The Mill
@ManchesterMill
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Manchester's quality newspaper. Sign up now - we only publish via email. Send tips to our reporters @molssimp, @jackdulhanty and @ophiragottlieb.
Manchester
Joined May 2020
Big news - the Lowry Art Gallery just won the auction for LS Lowry’s ‘Going to the Match’ with a £6.6 million bid at Christie’s. It will therefore stay on public view.
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Some good news - the ‘GM Ringway’ – a new long-distance walking trail for Greater Manchester - is going ahead with lottery help. Designed around existing footpaths, parks and open-access land, all 20 stages of the 186-mile route are designed to be accessed by public transport.
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After half a century, Castlefield Viaduct is officially back open! The first members of the public are exploring the @nationaltrust's urban garden in the sky 🌺🌼🚂
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IT'S OFFICIAL - WE'RE A NEWSPAPER . 🗞️🗞️🗞️. 15,000 copies. Stories by 20 different writers. One special print edition, marking The Mill's first full year in existence.
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Hardy's Well, a beautiful but long derelict pub, was demolished a fortnight ago after a massive blaze ripped through the building in the middle of the night. The next day, its owner posed outside grinning.
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When one of Manchester’s biggest food critics lashed out at an independent, restauranteurs hit back. By @jackdulhanty
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Mayor @AndyBurnhamGM speaks after Mass at the Holy Mary Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in Manchester. Offers his support to the community and condemns 'an evil act of aggression'. 🇺🇦
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Exclusive: Did Sacha Lord cheat his way to £400,000 of public money during the pandemic?. The Mill has obtained a funding application that makes a series of highly misleading claims about the nature of his business. The story by @jackdulhanty and @joshi is in your inboxes now.
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"I'm a proud mayor tonight," says @AndyBurnhamGM, opening the newly opened @McrMuseum. "This museum plays a role on the international stage," he says, referring to how the museum helps to re-evaluate British colonial history.
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Why is Manchester’s newspaper publishing stories like “Holly Willoughby breaks social media silence with make-up free selfie"? The MEN has written 39 stories about Phillip Schofield in a week - @joshi says it signals a concerning trend in local news.
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New figures from @AndyBurnhamGM show a reduction in people sleeping rough in Greater Manchester. Burnham says we have a "very challenging" winter ahead but says the hard work of charities and GM's new initiatives tackling homelessness have started to pay off.
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A sign of the times? @NielsPosthumus, the new UK Correspondent for the Dutch broadsheet @trouw, has decided to base himself in Manchester, not London like his predecessor. "I think you get different types of stories and perspectives here," he says. Welcome, Niels 🇳🇱
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Manchester embraced China. Then things started to get sticky. 🇨🇳A fascinating, deeply-reported long read by @kwan_jacklin.
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🚨 Sacha Lord, the most high-profile advisor to Andy Burnham, is threatening to sue The Mill. Lord's lawyers have demanded we remove our story by Tuesday. We have refused. Read the latest - and please support us as a member. We might need it.
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On 4 March, @BBCMBuchanan shared distressing footage of a @gmpolice constable assaulting a rough sleeper. @AndyBurnhamGM and @nazirafzal have called for an investigation — and in the aftermath, homelessness charities are trying to pick up the pieces.
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Special Investigation: After six months of reporting, we tell the story of the city's most pressing social problem - and how the authorities are flailing in response. Manchester has a homelessness crisis. But it's not the one you thought.
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🚨BREAKING: Manchester's deputy leader Luthfur Rahman has LOST his seat in Longsight. He's been narrowly defeated by a candidate from @georgegalloway's Worker's Party of Britain.
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Bad reviews: Has Manchester’s restaurant scene had enough of Mark Garner?. The founder of Manchester Confidential stands accused of bullying and racism. Our weekend read, by @jackdulhanty.
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Lots of tears and a standing ovation for @OldhamColiseum before they bring down the curtain for the final time. Artistic director and chief executive Chris Lawson says to the audience: “£1.8 million, but you can’t put a price on this. This is priceless.”
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🍃 Moss Side residents have transformed their back alleys into beautiful gardens. We’ve seen a fox, we have little squirrels,” says Yasmine El-Gabry, one of the organisers. “These are things you don’t often see in Moss Side. I don't think Moss Side is known for its wildlife.”
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The Manchester Guardian has a new billboard on Lever Street. 200th 🎂
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A big milestone reached - after lots of hard work over 2 years, we are now profitable 🎉. "Together we have built a new media company, totally from scratch and with new ideas about what local journalism should look like, and it is sustainable." - @joshi.
