title: The Classic Slum: Salford Life in the First Quarter of the Century
author:  Robert Roberts 
description: <b>Robert Roberts</b> was born in a Salford slum in 1905, the son of corner shopkeepers. After school he was an engineering apprentice for seven years and was then unemployed for three years, during which he studied languages and how to start a revolution. While a teacher he began to write stories, plays, BBC scripts and stories, several of which won him scholarships and awards. After sixteen years of hill farming, Robert Roberts started to teach in prisons and became an acknowledged expert on adult illiteracy. Until his death, he was a well-known lecturer on this subject, both in universities and on the BBC. His other books are <i>Imprisoned Tongues</i> and <i>A Ragged Schooling</i>.
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  ![images](images/titlepage.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## [ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS](contents.htm#a1)
  
  
  My thanks go to the following:
  
  
  
  
  
  Duncan Broady and the staff of Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archives,
  for access to wartime documents and loan of photographs.
  
  
  
  
  
  Bob Bonner and the staff of Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum, for
  information on Salford, access to documents, and loan of photographs.
  
  
  
  
  
  Andrew Schofield and the staff of the North West Sound Archive.
  
  
  
  
  
  Dr Austin Elliott, for information on ‘shelter legs’.
  
  
  
  
  
  Tracey Walker of the Manchester Art Gallery.
  
  
  
  
  
  Peter Turner and the staff of Salford Local History Archives.
  
  
  
  
  
  Michael Powell, Canon Andrew Shanks and the staff of Chetham’s Library.
  
  
  
  
  
  Philip Lloyd for loan of ration books.
  
  
  
  
  
  The staff of: Manchester Central Library Local History and Archives+, Trafford
  Archives and Local History, Stockport Local Heritage Library, Imperial War
  Museum North, Oldham Local History Archives, Salford