You have to remember that this song was written before the clean air acts. Salford, like the rest of industrial Lancashire was a smoky, dirty wasteland. Ewan was trying to reclaim romance for the industrial working class from the pastoral moon spoon June Tin Pan Alley stuff . His point is that for the working class the surroundings were awful but they were still special when you were in love. And growing up just next to Salford, it is true.

I once sang this song on a march for jobs as we were marching through Salford. I looked behind me and the banner behind was for the Communist Party of Great Britain. One of those moments when everything comes together.