The Manchester Briefing from The Mill

Help! I'm trapped in MediaCityUK!

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:45:10 GMT

In a Manchester briefing first, Jack (Dulhanty) and Jack (Walton) discuss the latter's living situation. Jack lives in a shared ownership flat in MediaCityUK, in Salford, a property he part-acquired after being turfed out by his girlfriend. Shared ownership has been in the news recently, as governments national and local push the model as a way for young people to get on the housing ladder. The reality is not so simple. As Jack - and a recent report by the National Audit Office - has discovered, the shared ownership model makes it harder for people to own more of their properties and makes it even harder for them to sell up.

Today's episode was sponsored by Colony, you can find out more about their co-working sites here.

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Byelection special: Hannah Spencer talks millionaire marriage, Patricia Clegg, and Greens in the north

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:14:49 GMT

In today's episode Ophira speaks to Hannah Spencer - Green candidate in the Gorton and Denton byelection - about dirty campaign tactics, whether or not she makes a living as an 'aristocratic heat pump installer', and get her response after Refrom's Matt Goodwin challenges her to a one on one debate.

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Right-wing media types, Labour infighting and one plumber: we take a long walk through Gorton and Denton

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:37:35 GMT

In this episode of the Manchester Briefing, Jack Dulhanty and Jack Walton discuss our latest ding-dong with the MEN over it paywalling publicly funded journalism; the exodus of staff at HOME; and Jack Walton's recent piece on the Gorton and Denton by-election. Then they take a look at the other runners and riders vying for the seat, and discuss what they're hearing from campaigners on the ground.

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Our reporting leads to resignations at the University of Greater Manchester and Rochdale Council

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 15:36:10 GMT

In our first podcast episode of 2026 Joshi and Jack round up the first week back at Mill HQ. They discuss the two major resignations caused by our reporting into the University of Greater Manchester, Manchester City Council and Rochdale Council, and round up Ophira's reporting on a mysterious spate of graffiti targeting Manchester businesses.

Thanks to our sponsor, Manchester Museum. If you want to find out more about the Africa Hub's work at the museum, click below:

https://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/galleries/africa-hub

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How The Mill will make Manchester a better place - with your help

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 14:57:33 GMT

In today’s episode, Joshi and Jack sit down to talk about The Mill’s first ever membership campaign. Over the next few weeks, we want 1,000 new members to join The Mill, so we can commit to six pledges to make Manchester a better place. With that new support, we’ll go into schools to talk about misinformation, make subscriptions free for first time voters and open a mentorship program for aspiring young journalists in Greater Manchester. This is about The Mill’s becoming more than just a newspaper, and how you can be a part of it.

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Terror comes to Manchester again: Horror and hope after the synagogue attack

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:19:25 GMT

When news broke about an attack on Jewish worshippers outside Heaton Park synagogue, The Mill's staff writers Jack Dulhanty and Ophira Gottleb were sent to the scene to report. In Ophira's case, she spent the best part of three days straight in the area, interviewing people and vising a community in shock and at prayer. She and Jack discuss what it was like to cover the atrocity, and why Ophira chose to write a much more personal - and hopeful piece - a few days later. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with friends to spread the word, or become one of our members with a discount by clicking here. Note: this podcast was recorded on Tuesday 7 October and only published on Sunday 12 October because of an issue we had uploading.

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Inside the fight to get into Trafford’s grammar schools

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:24:21 GMT

Backstabbing parents, extortionate private tutoring companies and a 'web of deceit'. This is the world of Trafford Grammar Schools, a highly selective group of schools where each year, desperate families put their children through extensive private tutoring to pass the rigorous 11+ exam. Are they living up to their original promise of delivering exceptional education to working-class children? And is there a sense of cruelty in how the system works? Ophira Gottlieb, staff writer at The Mill, takes you inside her reporting.

Read Ophira's first story: Backstabbing, crying, and a ‘web of deceit’: Inside the fight to get into Trafford’s grammar schools

Read her second story: Grexit: should Trafford keep its grammar schools?

To read more of these stories and support our mission to bring about a renaissance in high quality journalism in the North, sign up as a paying member for just £4.95 for your first three months.

With thanks to our sponsor, Newton Music Festival. If you fancy a summer weekend of DJs, bands and festival fun, Newton Music Festival is offering just that from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd August. The lineup includes (former Mill contributor) Dave Haslam on Friday, The K’s on Saturday and Flash (a Queen tribute band) on Sunday, and is set to repeat the incredible success of last year’s festival. Hosted in the beautiful Mesnes Park, just a 20 minute train from Piccadilly, Newton Music Festival has something for everyone. Day tickets start at £15 and Mill readers can get an exclusive 10% discount using the code ‘1qjpad’ – click here to book.

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Meet the Showmen of Bolton

Fri, 16 May 2025 21:44:44 GMT

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The Salford Matador is still making a killing

Mon, 12 May 2025 08:50:30 GMT

Ophira has a story for you — one about Frank Evans, the 81-year-old Salford-born matador who now splits his time between Seville and Worsley like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Yes, that’s right: matador. While the city proudly boasts of luring the BBC up north, appearing behind the Smiths in That Photo, and producing Paul Scholes’ right foot — somehow, Frank slips through the net. But this is a man who traded Eccles cakes for cape work, and against all odds became one of the only Brits to ever rise to bullfighting’s top tier.

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Pyramid scheme

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:53:28 GMT

Jack tells the story of his trip to the newly-built Royal Nawaab, the multi-story curry house which has been built in Stockport’s iconic glass pyramid on the Valley of the Kings. But while Mahmood Hussain, the curry maestro with a “strongman’s slab of tache resting on his top lip”, hopes his £15 million renovation will pay off, has he considered the ancient pharaoh's curse which has been said to hang over the valley…

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The folk dancers who refuse to stop blacking up

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:39:19 GMT

Our writer Ophira Gottlieb tells the story of the Britannia Coconut Dancers of Bacup, in Lancashire. For over a century the troupe of morris dancers has performed up and down the town’s streets dressed in knitted jumpers, candy-striped kilts, and painted completely black. “I worked in a pub just outside Manchester,” Ophira remembers, “many of the customers felt the practice was racist and badly outdated, but just as many disagreed.” On Easter weekend, Ophira finally met these dancers. Nicknamed the “Coconutters”, Ophira set out to understand why they hold a practice that many find so offensive so close to their hearts.

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A new Manchester industry: pit stops for delivery riders

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 10:07:19 GMT

In the first of our new series of audio storytelling, Jack tells the story of how the new bike repair shops that have sprung up to offer rapid repairs to Manchester’s legions of delivery riders. “Some Mill stories are the result of months of work and research and planning, and some are born out of necessity,” Jack says, “The story I’m about to tell you was the latter.” But while the story itself was written to replace another story that fell through, it became a reader-favourite, offering an insight into a hidden world.

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What really caused the Royal Exchange's cancelled show?

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 13:40:29 GMT

Late last year, when the Royal Exchange Theatre was forced to cancel its production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the media fallout became one long nightmare. Stef O'Driscoll, the play’s director, accused the theatre of censorship, and its chief executive Stephen Freeman eventually stood down. But there are two sides to every story - over the last month, insiders at the Royal Exchange have been telling us they've been uncomfortable with the narrative that the play's director was censored for a rap about Palestine, and that they feel the theatre was the victim of a "witch hunt". In this week's episode, Mollie and Jack take you inside our reporting and reveal what really caused the theatre to cancel the entire run of its long-anticipated autumn production.

Recommendations:

A midsummer’s nightmare: What really caused the Royal Exchange’s cancelled show? The Mill

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The Casablanca Deal: Secret contracts and unexplained payments at the University of Greater Manchester

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 11:42:30 GMT

On a cold day in January, our reporters stumbled upon a strange story about Joseph Wheeler, a car marketing executive from Milton Keynes who had been granted extraordinary power at the University of Greater Manchester (formerly the University of Bolton), whose company had received £8 million in the past six financial years for performing marketing and brand management services, and who was accused of making racist remarks and threatening to sack people if they didn't bend to his will.

Then, the story became stranger. We uncovered evidence that Joseph Wheeler and another senior university executive, Paul Starkey, tried to pressure ECN, one of the university's biggest commercial partners, into transferring 40% of its revenue into a private company that Wheeler owned. That deal looked like an arrangement for kickbacks – a form of illicit payment in return for something – to be paid to Wheeler’s firm, and the circumstances in which it was signed suggest bribery laws may have been broken.

Private Eye has picked up our story, and MPs Phil Brickell and Neil O'Brien have raised our reporting to the Department for Education and in parliament. In today's episode, Mollie and Joshi reflect on the last month of reporting, and where the university goes next.

The University of Greater Manchester saga in full

16/08/2024: Our first story about the university. The university was planning to let 82 members of staff go, and was battling to change its name from the University of Bolton to the University of Greater Manchester.

06/02/2025: Over a dozen staff members accuse Joseph Wheeler of making racist remarks, and Wheeler is caught on tape saying: “At the end of the day, somebody from Nigeria looks exactly the same as somebody from Ghana.”

10/02/2025: The university announces that Joseph Wheeler had resigned.

15/02/2025: Our sources give us evidence that showed the university had misled us. Joseph Wheeler was still taking calls with staff members and his marketing agency, RSM, was still under contract with the university.

19/02/2025: Our latest exclusive. We uncover evidence that Joseph Wheeler and another senior university executive, Paul Starkey, tried to pressure a key university partner into diverting hundreds of thousands of pounds in tuition fees into a private company.

24/02/2025: The Office for Students, the university's audit committee and board of governors ignore our questions about the allegations. Phil Brickell MP writes to the Department for Education asking for an independent investigation into the university.

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Sacha Lord resigns as advisor to Andy Burnham

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 12:04:15 GMT

In this week's episode, Mollie and Jack look back on the last two years of reporting on Sacha Lord.

With thanks to Manchester Building Society for sponsoring this week's episode. In 2025, Manchester Building Society will be offering a different way to manage your money. We believe in branches, where people can access savings, mortgages and in-person financial advice. We’ll be opening on King Street later this year, before setting up in high streets and towns across Greater Manchester. Now we need your help. Building societies exist to serve their members and communities — so we want to hear from Mill readers about what you would want from your building society. Find out more here.

16 months, 12 stories — the Sacha Lord Saga in full

15/07/2023: Part one of our profile of Sacha Lord, delving into the childhood, personal life and success of the nightlife impresario.

19/07/2023: Part two looked at the conflict of interest created by Lord being a nightlife boss as well as an advisor to the mayor.

16/05/2024: Mark Turnbull said he could prove Lord had cheated his way to over £400k by telling the Arts Council a regional security company was in fact the “backbone of the national creative events sector”.

18/05/2024: Lawyers representing Lord threatened legal action unless we took our story down.

20/05/2024: Lord continued to threaten legal action.

20/05/2024: We found further evidence that the application was misleading.

22/05/2024: The Arts Council announced a review of Primary Event Solution’s application, and the GMCA announced a fact-finding mission.

24/05/2024: Lord withdrew his legal threat.

