News
Legendary punk poet John Cooper Clarke given Freedom of Salford
‘He brought poetry back to the working classes, the obvious one is Beasley Street which is like a Lowry painting in words’
Punk poet John Cooper Clarke, who rose to fame in the 1970s, has been given the freedom of the city where he was born and raised.
‘Johnny Clarke’, 74, known for his witty Salfordian humour, thanked Salford Council for the honour saying he was ‘totally knocked out’ and jokingly added: “I don’t know what it entitles me to.”
Known as the Bard of Salford, Cooper Clarke rose to fame in the 1970s when he would perform his poetry at gigs before punk bands would come on stage, such as The Clash, Joy Division and The Sex Pistols.
Later, he would perform his works on British TV programmes including The Old Grey Whistle Test and After Dark.
Speaking to councillors, Cooper Clarke said: “I’ve circumnavigated the globe ten times and coming back is always a treat but this one. Wow. Thank you everyone.
“With me it was never a social experiment, it was just a way of making a living and the social consequences went out of my control.” His famous works include Evidently Chicken Town, Beasley Street and I wanna Be Yours, among many others.
Cooper Clarke also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Salford in 2013 and is sometimes referred to as ‘The Doctor’. It recognised ‘a career which has spanned five decades, bringing poetry to non-traditional audiences and influencing musicians and comedians’.
The star paid tribute to an English teacher, John Malone, who ignited his interest in poetry at St Andrew’s RC Secondary Modern, in Salford.
“I hated school apart from him but it wasn’t the social scrapheap people make it out to be. Mr Malone had a profound effect on the whole class,” he said.
Pendleton Councillor John Warmisham said he first came across Cooper Clarke at a Rock Against Racism gig in Hulme Labour Club, in Manchester.
He recalled how the poet went from performing at folk and cabaret clubs to supporting punk bands, saying: “The crowd were like teddy bears compared to what he played to.”
“He brought poetry back to the working classes, the obvious one is Beasley Street which is like a Lowry painting in words.”
Cooper Clarke’s poems were accompanied by backing music produced by Martin Annett, who worked on both Joy Division albums.
He now lives in Essex, his home for more than 25 years, with his wife, Evie. They have one daughter, Stella.
We’re pleased to announce that Proper Manchester is rebranding as Finest City Guides.
As part of this change, the Proper Manchester brand, including its social media channels, will transition to the Finest City Guides name.
This is a rebrand of the existing platform rather than a new or unrelated business. The same team behind Proper Manchester will continue to operate Finest City Guides as we develop the platform under its new identity.
Previous name: Proper Manchester
New name: Finest City Guides
Our social channels and other brand assets will be updated to reflect the Finest City Guides name as part of this transition.
More from Finest City Guides coming soon.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
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