EXCLUSIVE
Salford Lads Club Tour 2026
(plus Middlewood Locks and Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal)
10.30am Saturday 20 June 2026
£20
25% goes to the club
This is the finest example of its type and date in the country. Indeed it is the only surviving Lads Club anywhere. When Birmingham had Peaky Blinders, Manchester and Salford had Scuttlers, gangs of lads and lassies each with their own street uniforms and a willingness to battle for their tribe. Lads Clubs were an attempt to solve the problem of these violent youths through recreation and sport.
This building has it all, the gymnasium, the viewing gallery, the grand entrance hall and staircase and lovely art nouveau details. The people stories are thrilling with thousands of young people passing through the club on their way to adulthood. These include the tragic figure of Manchester United’s Eddie Colman who died in the Munich air disaster. Then there are those two lynchpins of The Hollies, Graham Nash and Allan Clarke, who achieved international fame.
Salford Lads Club was, itself, made world famous as the centre-fold of The Smiths album, The Queen is Dead. There is now a special Smiths room covered in photos and post-it notes from fans who have come from every corner of the globe to celebrate their beloved band.
After the visit, the tour will then walk the short distance to attractive Middlewood Locks and take a look at part of the renovated Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal. En route we'll pass my the New Barracks Estate, which sits on the site of the former regional infantry barracks, and was Salford's first municipal housing scheme with many original features. For those who wish I’ll be staying for pint in the excellent bar from Salford’s very own Seven Brothers brewery. The finish point is over the just over the River Irwell from Spinningfields or Castlefield.
Meet at Salford Lads Club (St Ignatius Walk, Salford, M5 3RX) at 10.20am.
Tickets
£20 adults
Under 12s free
Duration: most tours last between ninety minutes and two hours
This building has it all, the gymnasium, the viewing gallery, the grand entrance hall and staircase and lovely art nouveau details. The people stories are thrilling with thousands of young people passing through the club on their way to adulthood. These include the tragic figure of Manchester United’s Eddie Colman who died in the Munich air disaster. Then there are those two lynchpins of The Hollies, Graham Nash and Allan Clarke, who achieved international fame.
Salford Lads Club was, itself, made world famous as the centre-fold of The Smiths album, The Queen is Dead. There is now a special Smiths room covered in photos and post-it notes from fans who have come from every corner of the globe to celebrate their beloved band.
After the visit, the tour will then walk the short distance to attractive Middlewood Locks and take a look at part of the renovated Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal. En route we'll pass my the New Barracks Estate, which sits on the site of the former regional infantry barracks, and was Salford's first municipal housing scheme with many original features. For those who wish I’ll be staying for pint in the excellent bar from Salford’s very own Seven Brothers brewery. The finish point is over the just over the River Irwell from Spinningfields or Castlefield.
Meet at Salford Lads Club (St Ignatius Walk, Salford, M5 3RX) at 10.20am.
Tickets
£20 adults
Under 12s free
Duration: most tours last between ninety minutes and two hours