
Just returned to this site after looking for more pictures of "Gertrude Street".
I think the Tysons lived in this street,the crooks,the armstrongs and somehow I always remember the names Jamesy Kerns and Eddie Darcy ??? I remember they would babysit for us !
JimLivingstone.
I have a charecoal drawing of Gertrude Street by Harold Riley. It is exactly as shown in the photos, minus the cars. It is dated 1961 and is one of my treasured possessions.
Ian Hargreaves, North Vancouver, Canada.