The Mill

The Mill is a digital newspaper focusing on Greater Manchester, providing insights into local events, culture, politics, and social issues. It blends in-depth journalism with community stories, highlighting historical context, arts, infrastructure challenges, controversies, and lifestyle. It aims to be reflective of Manchester’s dynamic society through thoughtful and investigative pieces.

Local News and Events Arts and Culture Infrastructure and Transportation Social Issues and Housing Politics and Activism Lifestyle and Community Business and Funding Education and Student Life Health and Safety Technology and Innovation Environment and Urban Planning

The hottest Substack posts of The Mill

And their main takeaways

Piccadilly Radio started broadcasting 50 years ago. It’s a portal back to Manchester’s grimy, glorious past

2083 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Radio Music History Events
  1. Piccadilly Radio brought new levels of localism and energy to Manchester through its programming.
  2. The Electric Circus in Collyhurst was a significant cultural hub featuring punk bands like The Jam and Buzzcocks.
  3. The story paints a vivid picture of Manchester's past, including the industrial landscape, cultural figures, and punk scene.

Five months after his mysterious death, a Manchester soldier comes home to rest

1159 implied HN points • 21 Jan 24
📰 News Investigative Journalism International Conflict True Crime Military Mystery
  1. Daniel Burke's death is being investigated as a homicide.
  2. Daniel Burke was a former paratrooper who fought in Afghanistan and Syria before his mysterious death.
  3. Daniel was known for his involvement with foreign military volunteer groups in Ukraine before shifting towards humanitarian aid efforts.

Can anyone save Piccadilly Gardens?

707 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Urban planning Community Engagement Social Issues
  1. Opinions are divided on the state of Piccadilly Gardens, with many people agreeing that it is currently a mess and needs improvement.
  2. The redesign of Piccadilly Gardens is a work in progress, with the council investing money in landscaping changes and consulting residents on new designs.
  3. Concerns about safety and anti-social behavior in Piccadilly Gardens persist, but some see potential in turning the space into a thriving, well-managed public area.
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We all know Levenshulme’s gentrification story. How true is it?

648 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Gentrification Neighborhoods Community Local history Cultural Change
  1. Levenshulme has seen a significant increase in house prices over the past decade, but the population has also grown by 40%, suggesting a more complex narrative than simple gentrification.
  2. The neighborhood of Levenshulme has a history of welcoming new arrivals, from white English people in the 1950s to working-class Irish, Pakistani communities, and later, middle-class residents.
  3. Local residents highlight changes in aesthetics and safety in Levenshulme, with mentions of new businesses like cafes contributing to a 'nicer' look, but also concerns about increasing crime and violence.

Manchester’s oldest social housing block fell out over a Christmas party

786 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Social Issues Community Living Ageism Protest
  1. Residents at Victoria Square are in conflict over a Christmas party, showcasing tensions related to ageism, class, and politics.
  2. The history and architecture of Victoria Square in Manchester hold significance as the city's first council housing built in 1899.
  3. The protest at Victoria Square highlights the struggle to balance communal living and privacy, with a focus on the importance of the community room.

To eradicate deaths on the road, Greater Manchester looks to Sweden

648 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
📰 News Transportation Local government Community Entertainment Crime
  1. Greater Manchester aims to completely eliminate road deaths and serious injuries by 2040 using a Swedish road safety model
  2. The new strategy 'Vision Zero' focuses on changing attitudes towards road safety and preventing collisions
  3. Data shows the high cost and disparities of road casualties in Greater Manchester, with a goal of reducing them by 50% by 2030 and eradicating them by 2040

When Michelin came to Manchester

471 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🍲 Food & Drink Restaurants Food culture
  1. Michelin held its annual announcement ceremony in Manchester for the first time
  2. Manchester has had limited success in securing Michelin stars for its restaurants
  3. Despite rumors, Manchester did not gain any additional Michelin star restaurants in this event

Are skyscrapers bad for Manchester?

