The Big Ship Sails (don’t let your dreams leak away ) 2022, HD Video 7”59”.

The Manchester Ship Canal was a seemingly impossible vision made reality. It brought ocean-going ships to the heart of the landlocked cities of Salford and Manchester..It takes imagination and hope to dream a better future. It takes belief, courage and commitment to realise those visions. It requires a constant struggle to hold on to them. The Big Ship Sails (Don’t Let Your Dreams Leak Away), provides a backdrop of traces, memories, remnants and ghosts. People who live and work in Salford speak of dreams, docks, dredgers, futures, pasts, possibilities, sailors, swing bridges, vessels and visions.

For their contributions to the film I am indebted to: Simon Buckley, Dave Brotherton, Janice Drew, Lillie Dyson, Kathryn Hardy, Warren Heppolette, Rose Kerr, Chris Nelson, James Paton, Liz Pugh and Wiktoria Skrzynska; to Nick Robins, and Talking Pictures TV for archival images, and Angie Ryan, Jamie Williams and Claire Hignett, among others, for their help and support.