14/06/2024: We found the assessor of the application was Karen Boardman, who sits on other nightlife committees with Andy Burnham.

28/09/2024: We requested the original assessment document of Primary’s application, and found that the Arts Council had taken the most easily falsifiable claims at face value.

29/01/2025: The Arts Council withdrew the grant and began proceedings to recover the £401,928, and Lord resigned.

31/01/2025: We dug into the questions left behind.

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Did Elon Musk mislead the world about grooming in Oldham?

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 14:53:34 GMT

Tweets by the world's richest man have ignited a furious controversy about CSE. Joshi Herrmann, the founder of The Mill, has been reporting on this story for years now. He talks to the journalist Darryl Morris about the background to the story - and why official inquiries and police investigations have yet to support the theories of an online campaigner called Raja Miah.

To read the long read we discuss, click here.

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Is it time to bin off the Christmas markets?

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 10:32:45 GMT

In this week's episode, the whole Mill team join the podcast to talk about the ever-divisive Christmas Markets. Are they a boon to the city's economy or eyesores tailored to tourists? Jack Walton and Ophira Gottlieb - who recently wrote opposing essays on the subject - expand on their points, with Jack Dulhanty and Mollie Simpson coming in with data and more neutral insight.

Thanks to this episode's sponsor, Manchester Baroque. For special two-for-one tickets to their performance at Manchester Cathedral on November 30, hit the link below:

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/949847347987/?discount=MillTwoForOne

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The inside story of Afflecks

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 13:08:19 GMT

How did Afflecks go from a quirky indie bazaar filled with "vulgar tat" to a tourist destination owned by a big property firm? In this week's episode, Mollie and Jack explore the history of a Manchester institution, including the role it played in supporting generations of hopeful artists and entrepreneurs, the myth of two missing Banksys, and the "eccentric hippies" who dreamed it up in 1982.

With thanks to RHS Glow for sponsoring this week's podcast. If you find it a struggle every year to get into the Christmas spirit, we have the event for you. Glow is running at RHS Garden Bridgewater, from the 27th November all the way to the 30th December, with a series of awe-inspiring displays. There’s a brand-new illuminated trail that will enchant visitors of all ages with spectacular light shows every evening. Stroll through twinkling yew domes resembling hedgehogs, follow swirling snowflake lights and watch a thrilling light juggling show. Then kindle your inner glow with a glass of mulled wine and some roast marshmallows. Tickets are now available starting at just £12.95 for adults and £6.95 for children — click here for tickets and more details.

Recommendations:

How Afflecks went from quirky indie to part of a retail portfolio, The Mill

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At Manchester’s African and Caribbean social clubs, dominoes are both leisure and lifeline

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 09:30:43 GMT

In this week's episode, the writer Jordon Francis tells us about Manchester’s African and Caribbean Over 50s clubs in Stretford and Moss Side, where dominoes allow members of the Windrush generation to relax, unwind, and share stories of the old days. It's a lovely story about community building, the importance of storytelling and why it's essential to preserve community spaces, filled with great insights about the game of dominoes itself (Did you know the game of dominoes originated in twelfth century China hundreds of years before it became a cultural phenomenon for the African Caribbean diaspora?) and some lovely details about a show at the Royal Exchange set at a dominoes tournament, centered around its cast telling personal stories about their experiences as black people living in the UK. Thanks to Jordon for joining us on this week's podcast.

Recommendations:

At Manchester’s African and Caribbean social clubs, dominoes are both leisure and lifeline, The Mill

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What went wrong at the Carlton Club?

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 10:09:15 GMT

The Carlton Club, a beautiful social club in Whalley Range, is a phenomenal south Manchester success story, drawing in hundreds of attendees at its wellness, foodie and clubbing events every week. So why has an eviction notice been served to the Carlton Club? And how come some of the social club's own members are behind the eviction notice? Mollie and Jack discuss some of the key points from our two-part investigation into this topic, which you can read in more depth via the links below.

With thanks to Bruntwood SciTech for sponsoring this week's episode. Big ambitions for your business? You need much more than just a place to work. Bruntwood SciTech offers spaces tailored for your team, while connecting you to a 1,100-strong national community of science, tech and innovation-led businesses including the likes of Roku, AO and Deliveroo. Whether you’re growing your team, or looking to make stronger connections within a tight knit community, we can find the perfect space for your business to flourish. See workspaces in Manchester and enquire today.

Recommendations:

What went wrong at the Carlton Club?, The Mill

The Carlton Club saga: The Building Company speaks, The Mill

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Has Didsbury lost its way?

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 10:58:09 GMT

In this week's episode, Mollie and Jack talk about his recent long-read about Didsbury - "Village people" takes a look at how residents of Didsbury village are handling their area's changing character, as independent shops fall away and a local pub crawl explodes in popularity.

From today's sponsor: Big ambitions for your business? You need much more than just a place to work. Bruntwood SciTech offers spaces tailored for your team, while connecting you to a 1,100-strong national community of science, tech and innovation-led businesses including the likes of Roku, AO and Deliveroo. Whether you’re growing your team, or looking to make stronger connections within a tight-knit community, we can find the perfect space for your business to flourish.

See workspaces in Manchester and enquire today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should Manchester Pride be a party or a protest?

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 15:49:57 GMT

Manchester Pride, a large-scale music event with huge headliners and a packed schedule filled with music, dance and drag performances, returned last weekend. The city was filled with colour and thousands of people turned up to celebrate in Gay Village. But this year, Manchester Pride also faced fresh criticism over its relationship with Booking.com, a key sponsor of the festival who have faced criticism for listing rooms in the occupied West Bank, and many, including performers, withdrew from attending the festival. The involvement of big corporate sponsors like Booking.com, and the direction that Pride has taken more broadly, becoming more like a festival than anything resembling its revolutionary roots, has raised a crucial question: should Pride be a party or a protest? Mollie sits down with our new editor, Shannon Keating, to discuss.

Recommendations:

Alt Pride Festival 2024, Platt Fields Market Garden, 7th and 8th September - tickets here

Should Manchester Pride be a party or a protest? The Mill

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Exclusive: Salford Council is investigating the White Hotel

Sat, 24 Aug 2024 12:20:15 GMT

The White Hotel, a world-famous nightclub in Salford that has hosted some of biggest DJs in the world and has been described as a "nurturing influence" on new artists, is every Mancunian's favourite nightclub. But the iconic venue could be facing some complications due to a dispute involving planning permissions, as well as the development of its once-derelict but evolving neighbourhood. What does this all mean for the future of the legendary nightclub? Mollie and Joshi discuss.

With thanks to the Davis Cup for sponsoring this week's episode. Great Britain’s best tennis stars will go head-to-head against Canada, Argentina and Finland at The Davis Cup from Tuesday 10th - Sunday 15th September. Being hosted at the AO arena in Manchester, big names including Cameron Norrie and Milos Raonic will be taking to the court. Tickets are selling for as little as £10, with premium options and hospitality packages available. To find out more about the packages, and book your business in for the best VIP tennis experience, click here.

Recommendations:

He complained about late night noise. Then a city-wide row erupted, The Mill

Exclusive: Salford Council is investigating the White Hotel, The Mill

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Can Manchester’s nightlife survive the student exodus?

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 13:37:13 GMT

It’s mid-August, and the students who buy so many of the tickets for local club nights are away. They aren’t coming back any time soon, and when they do, they’re less likely than their forbears to even go to clubs in the first place (and drinks aren’t cheap anymore).

So how do we keep the city partying hard, and what’s it like to be a DJ right now? Mollie sits down with Finn McCorry, NTS resident, club promoter, and DJ best known for his critically-acclaimed EP Everything is alright. He plays Soup and White Hotel regularly, and he has been described as a music producer who “knows the transformative power of a lean groove and a catchy sample”, whose music feels “alive and eternal” (you can read the full review of this EP in Pitchfork by clicking here). In this episode, Finn takes us inside the city's club scene, and asks: What would it take to safeguard nightlife's future?

Recommendations:

Greatest Hits, Finn

Everything is alright, Finn

Summertime sadness: can Manchester’s nightlife survive the student exodus?, The Mill

Clubland UK: The state of the nation, The Guardian

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Manchester's week of riots

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 14:26:18 GMT

Last weekend saw the continuation of violent far-right riots that have erupted across the country in the wake of a devastating attack in Southport that left three children dead and eight injured. A man was pictured raising a Nazi salute in Piccadilly Gardens, where a black man was chased and attacked by a gang of white men and women, protesters in Bolton set off missiles and threw bricks at police, and rioters gathered outside hotels housing asylum seekers in Bredbury and Newton Heath. Greater Manchester Police made 19 arrests in connection with the violence over the weekend, and Andy Burnham has promised that the force will “pursue every legal means to prevent a repeat” of what happened. Some politicians have cast blame on the supposedly-defunct English Defence League, but is there truly one single organiser of the riots?

Recommendations:

Southport mourns. Then burns, The Post

I thought we’d die in Southport Mosque. I almost jumped, The Sunday Times

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Do we know what caused the police attack at Manchester Airport?

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 10:01:32 GMT

Last week, a video emerged of a Greater Manchester Police officer forcefully kicking a prostate man in the head and kneeing him in the stomach at Manchester Airport. The story dominated national news coverage and triggered an investigation by the Independent Office of Police Conduct. But a lengthier video, released over the weekend, has fuelled further debate. It shows the run up to the confrontation, with a man attacking at least two police officers before he was tasered and restrained on the ground. Do we know the full story yet? And what does this story tell us about our instinct to create a simple narrative from chaotic events?

A warning: This episode contains descriptions of violence throughout.

Recommendations:

What we didn't learn from the Manchester Airport police attack, The Spectator

The missing detail: Meet Akhmed Yakoob’s ‘gang leader’ business partner, The Dispatch

Another video of the Manchester Airport police attack — but much remains unanswered, The Mill

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The strange death of Levenshulme Market

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 12:48:08 GMT

Levenshulme Market was a local success story, cementing a narrative of a neighbourhood on the rise. For ten years, it ran weekly markets on a council-owned car park near the train station serving everything from craft beer to books, cocktails and gifts, and the market became celebrated for its role as an incubator for small businesses that managed to make the jump from a market stall to a spot on the high street. Then, in 2023, the directors announced that the market would have to cease trading for the rest of the year after a "painful planning permission process" made it impossible for them to proceed, but that they hoped that the market could come back stronger in 2024. It's now 2024, and there are no signs of the market returning anytime soon. Manchester City Council and Levenshulme Market both say they want the market to reopen. So why hasn't it?

With thanks to this week's sponsor, The Davis Cup. With unrivalled drama, big names and an amazing wrap-around hospitality offer, there’s no better event for your business than a trip to the Davis Cup. Taking place at the AO Arena in September, packages include premium seating right next to the action, and complimentary drinks. There’s also a choice of tapas-style food or real luxury with a three-course lunch in the Skyline suite. Reward your employees for their hard work this year, or impress your most important clients with an unforgettable day of drama in the heart of Manchester.

To find out more about the packages, and book your business in for the best VIP tennis experience, click here.

