Welcome to Unmissable, our weekly digest of stories we think you might have missed.
It takes a special sort of reporter to find joy in a drizzly Tuesday lunchtime in Oldham town centre. Dianne Bourne visited the shiny new indoor Market hall in the town and found it was absolutely heaving with people.
In fact it was so busy that one trader who had been rushed off her feet asked her to ‘come back at three.’ It’s a good problem for any storeholder to have.
Welcome to Unmissable, our weekly digest of stories we think you might have missed.
Oldham frequently finds itself in the news for all the wrong reasons – it has a reputation for political upheaval, divided communities and, in parts, poverty. The new market is a rare success story at the moment. Three weeks since the big new market hall opened, after a hefty £40m investment from Oldham Council, the crowds are continuing to flock in.
As Dianne points out, in her very well read piece, it’s a proper market. Not one of those fancy food halls.
The big day
The history of Coronation Street is dotted with firsts. When it started it was ground-breaking in its depiction of working class life in the north, and still occasionally pushes the boundaries.
The marriage this week of Carla Connor and Lisa Swain (AKA Swarla), is an important moment in television history. It’s not the first time two women have attempted to marry on the soap – it just so happens to be the first one that’s expected to take place successfully.
Adam Maidment explains why that’s such an important moment for the LGBTQ+ community.
Cracks in the wall
Back to Oldham briefly and our Local Democracy Reporter Charlotte Hall has been digging into the dramatic collapse of a house on King Street, along with the man who partly owns it – Kamran Ghafoor.
Our MEN investigation this week reveals a history of complaints and action taken against him for neglect of properties.
It’s a fascinating tale that’s unravelling and one we’ll be following up over the next few weeks.
On the Curry Mile.
One corner of the famous Wilmslow Road strip has changed beyond all recognition in the last few years. Beth Abbit went down to the famous road to see what was missing and what seems to be on the way. It’s a fascinating portrait of an area in flux.
Not just another Salford crime story.
We reported extensively last week on the extraordinary court case that saw rapist Paul Quinn finally convicted. Andrew Malkinson had previously been jailed for 17 years for Quinn’s crimes.
It is one of the most egregious miscarriages of justice in British history. Veteran crime reporter Neal Keeling has been reporting on the case for the last twenty years.
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