The canal and docks took seven years to build, Salford was the
third busiest port in Britain 200 plus cranes were once in regular
use.
Exports included textiles, machinery, cars and locomotives,
thanks to Manchester's huge industrial base.
The dock workers had to work 12-hour shifts and had to fight to
get work if there were more men than jobs.
"There was good camaraderie, good friendship and a good
community," recalled Mr Wilson.
Raymond Probert, who maintained the docks, said: "The people
were fantastic, they came from all walks of life."
"In the winter, it was very cold and you were working in the
water all the time - it was hard.
Salford Docks declined in the 1970s.
"In the summer, you could dive in the water, it was so hot."
In its heyday, more than 200 cranes used to be in operation at
Salford Docks.
Today, just two remain.
In 1988 they were dismantled and re-erected on the present site
as a landmark and a reminder of the working docks.
Mr Wilson used to drive the cranes, referring to them as the
'Hurdy Gurdys'.
"There were not many people who drove the cranes because they
swayed so much.
"When they picked a load up, they swayed a foot forward, and
when you released a load they swayed a foot back."
"It was a dangerous job," he added.
"There were ships in here queuing up like mad, and the idea was
to unload and reload them as quickly as possible."