Recommendations:

The strange death of Levenshulme Market, The Mill

Battening down the Hatches: We all love a food hall, but does the model actually work?, The Mill

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How did a semi in Harpurhey sell for £1.8m?

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 09:03:46 GMT

In this week's episode, Mollie and Joshi discuss the curious case of a semi-detached house in Harpurhey that was bought for £575,000 and sold for £1.8 million on the very same day. Manchester City Council cited the sale as an example of market manipulation, but the property company involved happens to be a major council partner. Mollie and Joshi talk about how the story showed up on our radar, and what the situation tells us about Manchester's housing crisis.

Subscribe to read the full long-read here: https://manchestermill.co.uk/subscribe

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Do Manchester's theatres have a class problem?

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 17:12:24 GMT

Do Manchester's theatres have a class problem? Robert Pegg, a playwright and police station representative, seems to think so. In a remarkable long read for The Mill, he argues that working-class creatives have been confined to the fringe scene, with commissioning editors mainly looking towards their own narrow class to fill vacancies. So how do we address these imbalances, and how do we ensure we hear from more great working-class writers like Shelagh Delaney and Trevor Griffiths in the future?

Recommendations:

Do Manchester's theatres have a class problem? The Mill

Have the arts been 'colonised' by the middle class? The Mill

How to sell out in the ’70s, The Mill

It's vast, it's beautiful — but does anyone know what Manchester's £210m venue is actually for?, The Mill

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Britain doesn't have a second city

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 10:35:59 GMT

Has the question of whether Manchester or Birmingham is Britain's second city distracted us from another possibility: That Britain doesn't have a second city at all?

David Rudlin, director of urban design at BDP, thinks so. A little-known law states that neither Birmingham nor Manchester are big enough to claim the title of Britain's second city, which brings us onto an interesting question: How have both cities fallen short? And what would it take for them to catch up?

With thanks to Manchester Museum's Wild Show for sponsoring this episode. Wild is a brilliant new exhibition at Manchester Museum exploring how people are creating and repairing connections with nature, from post-industrial urban landscapes like Manchester to Aboriginal-led cultural revegetation projects in Western Australia and the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park in the US.

Many readers have been sending in photos of their favourite wild spaces, if you’d like to join them, just email us a photo and description of your favourite wild space to editor@manchestermill.co.uk. Our favourite ones will be published in future newsletters and you will get a free curator’s tour of the exhibition. Read more about Wild and plan your visit via this link.

Recommendations:

Britain doesn't have a second city, The Mill

I value Brummie art, but who else does? The Observer

How to invigorate Britain's second-tier cities, The Economist

The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs

The Economy of Cities, Jane Jacobs

Manchester Unspun, Andy Spinoza

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Clinging on in east Manchester

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 14:15:24 GMT

Writer Alec Herron's gran’s house was on the Grey Mare Lane estate in Beswick, east Manchester. He can still remember Sunday afternoons "filled with rice pudding, sucking bone marrow and hours sat around the table hearing stories of tragedy and petty gossip told with the same veracity".

It will all be coming down soon. The regeneration of Grey Mare Lane estate was initiated after a 2017 public consultation concluded the estate was being “left behind”. Late last year, a £70 million masterplan for the area was withdrawn, two years after being first presented to residents. Three weeks ago a new masterplan was released. 124 social rented homes are to be demolished, and at least 550 new homes built — more than double the number of the previous masterplan.

In this week's episode, Alec discusses his memories of the estate — some happy, some painful — and why this area is ripe for regeneration, and asks whether the same community can live on after the demolish-and-rebuild scheme is complete.

A warning: this episode contains a description of physical violence.

Recommendations:

Clinging on in east Manchester, The Mill

Estates, Lynsey Hanley

Reclaiming East Manchester, Len Grant

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General Election preview: Keir Starmer gets his candidates in Greater Manchester

Fri, 31 May 2024 08:52:22 GMT

It’s been a frantic few days of political shenanigans as Sir Keir Starmer’s ruthless operation in London moves to impose its favoured people on the safe seats that are up for grabs in Greater Manchester, the Lib Dems attempt to remove any Tory blue from the Greater Manchester map and the Tories fight to hold on in Bolton. So who are the people vying to be the next MPs of Greater Manchester, and what's going on with Labour's candidate selections? Mollie and Jack take a look.

Recommendations:

‘It’s basically a f*** you to the left’: Labour’s candidate selections are going down well, The Mill

Yes, Galloway won Rochdale. But it’s the runner up who really tells us about politics in the town, The Mill

After Labour blows up in Rochdale, George Galloway seizes his chance, The Mill

Why Labour stormed local elections across the country - but lost ground in Greater Manchester, The Mill

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sacha Lord has withdrawn his legal threat against The Mill

Fri, 24 May 2024 16:04:04 GMT

Last Thursday, The Mill revealed that Primary Security, a company controlled by Sacha Lord, had obtained more than £400,000 of public money from an Arts Council scheme that was supposed to support culturally significant organisations during the pandemic. Our story presented evidence that the application was deeply misleading and that Sacha Lord’s company Primary Security had recently changed its name to Primary Events.

Fast forward to 5.04pm on Friday, and an expensive law firm in the capital sent a letter threatening to sue The Mill. Our story was defamatory, the letter said, and “factually wrong”. We had until 4pm on Tuesday to publish an apology and take down the story. Instead of complying with this deadline, we dug deeper. After we discovered new details, the Arts Council and the GMCA launched an investigation into the funding application, and as of yesterday evening, Sacha Lord has now withdrawn his legal threat against The Mill. In a lengthu public statement, which you can read in full here, Lord denies all of the allegations.

In this special episode of The Manchester Weekly from Mill, Joshi Herrmann and Jack Dulhanty take you behind the scenes of our reporting and we sit down with the original source for the story, Mark Turnbull, the former director of Primary Security.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Co-op Live has finally launched. Now, it has to win back the public's trust

Fri, 17 May 2024 08:57:15 GMT

Co-op Live is finally live! Bury rock band Elbow performed at Manchester's new £365 million arena to a crowd of thousands on Tuesday night, after a series of disastrous mishaps where gigs were postponed or cancelled and an air conditioning vent fell from the ceiling. What was behind the delays in the first place, and what does Co-op Live have to do to win back the public's trust?

With thanks to Manchester Museum for sponsoring this week's episode. Manchester wants to become a 'greener' city that embraces nature, but how can that be achieved given the scale of new development? That’s one of the many questions explored by a fascinating new exhibition called Wild, which opens at Manchester Museum on 5 June. Wild will explore how people are creating and repairing connections with nature, from post-industrial urban landscapes like Manchester to Aboriginal-led cultural revegetation projects in Western Australia and the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park in the US.

We’d love you to take part. Just email us a photo and a short description of your favourite “wild” space in the local area, whether it’s the site of an abandoned mill or a lovely spot in your local park. Our favourite ones will be published in future newsletters and you will get a free curator’s tour of the exhibition. Read more about Wild here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester's homeless camp had good intentions. Was that enough?

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:27:39 GMT

On Friday 22nd March, tents started gathering under the porticoes outside Manchester Town Hall in St Peter’s Square. An activist named Emma was protesting the government not halting arms sales to Israel, and seeing the sleeping bags under the porticoes gave her an idea. Within a few days, dozens of tents were outside the town hall and there was a waiting list of rough sleepers hoping to join the camp. Manchester’s most pressing social problem was playing out right in front of the council’s nose.

Now, Manchester City Council says the camp is over. 51 people from the camp have accepted a place in temporary accommodation, while five chose to remain. Deputy Council Leader Cllr Joanna Midgley said in a statement that “we cannot welcome an environment where vulnerable people are put at risk and others feel intimidated”, adding that “this camp is clearly untenable and not in the best interests of either the vulnerable people in it or the wider community who are impacted by it”, while the offer will remain open to those five people who initially refused temporary accommodation. Were the activists doing more harm than good? And what does this story tell us about the complexity of trying to help rough sleepers get off the streets?

Recommendations:

Manchester's new homeless camp has good intentions. Is that enough?, The Mill

Manchester has a homelessness crisis. But it's not the one you thought, The Mill

Months after a violent attack on a homeless man, the police are still trying to rebuild trust, The Mill

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is to blame for the Night & Day Cafe saga?

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:12:20 GMT

In late 2021, a noise complaint filed to Manchester City Council about the iconic Northern Quarter venue Night & Day Cafe caused a city-wide row that lasted more than two years. In today's episode, Jack and Joshi discuss Jack's recent piece, that took a deeper look at what, until now, had been quite a simple story.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The mistreatment of Manchester's homeless community

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 18:04:16 GMT

When a video emerged of a Greater Manchester Police constable kicking and stamping on a homeless refugee, there was a huge public outcry. Andy Burnham demanded an internal investigation and homelessness charities called it "appalling, unacceptable and degrading". What does this incident tell us about the police's attitudes to the homeless community in Manchester, and what will it take for the authorities to regain the trust of some of society's most vulnerable? Mollie speaks about her reporting on this topic and reveals that Greater Manchester Police still haven't sent their review of their decision-making in the aftermath of this incident to the GMCA.

With thanks to The Hallé for sponsoring this week's episode. We're offering our listeners 25% off tickets to the world-class Hallé orchestra's performance of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra at Bridgewater Hall on Thursday 18 April. It's an opera built around intrigue and revenge, featuring abductions, murders in the palace and a plot to overthrow the aristocracy. They will be under the direction of the legendary Sir Mark Elder, providing one of the final chances to see Elder in action before he steps down as Music Director after 24 years. Click here to get your tickets, and make sure to enter themill18 in the promo code box to get 25% off.

Recommendations:

Months after a violent attack on a homeless man, the police are still trying to rebuild trust, The Mill

Jordan Neely’s Death and a Critical Moment in the Homelessness Crisis, The New Yorker

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The extraordinary stories of ordinary Mancunians

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 12:23:35 GMT

In 2016, Caroline Dyer and Colette Burroughs-Rose shared frustrations with how the world was becoming more divided. They believed the political developments of the time — the election of Donald Trump and Brexit — had caused more friction in the world and there was a need for more nuanced conversations to help us reconnect. In the aftermath of this division, Heard Storytelling was born. It began with a series of live events in a pub in the Northern Quarter, where people were invited to share their personal stories in front of a live audience. Just last month, they launched their first podcast series, the Heard Storytelling podcast. They publish twice a week, with one long form episode on Monday which features a story and an interview with the storyteller, and on Fridays, they publish Briefly Heard, which offers behind-the-scenes insights into how a story was crafted.

In this special episode, Mollie sits down with Heard Storytelling's co-founder Caroline Dyer to discuss the inspirational Manchester stories that they discovered while making the podcast, the importance of being vulnerable with strangers and why storytelling matters.

Warning: this episode contains a mention of suicidal ideation.