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Just in from @HOME_mcr about their Soviet-era Engels statue from eastern Ukraine:. “In light of the illegal invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army, we are in discussions with the co-commissioners of the artwork @MIFestival and the artist Phil Collins about how best to respond.”
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Today we report on a big problem in the Manchester property market 🏘️. 👉 59.8% of flat listings unsuitable for first-time buyers because they are 'cash buyer' or 'investment only' or lack necessary fire safety paperwork for a mortgage.👉 developers saying ‘we won’t sell to you'.
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🚨🚨 Big development: Andy Burnham's GMCA is now looking into the claims against Sacha Lord and Primary Events. Newsletter coming out soon.
🚨 Oh wow. After a week of stonewalling, the GMCA position has shifted too. They're now also investigating Lord. "We have also begun our own factfinding exercise based on new information.”. @ManchesterMill in your inboxes at 6.30.
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Simon Martin is Manchester’s best chef. Is he its worst boss?. Our weekend read, by @jackdulhanty.
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Gaynor was forced to sell the house where she's lived for 25 years in September because she couldn't access self-employed support. Our report on a pre-Budget appeal from the 3 million 'excluded', led by @ExcludedUK, @AndyBurnhamGM and @MartinSLewis .
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LS Lowry in Salford, with the city stretching out behind him.
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The sober guy at the rave: How @Sacha_Lord remade Manchester’s nightlife in his own image. Our weekend read by @jackdulhanty has been months in the making, involving several interviews with Lord - and with many of his rivals and critics.
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Our Mark Garner story today is about bullying restaurants but it's also about racism. One black journalist who worked at @mcrconfidential told us: “It gave me a sense of impostor syndrome because of the level of bullying, the comments made towards me".
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They went for the heart of Manchester. But missed the soul. Our weekend about is by Michael Unger, the man who was editing the MEN on the day of the 1996 IRA bomb, 26 years ago.
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Unbelievable scenes outside Manchester University halls tonight.
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It was May 2011 and @nazirafzal was a week into his new job as the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West. The video playing on his laptop showed a 15-year-old girl. She would later become known as “Girl A”.
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The Mill has been told that Sir Howard Bernstein, the former chief executive of Manchester City Council, has died at the age of 71. Bernstein was a major figure in the redevelopment of the city. He died earlier this morning after a period of illness.
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Today is the 6 MONTH ANNIVERSARY of The Mill! 🎉🎉. We sent out our first story on June 5th. At that point there were 21 readers on the mailing list - now there are 6,541. Thanks to everyone who has helped us get to where we are.
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🎉🎉 We got there! 🎉🎉. 1,500 paying members, two years after launching our subscriptions. Thanks so much to all of you 🙏✌️
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"It was unbelievable. The document itself was just so misleading.". Mark Turnbull, Sacha Lord's former business partner and the original source for our story, describes the moment he first saw the Primary Events funding application. And reads out a passage from it.
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🚨 A big twist in the Sacha Lord story: the Arts Council and the GMCA ARE now investigating. Arts Council reviewing the case 'in light of new information that has been directly brought to our attention'. GMCA 'welcome' the decision. @joshi reports.
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It's vast, it's beautiful — but does anyone know what Manchester's £210m venue is actually for?. Aviva Studios is the biggest cultural investment this country has made in decades. But so far, its aims appear vague, writes @SophEAtkinson. #MIF23.
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We won a gong at the @RegPressAwards!! 🏆. 'The Mill has found a new way to safeguard long form journalism. It asks a lot of questions of the established media and is an exciting model that should make the industry think hard about its strategy.'
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📢 Sacha Lord is threatening to sue us. Give us a hand. As @joshi writes, we're today publishing the document at the heart of the controversy over Andy Burnham's advisor - and asking for your help with a 'community fact-check'. Please share 🙏.
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We made this map of protected trees in Manchester but can't spot any patterns - pls help
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🎇 Huge news: today, we reached a major milestone. We now have over 2,000 members!. Thank you so much to everyone for your support, and if you're a new member joining us today, welcome to the community 🙌
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The speaker at the meeting is @HeadWarriorTWM, a consultant and educator who says he worked in workplace DEI training for decades, before realising that much of it is based on an “identitarian-based, murderous ideology”.
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We're here at Mayfield Park, which is opening today. It's been described by @bevcraig as "an oasis in the heart of our city", and we think we agree. 🌺🌷🌿🌳
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An emotional moment in Manchester. Sir Mark Elder leads @the_halle out of its long hiatus to play publicly again. Until today the orchestra hadn't played to a live audience for 15 months.
