A student walks into Salford University’s support office and douses themselves in petrol. “Not as theatre,” they would later write, “but as a last available language”... (1/)
ophira
@ophiraophira.bsky.social
I edit The Mill ophira@millmediaco.uk - there's no dot between 'media' and 'co'
One of the more difficult stories I've had to report on came out yesterday. Over the last few months, posters have been appearing all over Greater Manchester, claiming that Salford University is covering up a rape. Naturally, multiple Mill readers asked us to look into them (1/)
Another Burnham banger from The Mill. Arguments in the comment section already...
In March 2023, two men who have been inseparable for 16 years fell out spectacularly in Austin, Texas. And while the encounter did not lead to a saloon bar shootout, it did briefly threaten one of the closest and most productive relationships in British politics...
The original was edited by @ophiraophira.bsky.social, who would not dream of cutting a cat reference. manchestermill.co.uk/stop-looking...
Ah, @ophiraophira.bsky.social at the Mill worked out which Manchester school was at the centre of last week’s book-banning story manchestermill.co.uk/revealed-the...
Revealed: The famous school at the centre of a book-banning scandal
The Salford school tells us they ‘don’t recognise’ the librarian’s version of events
manchestermill.co.uk
It is such a relief to have a paper like @manchestermill.bsky.social as our local paper! This story really did worry me (it still does), and having the Mill on it means those of us in the community will have a better understanding of what is going on.
The Mill@manchestermill.bsky.social · 4mo agoOn Friday the story broke that a book banning had occurred in Greater Manchester. Over 130 titles were to be removed from a school library against the wishes of its librarian, but a vital piece of information was missing: the name of the school. Read in full: manchestermill.co.uk/revealed-the...
Last week, an article was published by Index on Censorship about a book banning scandal, and a battle between an anonymous librarian and an unidentified school. Based on loose evidence and a strong hunch, I found the librarian and the school in question. You might have even seen the school on TV...
The Mill@manchestermill.bsky.social · 4mo ago🚨 Exclusive: We reveal the Greater Manchester school accused of banning books is part of a major Church of England academy group. They dispute the account of their former librarian. Incredible read from @ophiraophira.bsky.social. manchestermill.co.uk/revealed-the...
The Greens know that popularity is more about branding than anything else. Take Hannah-the-plumber. She’s not one of those politicians that everyone hates — she’s a plumber! She eats pasties on Instagram and shows up to our interview with a sausage roll.
This is such a fun piece about Spencer from @ophiraophira.bsky.social - by miles the best profile written about her. @manchestermill.bsky.social has had an exceptional by-election (with none of my involvement, I should add) 👏👏 manchestermill.co.uk/reform-hanna...
Reform are on the rise. Can Hannah the plumber put a spanner in the works?
‘There’s more shit in politics than I’ve ever found in somebody’s toilet’
manchestermill.co.uk
“There’s more shit in politics than I’ve ever found in somebody’s toilet.” I mean that’s just a great line from Hannah The Plumber.
Over the past few weeks there’s been a spate of graffiti across Manchester and Salford, casting aspersions against various local businesses — crude tags calling Pollen Bakery “Homo-Phobic”, or claiming that The White Hotel “hate Palestine”.
One of our most popular stories of the year, @ophiraophira.bsky.social takes on the surprisingly sinister world of Manchester's tour guides. Warning: this story involves scheming, theft, impersonation, flag-snapping, people pushing each other off benches, false anecdotes about Oasis, and gimps.
Inside Manchester’s tour guide turf wars
Stolen customers, broken flags, physical fights: have the people taking us around Manchester lost their way?
manchestermill.co.uk
Not long ago, I got a tip off from a reader who'd seen my piece about Manchester's warring tour guides. She told me of a similar battle going on between the burger vans outside Old Trafford - mostly run by women from Odsall: "salt of the earth... but you'd rather have them as friend than foe".
Leandra is one of the longest-serving women at the Old Trafford Burger vans. Her mum owned her van before her, and brought her to work since she was a baby.
Walk by Old Trafford on a match day evening and you’ll mostly see men eating burgers. But if you'd passed by a few hours earlier you’d have seen something different: local street traders, mostly women, staking their vans onto numbered pitches, heating vats of tea for the drawn-out night ahead...