Recommendations:

The Heard Storytelling Podcast

Sobriety's Wake-Up Call: Karl's Story

Follow Heard Storytelling on Instagram to keep up with their latest events, projects and announcements

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exclusive: Bernie Sanders tells us about a "disaster for democracy"

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 17:16:28 GMT

Earlier this week, our editor Joshi Herrmann sat down with US Senator Bernie Sanders to discuss the colossal decline of local news in the UK, how that impacts communities and how he imagines the crisis in local news might be resolved. "It is a disaster for democracy," Bernie Sanders told us, a powerful statement about something we all care about. In today's episode, Mollie and Joshi examine that interview and take a deep dive into the crisis in local news in the UK and why we're still optimistic about the future.

Many thanks to Manchester Museum for sponsoring this week's podcast episode. After its major reopening last year, Manchester Museum’s South Asia Gallery won headlines around the world. The New York Times noted that it was “the first permanent museum gallery in Britain to spotlight the South Asian diaspora,” in a new space that “focuses on the community’s lived experience: on what it means to be British and South Asian at the same time.” That gallery features everything from ancient Sri Lankan musical instruments to displays about the secret South Asian Daytimers raves of the 80s and 90s, as well as exploring garment manufacture and South Asian working lives in Manchester. Plan your visit now — and you can see the stunning Golden Mummies of Egypt show (ending in April) and Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex at the same time.

Recommendations:

Colossal decline of UK regional media since 2007 revealed, Press Gazette

Is this the future of local news?, Media Confidential

What Happens to Democracy When Local Journalism Dries Up?, The Washington Post

‘The Men Who Are Killing America’s Newspapers’, The Atlantic

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Rochdale a cursed constituency?

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 18:02:23 GMT

When Sir Tony Lloyd died last month, his seat in Rochdale looked like a relatively easy hold for Labour. Now, with the party’s candidate disowned for spreading a conspiracy theory about Israel and George Galloway picking up support over the war in Gaza, the by-election has entered uncharted territory. Under the glare of the national media, three former Labour members are on the ballot, but Labour has effectively suspended its campaign. And speaking to The Mill from his campaign HQ in a Suzuki garage, Galloway is feeling confident. Members of his team are even claiming that Labour’s now-expelled candidate Azhar Ali has left the country. In this week's episode, our reporter Jack Dulhanty takes us behind the scenes, and tries to find out what on earth is going on in Rochdale.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Manchester a 'rentier city'?

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 12:40:03 GMT

"How did Manchester became the poster-child of neoliberal urbanisation, and what can the people that live there do about it?" That's the subject of tenant organiser and author Isaac Rose's debut book, The Rentier City: Manchester and the Making of the Neoliberal Metropolis. In this week's episode, Joshi Herrmann hears from Isaac Rose about whether the "Manchester model" of property-fuelled growth symbolises where the British economy is going, and what needs to change to make Manchester a more equitable place to live and work.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should Greater Manchester be partnering with Fujitsu?

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 10:17:12 GMT

Last month, before Mr Bates vs The Post Office created a massive public outcry and elevated Fujitsu to nationwide notoriety as the company that allowed its software bugs to destroy the lives and reputations of hundreds of innocent subpostmasters, Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig were on a bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo, on their way to pay Fujitsu a visit.

The central achievement of the trip was secured at the global headquarters of Fujitsu in Tokyo, where a landmark deal was signed, a partnership that Burnham described as a “massive boost” for Greater Manchester. Now, Burnham faces questions about whether the partnership should go forward at all.

Many thanks to The Hallé for sponsoring this week's episode. Manchester is globally renowned for its bands and its football teams, but we also have — in the words of The Times — “one of the world's best orchestras”. The Hallé have been entertaining Mancunian audiences for 165 years and they have a sensational calendar of concerts ready for this year, including a three-day celebration of the music of Steve Reich, a living legend from the world of contemporary classical music, on 1 Feburary. It will feature world-class artists like “daring percussionist” Colin Currie and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. Reich himself says the festival “promises to be a magnetically attractive event.” Book your tickets now.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is behind the Manchester Nightlife videos?

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 10:19:41 GMT

For the past year, we've been aware of a bizarre new trend where TikTok creators share videos of women wandering the streets on a night out in Manchester. The video creators claim to be documenting modern life in Manchester, but watch enough of these videos and you’ll start to see an extremely skewed version of the city, where beautiful, drunk women are on every street and there’s a nightclub on every corner. You’ll also notice something else: these women aren’t looking directly at the camera, and don’t appear to be aware that they’re being filmed. So who's behind it? And what's in it for them? That's what Mollie and Jack are discussing in this week's episode.

Many thanks to Pomona Partners for sponsoring this episode. Founded by a longtime Mill member, Pomona Partners is a new Manchester business representing the sharpest expert talent. People who bring events and campaigns to life with their knowledge, charisma and storytelling skills. Maybe you’re looking for someone to fire up your staff, get people talking at your conference or engage your prospects over dinner? Pomona has experts in everything from AI to activism, politics to productivity. To find the right person for your event or campaign, drop the Pomona team a line or check out their website.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our 2023 in review

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 10:28:01 GMT

It's nearly the end of 2023! What a year it's been. In our final episode of the year, Joshi, Mollie and Jack round up their favourite stories and take you behind-the-scenes of reporting some of our big investigations and feelgood features.

Many thanks to the Hallé for sponsoring this week's episode. Manchester is globally renowned for its bands and its football teams, but we also have — in the words of The Times — “one of the world's best orchestras”. The Hallé have been entertaining Mancunian audiences for 165 years and they have a sensational calendar of concerts ready for 2024, including a three-day celebration of the music of Steve Reich, a living legend from the world of contemporary classical music. It will feature world-class artists like “daring percussionist” Colin Currie and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood. Reich himself says the festival “promises to be a magnetically attractive event.” Book your tickets now.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chanel comes to Manchester

Sat, 09 Dec 2023 12:53:33 GMT

In this week's episode, Mollie and Jack talk about gatecrashing Chanel's exclusive afterparty at Victoria Baths, the importance of the French luxury fashion house coming to the city and the collective hysteria that settled over Manchester as celebrities flocked to the best hotels and restaurants.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Cheap talk'? A former Downing Street advisor takes on critics of the 'Manchester model'

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 12:55:22 GMT

Some say the 'Manchester model' is a cautionary tale about what happens when a city hands over its keys to property investors. Others say it's an example of how the great cities of the UK should regenerate and rebuild their prosperity. Economist Mike Emmerich is closer to the second view and has been a key voice in the city for decades. He used to be an advisor in the Treasury and Downing Street before returning home to Manchester, where he helped to negotiate the first big devolution deal. In an in-depth interview with Joshi, he expresses frustration with "the cheap talk of a certain kind of radical politics that fails to give credit to the city's leaders for the unbelievable hard work that they did to bring this city back from the near dead".

In the episode, we refer to Mike's recent lecture at the University of Manchester and Daniel's long read for The Mill about whether the city's economic growth is benefiting Mancunians more broadly.

Thanks to our sponsors Glow, at the RHS Garden Bridgewater for supporting this episode and our journalism. Book your tickets now.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where is Manchester supposed to put its students?

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:07:51 GMT

In this week's episode, Mollie and Jack talk about Fallowfield, the south Manchester neighbourhood that has become a de facto student village for those studying at the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University. Local residents, many who have lived in the area for decades, feel like they are being forgotten, and that their local community has been remade to only cater to a transient student population who, ultimately, aren't invested in the area. As it happens, the students agree.

And thank you to our sponsor, Glow at RHS Bridgewater, you can find out more here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inside Manchester’s secret network of women calling out their exes

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 10:00:20 GMT

In this episode, Mollie and Jack discuss a very hard-to-access Facebook group in which Mancunian women warn each other about who not to date. The group seems like an important safety mechanism for a generation of women who do a lot of their dating via apps, meeting complete strangers rather than dates who are friends of friends. But does the group always stick to its stated premise?

Many thanks to Brsk for sponsoring this episode. Brsk is a new independent broadband provider whose engineers are installing lightning-fast internet connections across the south of Greater Manchester. If you live in Stockport, Didsbury, Chorlton, Withington, Sale, Stretford or the Heatons (check out the ever-expanding map of coverage) you can now get your broadband via 100% fibre optic cables, with more areas like Wilmslow, Hale and Altrincham coming online soon. Brsk runs its own full-fibre network, which means crystal-clear video calls, lightning-fast streams and multi-device browsing — so several members of your family can be reading The Mill at the same time. Find out more by clicking here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cut from different cloth: is Manchester where Chanel really belongs?

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 12:24:15 GMT

In this week's episode, Mollie and Jack talk about where Chanel - the French luxury fashion house - is looking to host its next show. We know it's going to be in Manchester, but Mollie and our intern Shikhar did some more digging to find out exactly where. The answer is surprising, until you take a second to think about it. Seeing the brand couldn't have existed without the textiles the city produced, there's an argument that a Manchester show is actually Chanel returning to its roots.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

She escaped the Taliban, now she's homeless on the Curry Mile

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 17:11:52 GMT

In this week's episode, we hear from our intern, Shikhar Talwar. He and Mollie discuss his investigation into why Afghan refugees - who came here to escape the Taliban in the summer of 2021 - are now turning up homeless in Manchester, having been evicted from the hotels they were originally housed in. Shikhar met Khooshbo Ali, sat with her back against a dustbin on the Curry Mile. She came to Manchester from Bhusawal, a small village beside the Kabul river. She told him: “I am not even sure if coming to England was better than staying in Afghanistan”.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will our trains ever not be a joke?

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:33:31 GMT

In this episode, Mollie and Daniel discuss the biggest headline that came out of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester last week — the scrapping of the Manchester leg of HS2. How much of a big deal is this for Manchester, and what's the situation on our existing, not so high-speed, railways?

Many thanks to the Great Northern Craft Fair for sponsoring this episode. The contemporary craft fair is back at Victoria Baths this month (Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 October) and will feature beautiful hand-made pieces from the most talented ceramicists, jewellers, textile and glass artists, printmakers, sculptors, blacksmiths and silversmiths in the land, not to workshops, exhibitions and craft demos. Listeners can get two tickets for the price of one by following this special link.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exclusive: The Arts Council is investigating finances at Wigan’s Old Courts

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 15:33:41 GMT

In this week's episode, Mollie and Joshi talk about the Old Courts, a beautiful arts and culture institution in Wigan that was showered with public money and held up as an example of how the arts can be spread in towns far from London. However, when ex staff members started reaching out two weeks ago to tell us the organisation was in a financial meltdown, we started asking why that might be... Plus, we take you behind our reporting to show you how these investigations come together.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The powerlessness of Michaela Ali

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:28:29 GMT

In this week's episode, Joshi and Jack talk about Michaela Ali, who has been waiting over a year for her housing association to fix her rat-infested flat. Despite multiple complaints about the infestation, Michaela's housing association, Riverside, didn't get around to properly addressing it until recently. Joshi and Jack talk about how that story came to be - beginning with Michaela's mother, Margaret, coming into The Mill's office to ask us to help publicise her struggle - and what may happen next. If you enjoyed this episode, please do leave us a rating and a review and share the episode link with friends - it will massively help us.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who's going to join Soho House Manchester?