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We love this old pictorial map published by The Manchester Guardian in the 1920s showing the major transport routes in the city. Look at the trams! In 1930, Manchester had 163 miles of tram lines, all closed by 1950. @MCRMetrolink now has just 64 miles.
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It's Europe's most successful new neighbourhood. So why is there so much tension?. New Islington has great sourdough and thousands of happy residents - but some people from the 'real Ancoats' feel like they are being looked down on. By @joshi.
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Bad hospitality: Working in Manchester’s bars and restaurants - and not getting paid for it. Our weekend read is an investigation several months in the making. By @jackdulhanty, @molssimp and @libbyelliott_.
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"The Mill is sticking by its story that questioned whether a company controlled by Sacha Lord was entitled to receive a £400,000 Arts Council of England grant." . Thanks for covering this @MarpleLeaf and @BusinessDesk_NW, in the face of legal warnings.
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ANDY BURNHAM RE-ELECTED FOR A SECOND TERM AS MAYOR OF GREATER MANCHESTER 🚨. He got 67% of the vote, up from 63% last time.
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Why isn’t @AndyBurnhamGM answering questions about Sacha Lord?. …and why didn’t the MEN report the story when it was sent to them in late 2022?. @joshi with the latest on a developing story, as more details emerge - and Lord threatens to sue The Mill.
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Last week @theipaper reported that we had 925 members. Last night we passed 1000🎉🎉. Big milestone at Mill HQ and a good sign for local journalism. Thanks to everyone who got us here🚀. #millers
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Critics of Manchester's recent boom say the city has built a neoliberal playground - an economy that enriches developers and excludes the poor. But that's not exactly what our policy reporter @djstimms found when he started studying the data.
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Wow, 38,000 views since 7am. 76 new members. And more than 100 emails and DMs with tips, info, documents and contacts already. Thank you for your help. Keep it coming. And join us as a member if you want to fill up our legal coffers. #communityfactcheck
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"It was a curious scene, a lovely moonlit night, the German trenches with small lights on them, and the men on both sides gathered in groups on the parapets." . Amazing letter from WW1 about the 🎄 truce, published by @LettersOfNote.
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We've hit 27,000 Millers 🚨. Which means that around one in every 100 people in Greater Manchester (including children and infants 👶) is now on our mailing list.
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Our founder @joshi is at the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee today discussing the future of local media. Here he is explaining what's gone wrong in local media - and why there is still hope
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One for map nerds 🤓 Excerpt about Manchester on this 1749 map. 'And with regard to the poor, theres no place in England where they are better provided for than here'.
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There's protest in Withington about @ManCityCouncil's decision to end the Safer Streets LTN trial. Pia, the organiser, says she is worried for the safety of her children and is "disillusioned" by the decision.
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WH Smith bookstall at Manchester's Victoria Station in 1926, selling the Yorkshire Post, The Financial Times, The Times and The Manchester Daily News. The Manchester Guardian Yearbook is on sale on the right, and copies of 'Marvels of the universe' are everywhere.
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A massive area of Piccadilly Gardens has been closed to the public for around 97% of this year so far, because of an "events platform" that is rarely used. 👉 It's “absolutely shocking” says public space expert @thelrm.👉 We asked the council why - see tonight's Mill briefing
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🚨 NEW in the Sacha Lord story: We've been shown corporate email signatures being used by Primary Events staff in late 2021, long after the January 2021 Arts Council application. They describe it as a security company. More in tonight's edition.
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We're in @thetimes today!. 'In Manchester, The Mill sent its first edition to 21 readers just over a year ago. Today it was 13,000, with 900 paying subscribers.'
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Greater Manchester by night 🌃. (Amazing shot by Nigel Wallce via iStock)
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We are looking for a not-super-expensive local graphic designer to help with a few little tasks (new logo for an editorial series, a marketing post etc). Pls DM if that's you.
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Why is Manchester's city centre so short on green space?. Within the inner ring road there are very few green areas, with those that we have not proving universally popular. Geospatial expert @helenmakesmaps dived into the data for us. 🧵1/n
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📻 @BBCRadio4 just did a segment about us! . 'Are people prepared to pay for local news? The Mill is a local newsletter about Manchester and it's counting on the fact that they are. '.
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BIG news: 📢 The Mill is hiring a staff writer 📢. We're looking for an exceptional journalist who wants to cover Greater Manchester from all angles. Please RT and share with your most talented reporter friends. Details here 👉
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The paranoid style in Oldham politics. After the removal of a second council leader in two years, we examine how one local activist is harnessing a town’s racial resentments for his own ends. By @joshi.