707 implied HN points • 08 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Architecture Community Events Art Reading
  1. The debate on Manchester's rapidly expanding skyline raises concerns about skyscrapers' impact.
  2. Manchester's skyline has seen a proliferation of glass towers, with 27 built since 2018 and 70 more in the pipeline.
  3. There is a divide in perspectives on skyscrapers, with some seeing them as progress while others view them as crowding out heritage and creating unaffordable housing.

How Greater Manchester Police failed Rochdale’s girls

609 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
📰 News Crime Politics Weather Local news Events
  1. An independent review found massive failings in how Greater Manchester Police handled reports of sexual exploitation in Rochdale.
  2. The report highlighted serious flaws in protecting children, including leaving victims harassed and intimidated by abusers.
  3. Despite past failures, ongoing efforts include charges against perpetrators and promises to revisit past cases for accountability.

The rise of Manchester’s urban gardens

432 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Community Events Music Literature
  1. The rise of urban gardens in Manchester is transforming disused land into green spaces for the community.
  2. Partnerships between organizations like the National Trust and Sow the City are helping create urban gardening projects across the city.
  3. Efforts to develop more urban gardens are supported by initiatives like the GMCA's green space fund and are essential for improving access to green spaces in Manchester.

Some big news about The Mill

1808 implied HN points • 30 Aug 23
💼 Business Media Investment Expansion Journalism Funding
  1. The Mill has successfully raised a total of £350,000 in funding from supporters to hire journalists around the country.
  2. The funding will be used for expanding the company and hiring new staff members in different cities.
  3. The success of The Mill's funding round is attributed to the support and belief of paying members and prominent figures in the media industry.

‘It is a shitshow’: Inside the dramatic, toxic fallout from Northern Fashion Week

1218 implied HN points • 22 Sep 23
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Fashion Industry Events
  1. Northern Fashion Week faced turmoil and controversy after claims of unpaid staff and unethical behavior.
  2. Initial support for the event was retracted when an employee revealed unpaid wages and alleged manipulation by the founder.
  3. Founder of Northern Fashion Week denied mistreatment claims, but later paid the owed wages, amid ongoing scrutiny.

'What is associated with Deansgate Square is, well, pretty people'

884 implied HN points • 15 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Society Urban living Architecture Community Identity
  1. Deansgate Square luxury apartments attract a mix of residents, including working professionals, families, footballers, and influencers.
  2. Residents of Deansgate Square describe a lack of community and a divide between working professionals and influencers/footballers.
  3. There is a perception of a certain expectation of how Deansgate Square residents should look, often associated with being 'pretty people.'

Burnage Garden Village is at war - and the stakes couldn't be lower

1100 implied HN points • 02 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Community Conflict Cooperation Journalism Rules
  1. Burnage Garden Village faced a small-scale war driven by internal power struggles within the housing cooperative.
  2. The community's fixation on rules and structure led to tensions and a departure from the original goal of fostering warmth and community.
  3. The story highlights the challenges of cooperative living and the complexities that can arise in tightly knit communities.

The powerlessness of Michaela Ali

766 implied HN points • 16 Sep 23
📰 News Health Housing Inequality Community
  1. Michaela Ali, a pregnant health worker, has been living in hotels due to her rat-infested flat for over a year.
  2. Despite complaints to the housing association, Riverside, Michaela has felt powerless and unmoored in trying to make her living situation habitable.
  3. The experience has left Michaela feeling hopeless and untrusting, highlighting the challenges faced by social housing tenants in getting their living conditions improved.

A protest camp, claims of 'ecocide' and ancient trees protected by witches' spells. Welcome to Chorlton

943 implied HN points • 10 Feb 23
  1. Residents in Chorlton have been protesting against plans to develop Ryebank Fields, camping on site and inviting witches to cast protective spells on trees.
  2. University of Manchester students are protesting for a rent cut and rebate, with demands for improved living conditions in campus buildings.
  3. Local housing association in Rochdale is facing damp issues in over 1,800 homes, highlighting concerns over living conditions and safety.