A long-lost verse from an iconic local folk song is to be played for the first time ever at a free festival in Salford next weekend.
And it’s gearing up to be a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for those lucky enough to hear it.
Almost 75 years after it was written about the Greater Manchester city of Salford, ‘Dirty Old Town’ by legendary folk singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl is now the subject of a new BBC Radio 4 documentary.
During the documentary, an abandoned verse from the iconic song can be heard sung for the first time since 1951 – and next weekend, MacColl’s folk-legend widow, Peggy Seeger, is bringing that same abandoned verse to life in a one-time-only performance at this year’s We Invented the Weekend festival.
In a bid to reclaim the song back for the city it was originally written about, Seeger will be taking to the stage at the free-to-attend festival – which is back by popular demand at MediaCity and Salford Quays on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 June.
Born in the Salford suburb of Broughton in 1915, MacColl came from a family with socialist roots, and started life as a young communist playwright.
He first released ‘Dirty Old Town’ in 1952, after originally using the melody and abandoned verse in a play in 1951, and the song quickly made waves in the UK’s burgeoning folk scene due to its emotive melodies and lyrics – which documentary host, proud Salfordian and broadcaster, Mike Sweeney, discovers as he follows along with Seeger’s recreation.
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During the documentary, Sweeney explores the myths around the song, and hears from Seeger about how MacColl’s rigorous approach to songwriting resulted in the abandoned verse being cut.
Salford’s popular We Invented the Weekend festival is returning next weekend / Credit: Mark Waugh (via Supplied)
Sweeney also traces the relationships that led to the song being covered several times, most-notably by bands like The Dubliners and The Pogues – who took it from 1960s folk clubs to audiences around the world, and subsequently led many music lovers to believing it’s an Irish song rather than about Salford.
Peggy Seeger said ‘Dirty Old Town’ is “more than just a song”, adding that it “speaks to those who live anywhere in dirty old broken down industrial cities everywhere”.
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She continued: “Salford City FC fans bawl it out, thousands of them. It has been covered by hundreds of singers. Salford was in Ewan bones. He took me to his dirty old town within a week of our three decade partnership. It is a perfect song, a beautiful melody, four economical verses, and has been covered by hundreds of singers each in their own way.”
Seeger and her son, musician Calum MacColl, will take part in an ‘in conversation’ event with Mike Sweeney at the We Invented the Weekend festival to tell the story of the song in the city it was created in.
This will then be followed by an acoustic performance in front of a live audience – with Seeger singing the abandoned verse which never made popular renditions.
We Invented the Weekend 2024 is happening down at MediaCity on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 June, and you can find out more here.
The documentary, titled Archive On 4: Dirty Old Town, will be available to listen to BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds from 6 July.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
Art & Culture
New stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House to arrive in Manchester this Halloween
Emily Sergeant
A brand-new stage adaptation of a bestselling horror novel and TV series is coming to Manchester this Halloween.
Following the critically acclaimed Netflix hit series that introduced a new generation to the eerie masterpiece, author Shirley Jackson’s famous The Haunting of Hill House is being turned into a brand-new stage adaptation later this year, and will be taking to one of Manchester’s most iconic stages at the spookiest season of all.
Written by Olivier and BAFTA award-winner Stef Smith, and directed by Martin Constantine, the new production is set to conjure the iconic supernatural thriller on stage.
It will be making its world premiere with a UK tour this autumn, stopping off in several major towns and cities along the way.
If you’re unfamiliar with the story, The Haunting of Hill House follows a group of daring investigators who take on the mystery of Hill House, before their curiosity quickly descends into fear.
A new stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House is coming to Manchester this Halloween / Credit: Supplied
“The Haunting of Hill House is one of the greatest supernatural novels of the last hundred years and to have the chance to adapt it for the stage is a true privilege,” explained writer Stef Smith, as the UK tour was announced this week.
“I find Shirley Jackson’s world intoxicating, thrilling and gut-wrenching.
“I believe there is something so deeply theatrical at the heart of Hill House. From the spooky, to the surreal, through heartache and hope. I hope that our cast of characters will take the audience along for a ride quite unlike anything else. Above all we will examine that the biggest horrors are usually human.”
The brand-new stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House will arrive in Manchester and take to the stage at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 27 October right through to Halloween itself (Saturday 31 October 2026).
The full cast and creative team for the new production is set to be announced shortly, so keep your eyes peeled.
Tickets go on pre-sale tomorrow at 10am, before general sale begins on Friday (20 February), again at 10am, and you book your place here.
Featured Image – Supplied
Art & Culture
Adults-only ‘after hours’ event returns to Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum next month
Emily Sergeant
A popular adults-only ‘after hours’ event is returning to Manchester next month.
Fancy releasing your inner child? If you need an excuse to leave the little Mancs at home, then one of Manchester’s most visited museums might have just what you’re looking for, as the Science and Industry Museum has announced that its popular After Hours event especially for adults is returning for one night only next month.
You’ll get to celebrate the energy that ‘sparked a revolution’ with an evening of interactive games, live music, and unique experiences as you explore the Museum once it’s closed for the day.
It’s your chance to be among the first to explore the newly re-opened Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery after dark, and experience the sights, smells, and sounds of engine-driven ideas that started in Manchester and went on to change the world.
An adults-only ‘after hours’ event is coming to Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum next month / Credit: Science Museum Group
The Museum’s permanent galleries and displays will also be open after hours, so you can get hands-on with science in Experiment, meet mighty machines in the Textiles Gallery, and discover Manchester‘s rich legacy of industrial innovations, creativity, and world-changing ideas in Revolution Manchester.
You’ll also be embrace your inner child with free access to the brand-new world premiere exhibition Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos, which just opened last week in time for half term, and of course, indulge your playful side in Power Up – with more than 150 consoles to choose from in the ultimate gaming exhibition.
Especially for this particular evening, you can look forward to some very special one-off events, as well as the chance to take part in a whole host of high-energy interactive games.
There’ll be an ‘unforgettable’ performance from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Viola, celebrating all things power with a spectacular combination of violin and vocals, as well as a set from musician Mike Cunningham who’ll light up the evening with bold and colourful LED drumming inspired by the sounds of Manchester’s industry and creative spirit.
And of course, as this is an adults-only event, the museum’s events bar will be popping up on the night, and will be serving up a wide range of wines, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks to wet your whistle while you’re looking around, with some delicious food to accompany too.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd June 2024 
