Dear Millers — a change is in the air. The trees in St Anne’s Square are turning yellow at the edges and the Mill office space heaters are more or less always on. But the biggest change of all is the one happening right here and now, in this email. You may notice that today’s newsletter is a little different to usual. This is all in an effort to get you, the reader, more involved in our reporting, so please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or get in touch with us — we’re always happy to hear from you on any issue, no matter how big or small.
Thanks for the lovely comments in response to Joshi’s note on Sunday, which was about the two great romances in his life: his recent marriage (Joshi is currently on his honeymoon in Italy) and the acquisition of Cameron Barr, formerly of the Washington Post, as The Mill’s new investigations editor. Unfortunately, a byline malfunction meant that the email was initially sent out in Jack Walton’s name, leaving Jack a touch confused (but ultimately not complaining) as a series of gifts, cards, flowers and a lovely new cutlery set arrived in his post this morning.
Jack Dulhanty’s weekend read, about the death of a homeless man called Paul Jackson in Withington last week, drew lovely and thoughtful responses. Ailsa called it a “beautifully written story” which “stopped me in my tracks” and Steven said it was “a perfect insight into what 'homelessness' actually means and the community life that exists beyond our day-to-day contact with people outside supermarkets”. If you haven’t read it yet, please do.
And some quick housekeeping. The deadline for applications to our Mill staff writer job is growing ever-nearer. If you can picture yourself squeezed on the undersized couch in the picture above then we’d love to hear from you. The full job details can be found at this link.
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The Green Reformers of Woodhouse Park
The Woodhouse Park by-election this Thursday has the potential to be a new sign of our discontented age: a Green-Reform marginal. How did we get here? The Greens won their first seat in the ward in 2021 and have picked off the remaining Labour councillors since to gain full control. But a by-election following the resignation of councillor Anastasia Wiest, and the ever-darkening mood towards the Labour party, means that Reform have a chance to get in. Whoever does win, says Robert Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, will be “picking up a different kind of discontented voter.” In terms of their pledges, Green and Reform are polar opposites. But they share a radical, anti-establishment appeal. In fact, we hear from one doorknocker for the Greens that their teams have been coming across people planning to vote for them in the locals but Reform at the next general election. “We had one no-contact address with an England flag in the garden,” they told us. “But we knocked anyway and they were like: ‘oh I’m voting Green at the by-election.’”
‘I like your style’
On Oxford Road, something strange is afoot. In the past few weeks a young woman has been walking around the area, approaching men and telling them she “likes their style,” before asking for their numbers. If this was an isolated case we’d think little of it, but apparently this has been happening to dozens and dozens of men. From what we’ve heard, the woman goes by the name Veronica and sometimes wears a hat akin to Keira Knightley in Love Actually, but further details are scant. Online speculation has been that this is either some kind of Fresher’s Week-related TikTok prank, or a more sinister romance scam. But as of yet the mystery remains unsolved. The Mill has been looking into the Keira Knightley of Oxford Road with a view to write a piece sometime soon, so if you can help us out please do get in touch.
Nipping down the shop for some essentials
We’ve been hearing rumours (translation: we saw on Reddit) that Chandos Grove in Salford has undergone a bizarre transformation. See below.
What could it mean? One eagle-eyed Redditor noticed that the bin has been embellished with a ‘Bleakford County Council’ sign, which leads to information on an as-yet-untitled new show by Black Mirror and Nathan Barley creator Charlie Brooker. The new programme, starring Paddy Considine, is being billed as a “profoundly serious” crime thriller. Given the used nappy shop and Depressing Chicken takeaway, we have reason to believe this is not true.
A Kenyan extradition; no-show Roney; Monbiot backs The Mill
🪖 The soldier accused of murdering Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru in 2012 has been named as Robert James Purkiss, a 38-year-old from Greater Manchester. This week, a court in Nairobi issued a warrant for Purkiss’s arrest and the Kenyan government will now seek his extradition. Wanjiru, a hairdresser and mother to a baby daughter, was found dead on the grounds of a hotel where she had last been seen drinking with British soldiers. This is the first time a suspect has been formally identified.
🏛️ Last week was a case management conference — a pre-trial meeting — for the case against Manchester City Council over whether its former Chief Executive Joanne Roney called local property agent Ben Rose a “massive Jewish bellend.” Rose isn’t Jewish, but works for the orthodox Jewish family that owns the property developer the Weis Group. The judge asked for solicitors and barristers from both sides, plus the claimants and defendants to be present. We hear the council sent one barrister, and Roney didn’t show up. The trial is slated for 20 October, lasting a week.
