A house sold twice in one day, the collapse of Manchester Pride and the hunt for a secret garden

Hi there – I'm Joshi, the founder and editor of The Mill. As a (relatively) new member, I wanted to drop you a line to thank you for your support and also point you to some great members-only journalism that you can now access via your Mill subscription.

Ever since I started this publication back in 2020, we've tried to publish the kinds of stories about Manchester that you couldn't read anywhere else: pieces that are thoughtful, entertaining and insightful. In recent months, our members-only editions have included big political scoops, fantastic data journalism about the city's economy and beautiful cultural pieces that help our readers to feel more informed and connected to Manchester.

As a member, you're now able to reach beyond our paywall into the limitless depths of our members-only archive. So here are seven stories that you can access via your subscription and which you may have have read before.

1: Why Manchester's economy is taking off

The graph that shows Manchester’s economy is taking off for real

Our economics analyst James Gilmour has some good news

The MillJames Gilmour

This very positive story by our economics writer James Gilmour led the conversation online and helped people to understand why Greater Manchester's economy is on an upward trajectory at a time when the national economy is stuttering.

2: The bizarre story of a semi-detached house in Harpurhey selling for 1.8m

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

The council says it was ‘market manipulation’. We reveal the curious tale of a dramatic property flip

The MillThe Mill

Lots of curious things seem to happen in the city's property market, but I think this is the strangest one we've come across. Why did a buyer part with £1.8m to purchase this run-down property in neighbourhood that is known for being cheap? And why had it been sold earlier that same day for £575,000?

3: The story behind Manchester Pride's financial collapse

Bad bets: How Manchester Pride gambled on scale - and lost

Insiders blame ‘reckless spending decisions’ and a board who lost control of one of the city’s biggest events

The MillJack Walton

In October last year, we broke the news that Manchester Pride had collapsed (soon enough the story was being reported in the MEN, BBC etc). But what went wrong? This fascinating members-only long read takes you behind the scenes, including how Pride's leadership bet the house on becoming the host city for EuroPride, and then lost out.

4: How Manchester's planners changed the character of the city

The short report that changed the face of Manchester

Plus: an update from our theatre diarist

The MillDavid Rudlin

Roughly once a month, we like to publish one really nerdy members-only piece that helps our paying members to understand the city at a deeper level. This one from the urban planning expert David Rudlin was a huge hit because it explains so clearly how one planning document changed the kind of buildings that went up in Manchester. If you have thoughts on future nerdy topics, please drop me a line.

5: On the hunt for the secret garden in Salford

In search of the secret garden

A locked mansion and unmapped territory in Salford

The MillSophie Atkinson

Ok, after the drama of the grammar school race, how about something much more lovely? This is one of my favourite Mill features: Sophie's attempt to locate the secret garden from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 book The Secret Garden. The mission doesn't end quite how you'd expect it to.

6: Secret contracts, unexplained payments and the story that set off a police investigation

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

EXCLUSIVE: Senior executives at the university tried to divert hundreds of thousands in tuition fees into a private company which one of them owns

The MillMollie Simpson

As a Mill member, you can now read one of the craziest stories we've ever published, and certainly the most consequential. This piece led to the suspension of a university vice chancellor, a police investigation into "bribery and fraud" and even a British Journalism Award late last year. Buckle up.

7: Inside the 'filth and stench' of Little Ireland

Big trouble in Little Ireland

Meet the most violent man in 1800s Manchester

The MillThomas McGrath

Our resident historian Thomas McGrath unearthed a fascinating historical figure in the archives: William Clabby, a man convicted of aiding and assisting in dogfighting, abusive behaviour and breaking windows. His piece takes us into the fascinating, poverty-stricken world of 'Little Ireland', where Irish immigrants gathered in a small community of back-to-back houses and cellars in the 1800s.

I hope you enjoyed reading those members-only stories. We've got some fantastic paywalled stories coming up in the next few weeks, including details of the mysterious graffiti targeting local businesses, eyebrow-raising accounts from inside a violent primary school, a historical piece about the area that used to be Manchester city centre and a great piece about why Manchester hasn't birthed any globally famous flagship businesses recently, and whether this might actually be a good thing for the local economy.

I would also love to hear from you if there are issues or stories you think we should be covering in the next few months. Just drop me an email, and thanks for being a member of The Mill. It's your support that allows us to do all of this work.