Nice hommage to the 192 bus by @ophiraophira.bsky.social: The bus route that became a cornerstone of Mancunian life manchestermill.co.uk/192-manchest...
How the 192 became Manchester’s muse
The bus route that became a cornerstone of Mancunian life
manchestermill.co.uk
This is good from @manchestermill.bsky.social - even if Karney comes across as positively unhinged to the point of being a liability for the Council
Meet the man taking on Manchester's 'Christmas Refusniks'
'I would start Christmas in August if I was allowed to'
manchestermill.co.uk
3. Bit of a jarring shift in tone from the above, but Ophira Gottlieb's Mill piece about the Christmas-obsessed Councillor Pat Kearney is packed with perfect lines of writing. manchestermill.co.uk/big-wheel-pa...
Meet the man taking on Manchester's 'Christmas Refusniks'
'I would start Christmas in August if I was allowed to'
manchestermill.co.uk
Inside Manchester's tour guide turf wars.
The Mill@manchestermill.bsky.social · 10mo agoThis may all seem innocent but, behind the scenes, the people in charge of showing other people around Manchester are engaged in a constant turf war, one of stolen customers, destroyed equipment, false reviews, and the occasional physical scrap. Read the full story by @ophiraophira.bsky.social here
If Bill Forsyth can be persuaded out of retirement for a sequel to COMFORT & JOY, then here's the pitch...
The Mill@manchestermill.bsky.social · 10mo agoThis may all seem innocent but, behind the scenes, the people in charge of showing other people around Manchester are engaged in a constant turf war, one of stolen customers, destroyed equipment, false reviews, and the occasional physical scrap. Read the full story by @ophiraophira.bsky.social here
This may all seem innocent but, behind the scenes, the people in charge of showing other people around Manchester are engaged in a constant turf war, one of stolen customers, destroyed equipment, false reviews, and the occasional physical scrap. Read the full story by @ophiraophira.bsky.social here
Inside Manchester’s tour guide turf wars
Stolen customers, broken flags, physical fights: have the people taking us around Manchester lost their way?
manchestermill.co.uk
Some of the most thoughtful social commentary atm is coming via @manchestermill.bsky.social manchestermill.co.uk/jews-and-mus...
Jews and Muslims in North Manchester: A personal story
‘We thought we were the luckiest people in the world to be born in Manchester’
manchestermill.co.uk
After all the bluff and bluster of the last few days online, this is a personal and quietly moving piece on life in North Mancheter. More quality writing from @manchestermill.bsky.social
Jews and Muslims in North Manchester: A personal story
‘We thought we were the luckiest people in the world to be born in Manchester’
manchestermill.co.uk
Once again @manchestermill.bsky.social gets to the heart of a thing. I found this moving but also thought @ophiraophira.bsky.social 's honesty about her response to another community's fear important too.
Joshi Herrmann@joshih.bsky.social · 10mo agoJews and Muslims in North Manchester: A personal story. Fantastic piece by @ophiraophira.bsky.social, who has covered the attack for @manchestermill.bsky.social like no other journalist. Read this alongside the other news coverage. manchestermill.co.uk/jews-and-mus...
If you read one thing today, please make it this by @ophiraophira.bsky.social at @manchestermill.bsky.social. A moving, honest story about the Crumpsall terrorist attack and the long history of Jews and Muslims in North Manchester.
Jews and Muslims in North Manchester: A personal story
‘We thought we were the luckiest people in the world to be born in Manchester’
manchestermill.co.uk
Another exceptional, thought-provoking piece of writing from #themanchestermill. This is exactly the kind of journalism we should be seeing after events like last week's heinous attack. manchestermill.co.uk/jews-and-mus...
Jews and Muslims in North Manchester: A personal story
‘We thought we were the luckiest people in the world to be born in Manchester’
manchestermill.co.uk
More great writing via @manchestermill.bsky.social. Nuanced and personal piece on Jewish and Muslim lives in Cheetham Hill, by @ophiraophira.bsky.social manchestermill.co.uk/jews-and-mus...
Jews and Muslims in North Manchester: A personal story
‘We thought we were the luckiest people in the world to be born in Manchester’
manchestermill.co.uk