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:34:51 GMT

LA, Berlin, Miami... Manchester. Soho House is opening its latest private members club in the old Granada building next year. Its founder Nick Jones says he's nervous about the launch — should he be? Joshi and Molie discuss what the launch says about Manchester and what kind of person might join.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'I never wanted to move from Ukraine. My friends wanted to, but I never did.'

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 10:56:30 GMT

In this week’s episode, Joshi and Jack discuss the case of Andrew Malkinson, who was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, and wrongly imprisoned for 17 years. Questions have been raised about Greater Manchester Police’s investigation into Malkinson, and whether the force withholding, and in some cases destroying, pieces of evidence contributed to an innocent man going to jail. Jack also talks about his latest weekend read on the Tyshkul family, who he first met last March when they arrived in Manchester as refugees of the war in Ukraine. What have the last 18 months been like as refugees in Manchester? And what are the next steps the family might take?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is really benefiting from Manchester's rapid growth?

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 14:50:55 GMT

In this week's episode, our data and policy reporter Daniel Timms talks about his big weekend read about Manchester's ongoing economic boom. Are the proceeds mainly going to property developers and the wealthy - or are the benefits spreading more widely? Daniel has spent the past few weeks digging into lots of data and speaking to leading economists and experts to try to answer that question - and some of his conclusions are surprising. (The episode features a few clips from the BBC documentary Manctopia, and a Radio 4 programme about Manchester's growth). If you enjoyed this episode, please do leave us a rating and a review and share the episode link with friends - it will massively help us.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are lots of rumours about Sacha Lord, but what's the truth?

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 17:58:53 GMT

In this week's episode, Jack discusses his long read about Sacha Lord, the man who runs Warehouse Project and Parklife and who advises Andy Burnham. It's a new kind of podcast for us - a conversation in our office about how we did a story and the challenges that we encountered. Why did none of Lord's critics want to speak on the record? And what kind of rumours did we try to stand up? Please let us know what you thought of this new format by emailing joshi@manchestermill.co.uk. And thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big parties and bigger drama: Life at uni during the lockdowns

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 14:26:28 GMT

It's an emotional episode as Darryl signs off as our regular co-host and we reflect on some of our favourite moments. We also discuss an amazing long read by three students at the University of Manchester about their experience during the pandemic. Thanks to our sponsor, the Sustainability Show - you can get FREE tickets for the show at this special link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-sustainability-show-manchester-tickets-523717391817?aff=Mill

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do Manchester developers avoid building affordable homes?

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 15:23:12 GMT

Our special guest on this week's episode is the amazing Daniel Timms, our data and policy reporter, who tells us about what is driving the lack of affordable homes in Manchester. Plus, we talk about his reporting on why all the protected trees are in leafy south Manchester and what is holding back the region's schools. We also discuss homelessness among asylum seekers and the new name for Manchester's big new venue: Aviva Studios.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester turns blue - but do City fans care about their club's finances?

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 15:14:47 GMT

On this week’s episode - sponsored by Manchester Museum - Joshi and Darryl speak to Sam Lee and Daniel Mooney, from the Man City fan podcast Let Me Talk, about the treble victory, the club’s finances and it’s role in the city. Plus, the latest on HS2, homelessness statistics and an update on Dani Cole’s campaign to get Tony Doran a headstone.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Manchester’s transport infrastructure struggling to cope?

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 14:48:09 GMT

On our 100th episode, Darryl and Jack ask why 45% of Manchester’s children are classed as living in poverty, and what can be done about it. Plus, with so many big gigs in the city this week, why is Manchester’s transport infrastructure struggling to cope? And the latest from the bids to buy Manchester United and Wigan Athletic, and the road back to league football for Bury FC.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-mill-turns-3-a-birthday-party-hosted-by-julie-hesmondhalgh-tickets-646112549027?aff=oddtdtcreator

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The secret flights Manchester Airport doesn't want to talk about

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 15:43:49 GMT

In this week's podcast, Darryl, Mollie and Joshi discuss The Mill's revelation about animal testing flights at Manchester Airport. We also cover the demolition of a much loved pub in Rusholme and an awkward moment for Manchester United Women star Alessia Russo. Head to manchestermill.co.uk/subscribe to become a member and get all our reporting.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Underpayment, media hype and the forgotten workers of Manchester’s hospitality industry

Thu, 25 May 2023 14:34:22 GMT

In this week’s episode, Joshi, Mollie and Jack discuss The Mill’s most recent investigation into underpayment in Manchester’s hospitality industry. The team spent months looking into businesses underpaying or failing to pay their staff. They talk through their reporting process and the way that local media coverage has missed out the plight of Manchester’s hospitality workers. “The owner’s always have media representation but the workers don’t. So, if the worker’s not being paid but he sees the owner in the MEN saying: ‘this is a great place, we’re going to do well’, you’re already going to be disincentivised to speak to the press about this sort of thing.”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"We don't do things differently here": An author challenges the myths of Manchester

Mon, 22 May 2023 16:13:13 GMT

This week's episode comes directly from our Mill Members Event. Listen to our senior editor Sophie Atkinson talk to David Scott about his new book Mancunians: Where Do We Start, Where Do I Begin? It takes an alternative look at the city's cultural history, drawing on Scott's own life and extensive conversations with some of the Manchester's most influential, but often unsung, figures. "It’s more important than ever that we recognise that we aren’t just the Haçienda."

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill’s journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill’s long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two cities, two votes: inside Eurovision and the local election returns

Thu, 11 May 2023 12:46:57 GMT

This week, Darryl Morris and Mollie Simpson pick through

the local election results, and ask what Arooj Shah returning as Oldham’s council leader means for the town’s fractured politics. Plus, we journey to neighbouring Liverpool for the Eurovision Song Contest and digest new rules for Greater Manchester’s landlords.

Don’t miss our next Mill Members Club Event: in conversation with author and poet Dave Scott about his new book, Mancunians, on Thursday 18th May at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation. Get tickets here for just £5: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mill-members-club-feat-dave-scott-tickets-518575532377

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 'red wall' speaks: what to expect from today's local elections

Thu, 04 May 2023 11:18:02 GMT

In this week's episode, Darryl and Joshi are joined by Michael Taylor - the editor of The Business Desk - to take a deep dive into the local elections and what to expect from Thursday's vote. Plus, Micheal explains why Manchester company's Open Money have found themselves in trouble and what it tells us about Manchester's fintech industry, and why the city centre is becoming more dense.

To get full analysis of this week's local elections direct to your inbox, and support this podcast, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

Check out The Business Desk here: https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Prisoner’s Prison: has a Salford jail been taken over by the inmates?

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 15:12:28 GMT

This week, Darryl and Jack discuss Forest Bank prison, the jail termed the ‘prisoner’s prison, that an investigation suggests is in the hands of the inmates. Plus, new data on Manchester’s rental community and we ask if the ship should be removed from Manchester City and Manchester United’s club crests.

And as Rochdale drop out of the football league for the first time in 102 years, read this piece on the battle to save it. https://manchestermill.co.uk/p/they-wanted-control-of-the-club-but

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill’s journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill’s long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We went to the last night at one of Manchester’s iconic pubs

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 13:28:33 GMT

With local elections just weeks away whats the latest talk. Over a century since it opened the Oldham Coliseum Theatre closed its doors for the final time and we hear from locals in dismay after another local establishment disappears with the much loved Irish pub Fiddler’s Green closes its doors.

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill's journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill's long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Riot at the Palace: Why are people binge drinking at the theatre?

Thu, 13 Apr 2023 11:43:06 GMT

What caused a nationwide debate because of an incident at the Palace Theatre. Reports of a split in the Stockport’s Labour party and is the curry mile at risk?

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill's journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill's long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

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Has Manchester lost its soul? A new book explores the city's boom

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 20:37:02 GMT

In this week's episode, we meet Andy Spinoza, whose new book Manchester Unspun provides a fascinating insider's view of a changing city. And raised plenty of thorny questions along the way.

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill’s journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill’s long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

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'Prejudices' and 'lazy assumptions' among housing staff in Rochdale

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 14:07:54 GMT

In this week's episode, we discuss a damning report from the Housing Ombudsman about the housing provider at the centre of the Awaab Ishak case. Joshi and Darryl also talk about their accents and the changing Mancunian voice, and consider why the Guardian's decision to highlight its historic links to slavery might have broader repercussions in Manchester. Head to manchestermill.co.uk to read all of our stories and join as a member.

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill’s journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill’s long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

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Is Greater Manchester's new deal with the government a 'historic step' or an 'inch in the right direction'?

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 16:11:36 GMT

In this week's episode, Joshi and Darryl digest the deal that Andy Burnham has struck with the government and try to understand what it means. We also discuss the eviction of rent-striking students by the University of Manchester and hear the tale of a 24-year-old who won a nerve-wracking competition to join the Halle Orchestra as a conductor. Plus: what does an ongoing court battle tell us about the future of Manchester city centre? To support this podcast and read all of our journalism, join The Mill as a member by doing to manchestermill.co.uk/subscribe.

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How Jeremy Hunt made Andy Burnham more powerful

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 15:09:42 GMT

On this week's episode, Darryl Morris and The Mill's Jack Dulhanty discuss how Jeremy Hunt's devolution plans made Any Burnham more powerful, a controversy at Freight Island, and more disruption at Metrolink. Plus, the real impact of suspending HS2 and the latest on the bid to buy Manchester United. Escaping Freight Island: Inside Manchester's latest hospitality meltdown https://manchestermill.co.uk/p/escaping-freight-island-inside-manchesters

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill's journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill's long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

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Another Tory MP in Greater Manchester stands down

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 16:40:21 GMT

In this week’s particularly homespun episode, Jack and Joshi are in the Mill office talking about Graham Brady, the highly influential MP for Altrincham and Sale West, who has decided to stand down at the next election. Plus: what the latest of Matt Hancock’s leaked WhatsApps tell us about how governing is done, and a strange video of some skateboarders in Manchester that has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill's journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill's long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

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Could the Manchester Arena bombing have been prevented?

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 18:57:56 GMT

This week, we unpick the final report from the Manchester Arena inquiry, that asks: could the attack have been prevented? Plus, we return to Manchester's Eastern European community, one year on from Putin's invasion and we'll hear how Northenden Labour's candidate selection process is sparking an interesting debate about all women shortlists.

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill’s journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill’s long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

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What's behind the culture funding row in Oldham?

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 16:01:17 GMT

In this week's episode, we delve into the latest developments over the Oldham Coliseum. We also discuss the sad news in the Nicola Bulley case and lots of other stories, including a controversial new name for the Bolton Wanderers ssfium/stadium. Head to manchestermill.co.uk to join as a member and book your ticket for our Mill Members Club.

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill's journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill's long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

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Live from Manchester Museum as it finally reopens its treasures

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 12:46:27 GMT

A special on-location episode from Manchester Museum, which is reopening after a long and expensive renovation. Joshi meets the museum's director Esme Ward and some of her leading curators to find out what they have changed - and how they are re-imagining what a museum is all about.

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill's journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill's long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

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Why has Nicola Bulley's disappearance drawn in an army of online sleuths?

