The beauty of Salford and Wormwood Scrubs

Wormwood Scrubs and Salford don't sound like visual treats. I visited them both last week, and, maybe the sunshine helped, but they were looking quite glamourous.

First of all, the Scrubs - not the prison, but the area to the north of it where you can wander round and be thankful for your freedom.

Last time I went there, a few years ago, it was just scrubby. Now they've planted some trees and the wide open spaces are broken up with this kind of place:

It's amazing how far you can get away from people and traffic, when you're just a five minute walk from the Westway and Wood Lane. 

Salford's Media City, which you can arrive at in a clean, efficient tram, is a model of new development. The waterways sparkle, and there was even some organised swimming going on. This is what you can see from the top of the new BBC building.

Inside, it's light and clean, with these fancy booths to sit in and a huge atrium in the middle to look down into: 

It feels like a prosperous new European city. Well, I suppose it is, in a way.