Underneath the city of Salford lies a canal, buried since 1961. Some of Salford's residents remember it vividly. Some of them have no idea it's there. And some of them want to unearth it and put boats back on it.
In this oral history podcast, we’re going to hear from 100 Salford residents speaking in their own words about their memories of Salford’s canals, waterways, rivers and boats.
Each week, we'll hear from a different selection of Salfordians telling their own stories. We'll hear about playing, working, falling in the canals, enjoying the peace and quiet of the canals, and for some people, seeing it disappear.
This project was created by Walk the Plank and the Manchester Bury and Bolton Canal Society with Whose Art Whose Culture funding from Salford CVS and the GMCA.
Recorded and produced by David McFarlane.
Music by David McFarlane and Ugnė Makselytė.
This week we're going to hear a bit more about the canal itself from some members of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal society, and some of the reasons they think it's so important to restore canals, and this canal in particular. And following on from that, we'll hear some people telling us why canals are important to them. What do they enjoy about the canals, why are canals valuable in their everyday lives. And as part of that we'll hear a couple of stories about the natural beauty that ...
20 Jul 2026
"I'd be the first one there with a shovel" (E4)
This week we're getting deeper into some local history, with a focus on one question in particular: why was the canal filled in? We'll hear about the effect that had on the local area, how it changed Salford, and some other ways Salford has changed since. We'll also hear from some people who aren't very happy about those changes, and some perspectives on gentrification. We'll also hear some beautiful stories about working on Salford's docks, another very important body of water in the city of...
This week we're doing something a little bit different, and focusing in on Middlewood Locks Festival, which takes place every year on the canal . The Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal was abandoned in 1961, but some parts of it have been restored, and one of of those sections is Middlewood Locks. This section was restored and reopened in 2008, and since 2024 there's been a festival on this section of the canal called Middlewood Locks Festival, which is a free, family-friendly celebration of t...
23 Jun 2026
"Captain of your own ship" (E2)
You can't talk about canals without talking about boats. People told me loads of stories about boats. Owning them, sailing on them, living on them, dreaming about them, and the two best days in a boat owner's life–'the day you get it, and the day you sell it'. We'll hear about one boat in particular called Spey which has its own important history. And we'll end up by listening to a load of rubbish. Ah no sorry, we will listen to some stories about a load of rubbish that's IN the canals,...
16 Jun 2026
"Kids nowadays wouldn't know what a canal was" (E1)
Underneath the city of Salford lies a canal, buried since 1961. Some of Salford's residents remember it vividly. Some of them have no idea it's there. And some of them want to unearth it and put boats back on it. In this oral history podcast, we’re going to hear from 100 Salford residents speaking in their own words about their memories of Salford’s canals, waterways, rivers and boats. Each week, we'll hear from a different selection of Salfordians telling their own stories. We'll hear about ...
27 May 2026
The Canal Beneath Our Feet (Trailer)
Underneath the city of Salford lies a canal, buried since 1961. Some of Salford's residents remember it vividly. Some of them have no idea it's there. And some of them want to unearth it and put boats back on it. In this oral history podcast, we’re going to hear from 100 Salford residents speaking in their own words about their memories of Salford’s canals, waterways, rivers and boats. Each week, we'll hear from a different selection of Salfordians telling their own stories. We'll hear about ...
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