The abattoir at Newton Heath

'Asda, McDonald’s, Harry Styles, football glory and cycling medals mask a century of toil, industrial fatalities and toxic waste'

Good evening Millers, and welcome to this members-only edition, which takes us up Oldham Road and into the not-yet-forgotten past. Phil Griffin, whose writing you might have read in City Life magazine many years ago and who has been contributing to The Mill since our founding, has written a beautiful personal piece about his father and the changing geography of East Manchester.

Before you read that, a quick request: we’re working on our series of articles about Manchester’s schools, and we’re particularly looking to speak to teachers at a secondary school that has experienced a major change in fortunes in recent years — for the better or the worse. Is that you? Could you introduce us to someone? Please drop Mollie a line.