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 14:01:56 GMT

For this week's episode, Darryl has been speaking to the online 'Tik Tok sleuths' who have descended on the village where Nicola Bulley has gone missing. He asks them if they think they are exploiting a tragedy. We also discuss Manchester's active travel plan, questions about Steven Bartlett and his company Social Chain, and the fate facing Manchester City. Thanks to The Knowledge for sponsoring this episode. Go to theknowledge.com/themill to sign up.

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill's journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill's long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

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Is this the end for Oldham Coliseum?

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 13:53:52 GMT

On this week’s podcast, Darryl and Jack discuss Oldham Coliseum cancelling their schedule and whether this is the end for the iconic institution. Plus, plans for a new 70 story building in the city centre and redevelopment in Farnworth, the conduct of GMP officers and the joy of going for a walk. To support this podcast and get all of The Mill's journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

To read more of The Mill's long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

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Why are MPs and Radio 4 talking about The Mill?

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 14:21:13 GMT

In this week’s episode, we discuss why levelling up is on “life support” and why cash-strapped councils are buying failing shopping centers. Plus: we recap a high-profile week for The Mill. The episode is sponsored by the Manchester Lit & Phil - one of the city’s oldest and most respected organizations, which has been broadening minds for almost 250 years. To get your special 50% discount on memberships, use the links below before the deal runs out. MONTHLY: https://app.joinit.com/o/the-manchester-lit-phil/C8yAj4uXhbQDY7BKa/?discount=MILLPODCAST23. ANNUAL: Normally £118.00 but just £59.00 with this discount. https://app.joinit.com/o/the-manchester-lit-phil/Lf3M7eB2sAjdcADSf/?discount=MILLPODCAST23

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Is there really a war going on in Ancoats?

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 15:13:28 GMT

In this week’s episode, we discuss Ancoats, New Islington and gentrification in the New Manchester. The episode starts in Pollen, the bakery that represents the new residents who have moved to New Islington in their thousands. Joshi and Darryl discuss Joshi’s weekend read about issues of community cohesion in the area, which has prompted a massive reaction online and a public conversation about how the city is changing. We also discuss Factory International, levelling up and - of course - Picadilly Gardens. To read Joshi’s piece, click here: https://manchestermill.co.uk/p/new-islington-ancoats

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Is Greater Manchester’s biggest housing strategy at risk?

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 14:17:12 GMT

In this week’s episode, Darryl Morris and Jack Dulhanty ask if A Place for Everyone - Greater Manchester’s flagship housing strategy - is at risk. Plus, new data on the number of Manchester’s homeless and why University of Manchester students are withholding their rent.

To support this podcast and get all of The Mill's journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

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A storm brewing in Chorlton and Didsbury

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 13:02:57 GMT

In our first episode of the year, Joshi and Darryl discuss a row in south Manchester about a growing football club. They also round up a few other stories, including clubs that are going out of business because of energy bills and why your parcels are going missing. To support this podcast and get all of The Mill's journalism, join as a member for £7 a month at manchestermill.co.uk

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The stories that caused us the most stress and the ones we’d do differently

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 15:06:15 GMT

Joshi, Mollie and Jack talk about their favourite stories of the year and pull their hair out about the most stressful moments in the office in 2022.

To support the team that makes this podcast, and receive all of our journalism in your email inbox, join The Mill as a member at manchestermill.co.uk/subscribe.

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In a dramatic move, China removes its officials from Manchester

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 11:45:30 GMT

In this week's episode, Joshi and Darryl discuss breaking news about China's decision to withdraw six diplomatic staff from its consulate in Manchester. We also cover the disruption on local trains, people who are swimming in the freezing water of Salford and why you should be heading to the Royal Exchange this week. To support the team that makes this podcast, and receive all of our journalism in your email inbox, join The Mill as a member at manchestermill.co.uk/subscribe.

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Is Gordon Brown onto something?

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 13:05:09 GMT

In this week's episode, Darryl and Joshi talk about the Labour Party's bold new blueprint for a less centralised Britain. They also discuss the Burnham DJ battle, a scathing report on a prestigious local school and the other stories you need to know about this week.

Read all our journalism by subscribing to The Mill at manchestermill.co.uk

It was a high-flying school with a stellar reputation. Then the inspectors arrived:

https://manchestermill.co.uk/p/it-was-a-high-flying-school-with

When will we see the end of Strangeways?

https://manchestermill.co.uk/p/when-will-we-see-the-end-of-strangeways

Diane Coyle interview we reference:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-manchester-weekly-from-the-mill/id1589063156?i=1000576010449

North Country: the book featuring an article from The Mill. Sign up today to receive a free copy: https://saraband.net/sb-title/north-country/

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Disruption, Delays and Derailing: What is happening with Metrolink?

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 14:08:11 GMT

In this episode we discuss the growing disruptions and delays in transport across the north and interview BBC Radio Manchester host Anna Jameson about her Salfordian accent and interesting new research into why people from Greater Manchester want to keep their regional accents.

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Andy Burnham wanted to end rough sleeping. Now it's getting worse.

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 12:45:55 GMT

In this week's episode, Joshi and Darryl discuss a big update on homelessness in Greater Manchester. We also cover a disturbing story about a fast fashion giant and the arrival of menacing teens in Didsbury.

Read Jacks's piece: https://manchestermill.co.uk/p/who-will-stop-the-teens-terrorising

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Serious allegations about Manchester Confidential - how we published the story

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 16:05:10 GMT

The Mill's staff writer Jack Dulhanty discusses his widely-shared long read about the founder of Manchester Confidential. Plus, Joshi Herrmann and Darryl Morris discuss the opera coming to Manchester, the death of two year old boy in Rochdale, and a fascinating New York Times long read about a controversial murder case.

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Condescending and ignorant - how the London arts world has reacted to ENO moving north

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 11:40:01 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann talk about how the arts community has reacted to the news that The English National Opera may be relocating from London, a potential new inquest into the death of Yousef Makki and more of the Greater Manchester stories you need to know,

To read more of The Mill's long form journalism visit manchestermill.co.uk.

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What I learned from reading the Manchester Arena report

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 20:05:10 GMT

In this week's episode, The Mill's Jack Dulhanty talks about the mistakes made by the emergency services on the night of the Manchester Arena bombing. We also discuss a BBC investigation into "disaster trolls", the improvements at Greater Manchester Police, and news of an epic new walking route that should tempt you into the countryside. Hosted by Darryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann. To read Jack's arena story, go to manchestermill.co.uk.

7:37

Is this the end of the Night and Day Cafe?

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 12:05:15 GMT

In this week's episode, Darryl and Jack discuss the new Prime Minister and whether his government will prioritize leveling up. They also talk about the uncertain future of the Night and Day Cafe, the bulldozing of Counterfeit Street and more of the Greater Manchester stories you need to know.

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Chinese officials assault a protester on the grounds of the Manchester consulate

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 13:00:49 GMT

In this week's episode, Joshi and Darryl discuss the violent incident at the Chinese consulate and the political fallout. We also discuss why Greater Manchester is falling so far behind its carbon targets, and whether Animal Rebellion were right to pour milk all over the Marks & Spencers on Market Street.

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Chinese officials assault a protester on the grounds of the Manchester consulate

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 12:30:05 GMT

In this week's episode, Joshi and Darryl discuss the violent incident at the Chinese consulate and the political fallout. We also discuss why Greater Manchester is falling so far behind its carbon targets, and whether Animal Rebellion was right to pour milk all over the Marks & Spencers on Market Street.

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No friends or family came to his funeral - so I tried to find out who he was

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 04:00:41 GMT

In this special Sunday episode of the podcast, Dani Cole talks about her story 'A Death Unseen', which has provoked a huge reaction since it was published on The Mill. Dani went to a funeral for a man who had died alone, with no friends or relatives at his side, and none at his funeral. Read the piece here https://manchestermill.co.uk/p/the-kindness-of-strangers

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Why aren't people in Manchester using Metrolink?

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:40:05 GMT

We'd love to hear from listeners - please fill out our short survey by going to https://manchestermill.co.uk/p/podcastpage.

In this week's episode, Darryl and Joshi discuss the huge response to Dani's 'Death Unseen' story, the financial crisis at Metrolink and an important new report on the Greater Manchester economy.

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The Tories are in trouble - and so is Manchester's Metrolink

Thu, 06 Oct 2022 13:10:07 GMT

In this week's episode, Joshi and Darryl discuss the Tory Party conference and the search for Keith Bennett's body on the Moors. the prospects for levelling up; foreign investment in the North; homelessness in Salford and the death of Hilary Mantel. To join the Mill with our special podcast discount, visit https://manchestermill.co.uk/podcastspecial

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A bleak, dank, cold Northern village on the edge of the moors

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 07:19:04 GMT

In this week's episode, Joshi and Darryl discuss the Labour Party conference and the prospects for levelling up; foreign investment in the North; homelessness in Salford and the death of Hilary Mantel. To read our latest exclusive on homelessness head to https://manchestermill.co.uk/p/exclusive-an-internal-report-sheds

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Mayfield Park the first new park in 100 years

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 05:00:02 GMT

In this episode, Dani Cole visits Mayfield Park, Manchester's first new city centre public park park in 100 years and talks to visitors and people who worked to create the park about its future.

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Manchester waits to visit the new city centre park

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 12:12:33 GMT

In this episode, Joshi Herrmann and Dani Cole talk about Mayfield Park, updates to The Mill's homelessness report, Old People's day and more of the Greater Manchester stories you need to know.

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How we investigated the true causes of homelessness in Manchester

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 04:00:30 GMT

Joshi Herrmann and Jack Dulhanty reflect on a six-month investigation, and the twists and turns on the way to publishing one of our landmark pieces on The Mill.

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Is Andy Burnham's fare cap going to bring back passengers?

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 11:09:57 GMT

In this episode, Joshi Herrmann speaks to Dani Cole about the new prime minister, Andy Burnham's fare cap and more of the stories from Greater Manchester that you need to know.

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Renting the middle-class house in nineteenth-century Manchester

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 06:46:23 GMT

Wage-draining rents, disinterested landlords and a society where only a minority own their own home may sound like eerie predictions for life in the not-too-distant future (or on the first two counts, the present), they also reflect Britain’s past.

In this audio long read, historian, journalist and Mill contributor Thomas McGrath tells the story of Elizabeth Gaskell’s search for a middle-class house in nineteenth-century Manchester.

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The next Prime Minister

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 11:58:15 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris talks to Dani Cole about the Tory Hustings, housing conditions in Salford, outdoor non-smoking zones and more of the stories from Greater Manchester that you need to know.

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'Misinformation', 'hate' and answering his critics" we speak to the CEO of Manchester Pride

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 05:00:14 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann speak to Mark Fletcher, the CEO of Manchester Pride about past criticisms of Manchester Pride and their plans for this August.

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A storm in the Northern Quarter

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 09:07:27 GMT

In this week's episode, Darryl Morris talks to Dani Cole about the upcoming Tory Hustings, a tragic shooting in Moss Side and more of the Greater Manchester stories you need to know.

