Bungling council bosses have produced a glossy advert to promote their borough – but accidentally used an image of a neighbouring city.
Trafford Council commissioned a photographer to produce the image as part of an advert for high-profile council jobs.
The view from the Salford Quays Millennium footbridge was taken from the Trafford side of the Manchester Ship Canal – but shows Salford.
Printed in the Municipal Journal magazine for local government workers, the photograph includes The Lowry arts centre, a shopping mall, and office block Digital World.
Behind the photographer was the iconic Old Trafford home of Manchester United, the stunning architecture of the Imperial War Museum, and parts of one of Europe’s biggest industrial estates.
The advert entitled ‘Welcome to new Trafford’ is for two £100,000 a year posts – director of economic growth and prosperity, and director of environment, transport, and operations.
The blurb states: ‘Trafford council has been regarded as a good authority for some time...now you’ll raise our profile even further building on the reputation of icons such as the Imperial War Museum, Manchester United and Trafford Park’. It was placed in conjunction with London-based head-hunters.
Salford council leader John Merry said: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but I am sure that there are nice places in Trafford that could have been used. I’ll be writing to the leader at Trafford so he knows his scheme to pass off Trafford as Salford is not going to work.
“If he is going to steal our image I invite him to take Salford’s share of cuts announced by the government, in our case £4m amounting to 1 per cent of our budget compared to Trafford’s 0.6 per cent of their budget.”
A Trafford council spokesman said the photograph was ‘a genuine error’, adding: “The image does give a great flavour of what we have to offer this side of Greater Manchester.”
Trafford council leader Matt Colledge said: “The Quays development has been achieved through a collaborative and positive relationship between Trafford and Salford and is just a small part of the significant contribution Trafford makes to the Greater Manchester economy. We are sure Salford wouldn’t mind us highlighting these excellent facilities that we share.”
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Knowall, stretford end (25/06/2010 at 09:20)
Maradona Jibber, Manchester (25/06/2010 at 09:43)
tiggerluc, somewhere in shaw (25/06/2010 at 09:47)
Milnrow in Rochdale uses a picture of St Martin Church on the 'welcome to Milnrow'signposts.
Thing is St Martins stands in the village of Newhey!
James S (25/06/2010 at 10:22)
Laurie, Bramhall (25/06/2010 at 10:36)
It's like with teh congestion charge posters that had pictures of people with captions underneath saying 'I'll be voting yes because.....' and they were in fact American's who had never set foot in the UK and weren't able to vote anyway.
With regard to the Trafford/Salford partnership and the shared facilities, well that picture is Salford not Trafford so to try and somehow conjure up an exuse is at best foolish.
Manchester has contributed help towards the London Olympics by consulation based on our learnings from the Commonwealth Games. Would it be OK for Manchester Council to have a poster saying 'Come to Manchester' and have a picture of the Olympic Stadium on it.
When asked by an American tourist where the Olympic Stadium us our council leader can say that we made a contribution to the London Olympics and we are sure that London won't mind us highlighting these excellent facilities.
Why can'y councillors just be straight with people rather than spinning out obvious guff and believing that we will take it in as read.
Hands of Stone, Southside, Manchester UK (25/06/2010 at 11:02)
AJ, a passively strong opinion, Manchester (25/06/2010 at 11:10)
A Manc and blue (25/06/2010 at 11:44)
typical, first Manchester use pictures from Salford and now Trafford, perhaps we should charge them for the images and it just shows Salford is the best place to live in.
I remember that, it is when they put a picture of OWD Trafford on it
Neil McCabe (25/06/2010 at 12:07)
Knowall, stretford end (25/06/2010 at 12:14)
Guy Incognito, Manchester (25/06/2010 at 12:25)
I know quite a big place in Salford that has Manchester written all over it.
j the el, mancunia (25/06/2010 at 12:30)
thank you.
Steve an alternative view (25/06/2010 at 12:56)
Ed the Duck, Manchester (25/06/2010 at 12:59)
MNBB, Manchester City Centre (25/06/2010 at 13:02)
Sparky was the best ever (25/06/2010 at 13:27)
United:The team supported mainly by salfordians, irish & cockneys (25/06/2010 at 14:21)
andy waytomakeacomment, Greater Manchester (25/06/2010 at 14:28)
Don't know where you picked up your education but you need to brush up on your history and geography.
jem8805 (25/06/2010 at 16:40)
Hands of Stone, Southside, Manchester UK (25/06/2010 at 16:52)
In 1421 there was a settlement at the site of MANCHESTER Cathedral, which spread adcross fertile lowland that is now called salford.
YOU NEED TO CHECK YOUR HISTROY!
What is the ship canal called and what were the docks called before rebranding? Whats your daft red team called? Whats this paper called? Where do you tell people your from when you go abroad? Where was the atom split? Where was the birthplace of the industrial revoloution? What did Ottawa promote itself as in the 18'00's? (the Manchester of Canada) What is the conurbation called? Where was the first computer developed? What about the first passanger railway? Suffragette movement???? I could go on and on and on, but it is just too easy....salford is a hole full of people with chips on their shoulders and has nothing to be proud of. So please, please, plllllease...don't even try to tell me or other MANCUNIANS that it is better than MANCHESTER or in fact even in the same league you pair of jokers.
Whitebits, Salford (25/06/2010 at 18:03)
I hope your grammar was a little better than this.
The ship canal maybe the Manchester Ship Canal but it doesn’t alter the fact that only a few hundred yards of it were actually in Manchester.
Manchester Docks they may have been but they were in Salford.
The daft red team is Salford RLFC.
When abroad I tell people I am from Lancashire.
The birthplace of the industrial revolution? Which particular invention/innovation are you referring to?
The conurbation called Greater Manchester is purely an administrative convenience.
The first passenger railway may have been between Liverpool and Manchester but as with the canal, only a very short distance was actually in Manchester.
Please go on and see how many more inaccuracies or distortions you can come up with.
Jimmy the yank, New York City (25/06/2010 at 18:41)
Its the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club and the world famous Old Trafford Stadium, its home of the most famous football team in the world, the 18 times Champions of England called Manchester United, it was once home of Sale RFC so its sporting calibre is unmatched in this region. Its education system is by far superior to all other Greater Manchester bourough's, with about 4 schools under the national average and the majority scoring 80-100% with the 11+ system. Yes a school with 100% A-C pass rate that you dont have to pay for, free education does work in the right area's. Its house prices are probably on average higher than the other councils, council taxes are lower on average (prob because people actually pay) and child poverty rate is lower, it has the Trafford Centre and it is also home of the oldest and largest industrial estate in Europe which kept the people of Manchester and Salford employed for generations. Hands of Stone when people ask me where I am from I always say Trafford, and if anyone asks for more details I say its home of a team called United, they have then heard of it. TMBC feel free to use the above to promote the flatlands of south Lancashire and North Cheshire. Hope that helps
Stephen Adshead, Manchester (25/06/2010 at 18:48)
In a time of cutbacks this is simply unacceptable.
Knowall, stretford end (25/06/2010 at 21:23)
you claim a lot for manchester, like the name of the Paper yes mostly read in manchester we also have the Salford Advertiser, and Cambridge is not in Manchester (split atoms0 Babbage invented the computer I think you are very confused.
MAN-KEY-UNION, MANCHESTER (25/06/2010 at 22:08)