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🎼 Huge ovation at @BridgewaterHall as Sir Mark Elder opens his final season at @the_halle after almost a quarter of a century in charge.
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"If the @OldhamColiseum does close, you're never going to get a theatre like that again. 135 years and it's one of the biggest theatres in England and it will be gone forever" - Kirsty Wark, @BBCNewsnight.
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It's our 1st birthday!! 🎂🎂🎂. We sent our first ever newsletter a year ago, when there were 21 people on the email list. Thanks to everyone who has helped us along the way #millers.
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"How can you be a good citizen and participate if you do not know what's going on?" . @BernieSanders becomes one of the first major politicians to sound the alarm about the collapse of local news. He told @joshi about a "very serious problem" facing society.
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We're at @McrMuseum, which reopens this weekend after an 18 month renovation. The curators have been showing us around for our podcast and @joshi is writing up a first-take on what we've seen. Both coming out tomorrow morning 📨📻
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An update from @HOME_mcr: "We want to clarify that there is not an intention to remove the artwork installation of Friedrich Engels from the front of our building." They say they "want to do more to explain how the installation came to Manchester and the reasons behind this".
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Today's story is about a short, controversial document that radically changed how Manchester is built - and which the rest of the country followed 🧵. It starts with two buildings, neither of them particularly attractive, on the border of Moss Side and Hulme.
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🚨WE'RE HIRING! 🚨. Mill Media Co needs YOU! . We are looking for a:. Senior Editor (Manchester).Staff Writer (Liverpool).Commercial Executive (Manchester). Want to know more? Click the link below. Know someone who would be a perfect fit? Tag them!.
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JOB ALERT 🔔 We're looking for a paid assistant to come and help us for the next few months, 3 days a week. We'd like the role to start early next month, so please apply ASAP.
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The story we broke about a serious data breach at Greater Manchester Police is the lead on MEN tonight. They reveal that Burnham was not informed and have a police source saying it was 'very serious' - good new details. But seriously poor form not to credit The Mill at all.
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The council adds it can’t comment on the fire’s causes, having left it in the hands of the police. So what happened at Hardy's Well?. Read the full story here 👇
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This morning's newsletter will go out to more than 10,000 Millers!!! 🥳🥳🥳
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Nerdy transport facts 🤓.🚍 London has twice the volume of buses per head compared to Greater Manchester. 🚉 London tubes have 20x the capacity of Metrolink. 🚋 2/3rds of GM residents don’t live within walking distance of a frequent bus, tram or rail service. (@OfficialTfGM).
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Police have investigated, judging that it was probably deliberate. But the building was judged to be so unsafe that no one could enter to collect forensic evidence. It didn't take long for rumours to circulate.
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After the meeting with Garner, Noh was so shaken that she contacted @MENnewsdesk on Facebook. She could see that someone at the newspaper had read the message but no story appeared in the MEN about @mcrconfidential, and she never received a reply.
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"At lunchtime on 8 April 1991, a car carrying emissaries from Leningrad arrived at the steps of the Town Hall." . This is the little-known story of when Vladimir Putin came to Manchester - and the lost relationship between two great cities. By @andyspin.
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@theipaper Surely if you find a great story in a smaller outlet, the least you can do is credit it prominently and add a link? @olyduff @SteveRobson04.
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How it started: ‘We believe in the power of proper reporting and good writing rather than chasing clicks, and we focus on giving our readers the context they need to understand what’s really going on.’ . How it’s going:
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We can report that the never-ending debate in Bolton’s local Facebook group about whether they are in Lancashire or Greater Manchester has reached a critical new phase.
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Manchester council leader @SirRichardLeese on the arrival of Afghan refugees: . “They’re on their way. We’re expecting planes to be landing any moment. And no we’re certainly not going to be turning our backs on people.”
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People and companies who threaten to sue us always demand this. We've never done it and certainly won't be here. The story is clear - Lord's company grossly misled the Arts Council and received a huge chunk of taxpayers' money. We think our readers are entitled to know that.
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Exclusive: Documents show how Sacha Lord’s company managed to obtain more than £400,000 of public money during the pandemic. …and that Primary Events requested £10,500 of emergency funding to redesign a website. @jackdulhanty got the Arts Council assessment documents.
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📷 In Manchester today: the first-ever commercial use of Concretene, at the Mayfield development. It's a low-emissions concrete that uses graphene – the material first discovered at @OfficialUoM – to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 30%. Photo from @MayfieldMCR.
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We just passed 15,000 Millers 🥳🍾Thanks to all of you for sharing stories and signing up friends. #millers
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We asked our readers which media orgs they trust the most and they failed the test
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