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What would real levelling up look like? Meet the economist who might have the answers.

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 06:00:48 GMT

The levelling up agenda finds itself up for debate in the Tory leadership race - as social issues take root in some parts of the north and a cost of living crisis rumbles on the horizon.

This week, The Mill’s Joshi Herrmann speaks to leading economist and Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge Diane Coyle to ask: what would real levelling up look like?

Diane’s story begins in the north, having grown up in Ramsbottom, and has taken her from economics editor at The Independent to working with the treasury. She has dedicated her working life to asking how the de-industrialised towns of the north can be more productive, how to bring back well-paid jobs and how to increase the quality of life in economically uncertain times.

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Exclusive: What happened during a surprise inspection at a local A&E

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 10:43:24 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann talk about the Tory leadership race coming to Greater Manchester, a worry inspection at Salford Royal Hospital and the impact that rail strikes and train cancellations are having on Manchester.

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Do you remember Jack Hilton?

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 05:00:22 GMT

Rochdale writer Jack Hilton wrote about 20th-century working-class life like few others, so why was he forgotten in the tale of Manchester's literary history? In this episode, Jack Chadwick talks to Darryl and Joshi about Jack Hilton's work and his fight to bring one of Manchester’s most innovative writers back into print.

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Has Manchester found its next industrial revolution?

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 05:00:53 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris and Joshi Hermann talk about the newly opened park in the sky on Castlefield Viaduct, an announcement about the Mayoral Development Zone and more of the Greater Manchester stories you need to know

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"I prefer the hell hole that breeds great art"

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 05:00:52 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann talk to journalist Frank Owen about Manchester's lost music scene.

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Human remains and ‘speculative information’ at a burned down mill in Oldham

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 10:47:15 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann talk about the GMP's new Chief Constable and the Castlefield Viaduct 'park in the sky. They hear a report from Jack Dulhanty about a tragic fire in an Oldham warehouse and share all the local stories you need to know.

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Why I started The Mill - and what we want to do next

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 05:00:12 GMT

In the 50th episode of The Manchester Weekly, Darryl Morris interviews Joshi Herrmann about why he founded The Mill and the most fascinating parts of the journey so far.

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Life inside a Manchester asylum seekers hotel

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 09:00:52 GMT

In this episode, Darryl and Joshi talk about the conditions in one of Manchester's asylum seeker hotels and a tragic death near Media City. Dani Cole takes us to Piccadilly Gardens to hear from people soaking in the sun on the hottest day of the year and we share all the local stories you need to know.

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What violence does to young people in Moss Side

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 05:00:58 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris speaks to Jack Dulhanty about young people from Moss Side mourning friends they've lost to violent crime. We hear from Jayvon Morgan about his experience of losing a friend and the director of 84Youth about supporting young people through their perpetual traumatic stress syndrome.

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The MEN faces questions about its reporting of a controversial trial

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 09:54:22 GMT

In this episode, Darryl and Joshi talk about how levelling up has been left behind in the conservative leadership race, increasing pressure on Manchester's emergency services and the controversy surrounding the MEN's reporting of the ‘jailed for texts’ trial.

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'Low traffic neighbourhoods' seem like a good idea - so why are they causing so much strife?

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 05:00:24 GMT

In this episode, Darryl and Joshi talk to Alex King about the arguments for and against Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. They talk about why LTNs have caused so much controversy and discuss how they might change Greater Manchester. To read our long reads, join us as a member at manchestermill.co.uk

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Resignations and political drama in Westminster - and in Greater Manchester too

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 06:00:10 GMT

In this episode, Darryl and Joshi talk about the wave of resignations across Westminster and Greater Manchester. They discuss the passionate response to a group of black teenagers being found 'guilty by association" after sending text messages and share more of the Manchester stories you need to know

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He walked into Britain's worst prison riot - and came out with a story about indignity and injustice

Sun, 03 Jul 2022 08:46:23 GMT

Mike Unger, the legendary former editor of the Manchester Evening News, tells Joshi about being asked to mediate with prisoners during the Strangeways Riot. And recalls his time editing a newspaper read by a million Mancunians. What does he think of the state of local journalism today? "They're blindly doing clickbait," he tells us.

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Insiders fear 'deaths and homicides' as mental health services leave hundreds waiting for care

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 12:16:44 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris speaks to Jack Dulhanty about a shocking report into failures in Manchester’s mental health services caused by staff shortages and underfunding. They dig into the upcoming bids for the levelling up fund and share the latest update on a protest Raja Miah’s supporter's staged at an Oldham council meeting,

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We meet the new leader of Manchester, Bev Craig

Sun, 26 Jun 2022 05:00:56 GMT

This week we went to the office of Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, to ask her about her new plans for housing in the city - and how her approach differs from that of Sir Richard Leese. We also challenge her on homelessness in the city, and ask her which wing of the Labour Party she comes from.

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Why did Raja Miah not pass his dossier to the Oldham sexual abuse review?

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 12:05:34 GMT

Joshi interviews Gary Ridgway, one of the authors of the long-awaited review into child sexual exploitation in Oldham, and reflects on the report. We bring you the latest on the row over HS2, the impact of the rail strikes, and some new details from Andy Burnham about the future of devolution in Greater Manchester. Plus: A clip from our 2nd birthday event at the Anthony Burgess Centre.

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Is Manchester city centre dying, or just changing?

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 04:00:35 GMT

Vaughan Allen the leading expert on the city centre who monitors the data for who is using our streets and who is opening in our local shop fronts. He tells us about the surprising resilience of Manchester’s hospitality sector and the dramatic shift away from retail in the city.

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A perilous journey from Sudan to Manchester

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 15:22:07 GMT

In this episode we tell Ahmed’s story, an asylum seeker fleeing his native Sudan whose journey offers an important insight into the national asylum debate. We also discuss the anniversary of the IRA bomb, staffing shortages in mental health services and the future of the Hulme Hippodrome.

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Decolonisation, repatriation and transforming Manchester Museum

Sun, 12 Jun 2022 03:00:00 GMT

Manchester Museum houses 4.5 million objects, but how many of them does it have the right to keep? In this episode of the Mill, we speak to Esme Ward, the Director of the Manchester Museum. We discuss how the museum is approaching decolonisation and repatriation in their collection and Esme talks about the museum’s ongoing transformation project.

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What does the Red Wall think of Boris Johnson - and can we trust the polls?

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 10:48:12 GMT

After a week of drama in Westminster, the leading pollster Chris Curtis joins us to talk about what voters are saying about the Prime Minister. We also ask Chris whether we can trust the polls, after he made a series of interesting claims about polling during the 2017 election on Twitter, including a poll that was positive about Jeremy Corbyn but which never saw the light of day. Plus, we discuss a big weekend of events in Manchester and the latest on the Clean Air Zone.

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Is the Royal Exchange in Crisis?

Sun, 05 Jun 2022 04:00:11 GMT

The Mill has spent the week reporting on the situation at the Royal Exchange Theatre, which has cancelled its summer show and has been hit very hard by the pandemic. Joshi was given an interview with the theatre's top leaders on Tuesday, and talks to Darryl about what the problems are at the Exchange, and who is to blame. The story includes moving quotes from former staff members who were laid off by the Royal Exchange in 2020, and who say the company's treatment of them doesn't fit with its public ethos.

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A leading Manchester company collapses into administration

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 10:15:34 GMT

In our latest episode, Darryl and Joshi discuss the demise of giant fashion retailer Missguided. We also talk about the part-closure of Piccadilly Gardens, ask how much the "carnage" at Manchester Airport *really* matters, and ask whether we are witnessing a change of approach from Manchester's planning committee after a student block failed to get planning go-ahead.

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Have the police missed a Manchester serial killer?

Sun, 29 May 2022 03:00:57 GMT

In the late 90s two elderly couples died in the town of Wilmslow at the hands of a suspected murder-suicide. In April 2020 David Collins received a phone call leading him to the discovery that their deaths might actually have been the work of a serial killer. In this episode, David shares the hunt for the silver killer.

To read David’s full story join us as a member at manchestermill.co.uk

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A major IT failure hits Greater Manchester and the rest of the headlines

Thu, 26 May 2022 11:22:54 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann talk about a critical incident at Oldham A&E, the impact Crossrail could have on transport across the UK and hear a story from Strangeways prison. They also share their top picks for the week ahead and brief you on the local news you need to know.

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How a dark conspiracy theory poisoned a divided town

Thu, 19 May 2022 14:30:47 GMT

In a special episode, we delve into the strange, conspiratorial politics of Oldham. We tell the story of the rise of Raja Miah, a local activist who has gone from healing a town's racial divides to exploiting them in a vicious campaign against the local council. Joshi Herrmann tells the story from the beginning, when he received a tip from a reader about allegations of Asian block votes and grooming gangs in Oldham, and tells Darryl Morris how one man has contributed to the removal of two council leaders in the space of two years. That's all in this one off-edition of The Manchester Weekly from The Mill.

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Greater Manchester tries to save an endangered bird

Thu, 12 May 2022 11:53:19 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann talk about Martyn’s law, a tragic death at The Warehouse Project and potential Mancunian candidates to be the next Labour party leader. Jack Dulhanty joins them to talk about a local conservationist's plan to save an endangered local bird and they share all the local news you need to know.

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Local Elections 2022 - The Results

Sun, 08 May 2022 19:09:53 GMT

Special analysis of the Local Election 2022 results for Greater Manchester from Darryl Morris and The Mill's editor Joshi Herrmann.

To read more join us as a member at manchestermill.co.uk

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Searching for Salford's secret garden

Thu, 05 May 2022 13:01:21 GMT

What happened when Sophie Atkinson went in search for Salford's Secret Garden? In this week's episode, she takes us behind the scenes of her story and Darryl and Joshi brief you on the upcoming local elections, changes to Greater Manchester's transport system and the local news and events you need to know about.

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The fall and fall of Oldham Athletic

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 11:18:59 GMT

In this week's episode, Darryl, Dani and Jack discuss plans to extend the prison HMP Hindley and the suspension of a conservative candidate in the run-up to the election. Darryl speaks to Jack Walton about the challenges facing Oldham Athletic and we brief you on the local events you need to know about.

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The story of Rochdale's grooming gangs takes another turn

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 12:46:05 GMT

In this week's episode, Darryl and Joshi share the latest developments in the Rochdale grooming gang scandal and interview Maria Romanenko, a Ukrainian woman who recently settled in Manchester, about her journey to the UK. Dani Cole shares a story about joining a family in Didsbury for Iftar and we brief you on the local stories you need to know about.

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'In the suburbs of hell': a new history of the North

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 09:11:32 GMT

In this week's episode, the former FT journalist Brian Groom joins us to discuss his new book about northern history. Plus Jack Walton comes on to discuss co-living in Manchester, and we brief you on a few stories you need to know about.

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Anxiety and despair in Manchester as the cost of living crisis bites

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 12:42:58 GMT

In this episode, Darryl Morris and The Mill editor Joshi Hermann speak to writer Jack Dulhanty about some of the people whose lives have been affected most by the cost of living crisis and writer Dani Cole about her photo essay on girl gangs. They also discuss the chaos at Manchester airport, a new archive at John Rylands Library and talk more about the stories from Greater Manchester that you need to know.