🗞️ Far be it from us to pass on an opportunity to mention someone saying nice things about us. In The Guardian over the weekend George Monbiot wrote a timely column about the monumental challenges facing journalism at the moment, namely the struggle to speak truth to power when powerful figures control so much of the British media. Monbiot did see cause for hope in a number of plucky upstarts “push[ing] aside” established outlets, though. Among the titles cited, well, see for yourself…
In our inbox
After our editor Jack Walton published his bizarre story about the nightmare neighbours of Whalley Range — who committed a range of crimes from mowing the lawn in their underwear to attacking strangers with a machete — one reader got in touch, focussing on a particular issue raised in the article: the theft of Amazon parcels. The reader, who lives in a flat in the Northern Quarter, theorised about “a gang” of parcel thieves “operating around the city centre”. Recently, she had an entire crate of wine stolen from outside her front door — though the joke may well be on the robbers, because the wine was alcohol free. Still, the regularity of the thefts have forced the residents of her apartment to install a new locked parcel room. Have you experienced any parcel thievery in your area? Get in touch.
Open newsroom
🗺️ We’re currently working on a feature about the messy world of… Manchester tour guides. For some time now we’ve been getting the impression that the various people in charge of showing other people around bits of the city don’t exactly get along — but now it’s time to get to the bottom of the drama. Know anything about this? Are you a tour guide or have you been on a tour of Manchester? Get in touch with resident pot-stirrer Ophira here.
🍻 If you’ve taken a stroll around town recently you have probably spotted the posters and billboards reading “By ‘Eck”, to publicise the return of Boddington’s on cask. Something of an esoteric relaunch — a beer you can still get on keg is coming back on cask — we expect it’s like Christmas for the CAMRA set. But the reboot of the cream of Manchester is also coming together as a great piece of marketing for the city in general. See: Japanese ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki knocking one back. Jack’s writing a piece about the beer’s return, and what it means for Manchester. If you have a hot take, email him.
Weather
Our forecast, as always, is brought to you by guerrilla weatherman Martin Miles from Manchester Weather.
Tuesday ☀️ A cold start with mist patches, then dry with long spells of sunshine. Max 16°c.
Wednesday ⛅Dry with patchy cloudy and sunny spells accompanied by light winds. Max 16°c.
Thursday ☀️ Pleasant with light winds and lots of autumn sunshine. Max 17°c.
Friday ☀️ Dry but breezy with mostly sunny skies. Max 18°c.
Weekend 🌦️ More of a mix at the weekend with bright spells and showers, although feeling quite warm.
Home of the week
Reasonably Priced Detached House Alert: This 3-bed on the Blackley bit of Rochdale Road is going for £250,000.
What we’re reading
Why Britain doesn’t need more of Manchester — The Times
You’ll be perhaps relieved that you’ve got this low in today’s briefing without facing reference to Andy Burnham and his ambitions to run the country, but your reprieve ends here. The Times offers a note of caution in this editorial — that while Burnham has done a good job in Manchester, the city’s ultimate success is owed to Sirs Richard Leese and Howard Bernstein, and there’s no saying he’d be able to step up to the highest post in the land.
Britons may hate Trump, but they like Trumpism — The New York Times
Friend of The Mill Lee Twamley goes stateside, making it to the esteemed pages of the New York Times in this piece — by our very own managing editor Moya Lothian-McLean — about how Trumpism is becoming ever more popular in the UK. The piece is well worth a read, and references our reporting from a few weeks back on the flag-raising trend: “a key figure in the group overseeing the operation has links to a fascist party, Britain First, and is also a convicted former people smuggler.”
What our writers recommend this week
🍝 Jack (Walton) entered the back-half of his twenties last week in the manner any man ought: with the mackerel special at Bruco in Ancoats. While not really a foodie he was able to offer these words of recommendation: “the things they’re doing with mackerel in Ancoats you wouldn’t believe”. Also good: the mushroom arancini and the chargrilled swordfish. Here's the menu.
☔ Jack (Dulhanty)’s plans for the weekend were scuppered when it appeared all the rain expected for this lunar cycle fell on Saturday. He was planning to do the Peel Tower circular walk in Ramsbottom, but thought better of it. With the weather now glorious, he recommends anyone with time to spare gets out there. More info here.
🤔 On Thursday GRUB MCR — the street food market — is hosting its monthly quiz, the last one at its home in Red Bank before it leaves there this weekend. There will also be a big send-off party on Friday through to Sunday. That’s a universal Mill office recommendation.
We want to hear what you’re up to, too. Send the gig you’re looking forward to, your new favourite lunch spot, or the latest opening in your neighbourhood to us here.
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