Who lives on Manchester’s waterways?

Class, fuel and the costs of living among the narrow boaters

Dear Millers — “Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul…then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.”

Skip past the “Call me Ishmael” bit and the opening of Moby Dick is essentially a meditation on water — the way human beings gravitate towards the stuff; the mysterious way in which proximity to water soothes what ails us. It’s a page we had to think of after reading writer Charlie Smith’s report about the Mancunians who have decided to base their lives on water — quite literally, as occupants of narrowboats. It’s Charlie’s first piece for us and it offers some interesting insights into a world we knew little about.

A few days after going on sale, more than a third of tickets have already sold for our first Mill Members Club on Thursday 30 March (book yours for £5 by clicking here). It’s the first edition of our new series exclusively for our paying subscribers, hosted in partnership with Manchester Univer…