To read more join us as a member at manchestermill.co.uk

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They escaped from a bombed out city. Now they're settling in Manchester.

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 11:56:00 GMT

In this episode, The Mill editor Joshi Hermann speaks to writer Jack Dulhanty about the stories of three Ukrainian refugees rebuilding their lives in Manchester. They update listeners on UK-Med's work in Ukraine, talk about an upcoming report on homelessness in Manchester and hear a report from The Mill writer Dani Cole on insecure work and precarious employment.

To read more join us as a member at manchestermill.co.uk

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The extraordinary campaign to keep Rochdale AFC in the hands of fans

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 14:34:02 GMT

How far would a group of fans go to keep their club fan-owned? In this episode, The Mill editor Joshi Hermann and writer Dani Cole speak to Jack Walton about the extraordinary campaign led by fans of Rochdale AFC. They then speak to Kieran Maguire about football club ownership and hear Jack Dulhanty's story about an ESOL class in Ancoats.

To read more join us as a member at manchestermill.co.uk

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Can Andy Burnham fix Manchester’s buses?

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 16:04:02 GMT

Will Andy Burnham's £2 bus fare cap help the city level up? In this episode, The Mill editor Joshi Hermann speaks to Jack Dulhanty about updates to the transport system, the end to the Manchester Arena inquiry and the latest developments in the lives of Manchester's Ukrainian community. Dani Cole shares a story about one of Manchester's over 60's dining clubs and you'll hear recommendations for what you can get up to this week in Greater Manchester.

To read more join us as a member at manchestermill.co.uk

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Inside Ukraine's unfolding medical emergency

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 12:55:36 GMT

We’ve heard how the Ukrainian community in Manchester has reacted to the shock and heartbreak of the unfolding war, but how are Mancunians working to make a difference? Darryl and Joshi speak to the founder of UK - Med Professor Tony Redmond OBE about the vital humanitarian work they’re doing in Ukraine. Plus there’s a brief on the latest stories from the city and recommendations for what you can get up to this week.

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The extraordinary stories of Manchester’s Ukrainians

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 12:54:39 GMT

As Manchester’s Ukrainians watch the war unfold, the Mill delves into stories from their local community. Darryl and Joshi speak to a couple as they prepare to board a flight from Poland to the UK after escaping Kyiv. We hear from the Ukrainian owner of an international food shop about the impact that the war has had on the local Ukrainian, Russian and Eastern European community. Plus Dani shares stories from the lives of Ukrainian dancers living in Manchester.

To read our longreads, join us as a member at manchestermill.co.uk

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Did Andy Burnham misjudge the Clean Air Zone?

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 11:25:30 GMT

In this episode, recorded from The Mill newsroom, Joshi speaks to four writers about the stories you need to know. From the latest update on the Clean Air Zone to a dispute surrounding Whitworth Gallery, The Mill takes you into some of the most important local stories of the week. Plus there's recommendations of what to see and do in Greater Manchester and a preview of our fascinating weekend read.

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Manchester Pride was accused of losing its way. Can it recover?

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 12:51:17 GMT

In this episode, Darryl and Joshi brief you on the rising cost of housing in Manchester, the closure of an iconic music venue and the latest story about the restaurant Mana. Darryl speaks to Emma Goswell about the future of Manchester Pride and then historian Thomas McGrath shares the fascinating story behind the nineteenth-century painting 'The Dinner Hour'.

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Does Greater Manchester have a stabbing epidemic?

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 12:55:19 GMT

Our latest episode briefs you on a series of violent crimes amongst young people in Manchester, plus we talk about a conference addressing the north-south divide and share a lively discussion from Reddit about why anybody would move to Manchester when it rains so much. Then The Mills' Dani Cole speaks to Darryl about the fascinating subculture that is Salford's pigeon mafia.

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The murder of a local man becomes mired in corruption

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 15:12:43 GMT

Khuram Shaikh, a Red Cross worker from Milnrow was killed on Christmas day while on holiday in Sri Lanka. After being exposed to the corruption at the heart of the case, his family went to their local MP for help. In this episode, Matt Baker shares the inside story of what happened next. To read Matt's full long read, join us as a member at manchestermill.co.uk

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A woman's search for the sister she never met

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 17:05:11 GMT

Annette McKay is still looking for the sister she never met. In this episode, The Mill reporter Dani Cole shares the story of the Bury woman searching for her long-lost sister who spent her early life in one of Ireland's notorious mother and baby homes. The home documented her death, but Annette is still searching for the truth. To read Dani's long read about the story, join us as a member at manchestermill.co.uk

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Hotel 'monstering' and the tactics of the new far-right

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 13:30:07 GMT

Mill reporter Harry Shukman tells Darryl Morris about a trend we have reported on in recent weeks: the 'monstering' of hotels where asylum seekers are staying. Harry explains how these tactics fit in with the modern far-right, and what we can learn from watching a new breed of racist activists on social media. Also in this podcast: Joshi and Darryl talk about the Red Wall seats which may decide the next election.

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The sad life and contested death of Tiffany Stevens

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 04:00:54 GMT

Two years ago, a Bolton mother was found dead alongside her two children. Now a coroner has to decide what led her to poison them. Jack Dulhanty reported on the story for The Mill, and tells Darryl Morris about what he saw in the courtroom. To read Jack's long read about the case, join us as a member at manchestermill.co.uk

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The Last Game of The Poor Man

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:00:18 GMT

In this week’s episode of The Manchester Weekly, Darryl Morris speaks to The Mill's reporter Jack Walton about the Oldham boxing club training its members through both personal development and boxing. Darryl and The Mill editor Joshi Herrmann talk about local stories you need to know including an update on how Manchester’s hospitals are responding to the latest COVID surge, plus they share recommendations for the week ahead.

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The Mill - A year in the life of Greater Manchester

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 06:00:05 GMT

Darryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann take a look back at some of the biggest stories from The Mill in 2021. From China to Bolton. From a neighbourhood war on low traffic streets to the playground that is Piccadilly Gardens. Thanks for listening to The Manchester Weekly from The Mill, Darryl and Joshi will be back in 2022 to take you through more of the stories that matter in Greater Manchester.

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The life and career of Sir Richard Leese

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 17:39:27 GMT

In this week’s episode of The Manchester Weekly, Darryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann talk about The Mill’s print edition interview of Sir Richard Leese. They’re joined by Jack Walton who shares his story about Garden Needs, a community garden in Salford established to help people with their mental health. There's more on the stories you need to know about, and an update on what’s coming up from The Mill Newsroom, plus recommendations for the week ahead.

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The rector and his very Mancunian tale

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 11:22:39 GMT

Darryl and Joshi chat to St Anne's Church rector Nigel about the history of his church, his faith journey and ministering to a diverse parish in this week's episode of The Manchester Weekly from The Mill. They also brief you about Andy Burnham's latest Covid-19 press conference and the impact of bad weather around the Greater Manchester area.

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Manchester's Labour party erupts into civil war

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 11:20:08 GMT

In this week's episode, The Mill's editor Joshi Herrmann, who broke the news that a Manchester councillor has been suspended by the party, speaks to Darryl Morris about the political infighting behind the story. We discuss an 'incendiary' letter written by a councillor who is quitting after just six months, and the vicious selection process in Burnage, which some see as a proxy war for the future leadership of the city council. All in the week that Sir Richard Leese stepped down and was replaced by Bev Craig. It's a must listen. We also have the latest Covid-19 numbers, an update on Night and Day Cafe and our tips for the week.

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The Manchester workers who spend their weekends sabotaging hunts

Thu, 25 Nov 2021 14:07:31 GMT

The Mill's reporter Jack Walton speaks to Darryl Morris about his weekend with the Manchester hunt saboteurs and plays clips of their encounters with the huntsman. The story shows a dramatic clash of cultures between city dwellers and country folk. We also brief you on the latest news in the city, including an update about our hospitals.

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Her stall survived the IRA bomb and the pandemic

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 12:58:42 GMT

In this week's edition of The Manchester Weekly from The Mill, Jack Dulhanty tells us about the longest standing trader at the Arndale Market. Plus Darryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann brief you on the Yousef Makki Inquest and the government's controversial announcement on rail funding in the North.

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The far-right rises in Manchester's twin city

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 12:30:22 GMT

In our first piece of foreign reporting on the podcast, Mill writer Sophie Atkinson talks to Darryl Morris about her story on Chemnitz, the German city known as the 'Saxon Manchester', which is struggling with the far-right. Plus, Joshi Herrmann and Darryl brief you on the Makki Inquest, Andy Burnham's attempt to make the Greater Manchester transport network net-zero, and an interesting new school in Moss Side.

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Inside the Northern Quarter's old school pubs

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 12:57:55 GMT

In this week’s episode of The Manchester Weekly, Daryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann are joined by Jack Dulhanty who shares his story of spending time in the Northern Quarter's old school boozers. Dani Cole discusses her story about the set making company Splinter Scenery and Joshi talks about COP26. There's more on the stories you need to know about, an update on what’s coming up from The Mill Newsroom, plus recommendations for the week ahead.

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The return of Cottonopolis?

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 10:03:26 GMT

In this week's episode of The Manchester Weekly, Darryl chats to the longtime Manchester business journalist Michael Taylor about a group of pioneers who are trying to bring the textiles and garment industries back to Greater Manchester. We also discuss worrying shortcomings in local sexual health services which have been uncovered by a Mill report this week, and we brief you on the most important headlines and cultural picks.

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A new book chronicles the life of Tony Wilson

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 08:58:30 GMT

In this week's episode of The Manchester Weekly, Joshi reviews 'From Manchester with Love: The Life and Opinions of Tony Wilson' and asks whether Paul Morley's biography of the iconic Mancunian lives up to expectations. Plus, Darryl and Dani dive into the story of the Hongkongers arriving in Manchester. As always, we also brief you on the latest stories from the city and what you can get up to around town this week.

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How a Manchester student became hooked on VR

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 03:00:33 GMT

In the first episode of The Mill's new weekly podcast about Greater Manchester, Daryl Morris and Joshi Herrmann are joined by Jack Dulhanty who shares an extraordinary story of a Manchester student who became addicted to Virtual Reality. Plus, there's more on the stories you need to know about from the city this week, including the latest on a new council leader in Manchester, and some recommendations for the week ahead.

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The Manchester Weekly from The Mill

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 11:59:44 GMT

Founded in June 2020, The Mill is for people who want a new kind of local news and don’t have the patience for pop-up ads and endless scrolling on social media.

Our newsletters recommend local events, keep you up to date on what’s happening in Greater Manchester and investigate important stories in politics, education, business and culture.

Now for the first time, we’re bringing all of that to our new podcast!

We believe in the power of proper reporting and we always prioritise providing the context to help you understand what’s really going on in our city.

The Manchester Weekly from The Mill is available every Thursday. Follow the podcast wherever you listen to stay up to date with our new releases, from 14th October.

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