The street of 1,000 kids

A 1960s street in Salford, Lancs.

By Pamela Leah

This month an exhibition - called The Street of 1000 children - has opened at Salford Lads Club.

It traces all the families that have lived in this former docks community in Ordsall, Salford, Lancashire, since it was built in 1903.

Forty years ago Rudman Street echoed to the sound of playing children. In 1966, the Salford road was dubbed "The Street of 1000 children" and was immortalised in a short-lived magazine called Salford Comet and featured on TV.

Even though the street teemed with (only!) 304 youngsters, the name and the image stuck.

In Spring 2007, 300 children were "borrowed" from schools on the nearby estate to recreate the street of the 60s.

The street was formerley cobbled and narrow with sixty houses. Half the red-bricked street has since been knocked down. Now the road is tree-lined and the houses still standing have neat front gardens. It is called Rudman Drive.

The exhibition opened on June 16th 2007 and will run for three weekends.