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Dying DaysPowerhouse to PenthouseNewcomersGet on That Bus!

the magazine about regeneration in east manchester three pounds

ISSN 1745-8277 SPRING 2007

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From Powerhouse to Penthouse

Mark Hillsdon charts the remarkable renaissance of Royal Mills at the heart of the world’s firstindustrial suburb.

In its heyday around 1,000 people beat a pathto the gates of Royal Mills each morning,anxious to take up their places at the framesand looms before the doors were shut andbolted. The mill was the powerhouse withinAncoats, which itself was the centre ofBritain’s global cotton trade and the world’sfirst industrial suburb.

Now, nearly fifty years since the last shuttleflew back and forth, life is returning to thisneglected area, just north of Manchester citycentre, with Royal Mills set to play a centralpart in the area’s new, sustainable future.

Look at a picture of Ancoats from the airand nothing particularly spectacular jumpsout. Hemmed in by main roads on two sides,and a derelict housing estate and theRochdale Canal on the others, it’s only as youwander the streets and get up close to the redbrick walls of the mills, that you realiseAncoats still has a unique atmosphere and areal sense of its own place in history.

Local architectural historian Steve Littlehas spent the last 20 years researching thishistory. He explains that Royal Mills is acomplex made up of four mills, Redhill Street,Paragon, and Sedgwick Old and New, whichdidn’t gain its regal tag until after a visit byGeorge VI in 1942.

The mills were built between 1818 and1913 by McConnel and Kennedy who, says Little, “were the dominant spinning company inManchester, and therefore the world, with areputation for exceptionally fine yarn.”

By the standards of the time, they alsohad a reputation as benevolent employers.“It was better working there than many otherplaces,” continues Little. “People were betterpaid and the McConnels were relatively goodemployers. They ran their own school andsubscribed to quite a number of charities…they even used to pay sick pay on occasions.”

The company, like the mill itself, provedto be a great survivor, and it was one of thefew spinners that continued operating duringthe great cotton famine of the 1860s.

Eventually the complex began to expand,and whole streets were consumed as anetwork of tunnels, walkways, yards andsheds linked the mills together. Inside greatengineering feats were also taking place,such as the huge Fairburn crankshaft, whichinvolved over 100 vertical rods soaring upthrough eight floors and powering a host ofmachines. And with true Victorian vigour, thespinners kept spinning as the shaft wasinstalled.

But gradually the demand for Manchestercotton dwindled, and in 1959, after nearly170 years of production, spinning came to anend at Royal Mills. It signalled the start of aslow and steady decline. At first many ofAncoats’ mills were bought up by local estateagents who leased them out for a peppercornrent to myriad small tenants, many of themstill involved with textiles.

The 1960s saw major slum clearances inManchester, and a massive programme ofcouncil house building that gave rise toestates such as the Cardroom, which itselfhas since given way to New Islington. But withthe wrecking balls hovering on the edge ofAncoats, the programme ran out of steam.

“Ancoats was left alone and in many waysthat was its salvation,” says Lyn Fenton,development director at the Ancoats UrbanVillage Company (AUVC). “It’s like a littletime capsule that was ignored.” The home ofthe industrial revolution had been saved butmore by default than design.

However, it proved to be a short stay ofexecution and in an ironic twist, it was aninitiative designed to put the city back on theinternational map that nearly finished offAncoats for good.

“Their doom was sealed with Manchester’sfirst Olympic bid,” says Fenton. “A number ofpeople came to the city with a shopping bagand thought, ‘where we can we buy up cheapproperty that will really rise in value whenManchester wins the Olympics?’ They assumedthat Ancoats would become part of a futureOlympic site.”

“They [the new owners] turfed thetenants out so that they could offer thebuildings to the Olympics with vacantpossession,” continues Fenton. “So overnightthat meant the ‘caretakers’ of the buildingswere no longer there and within a really shortspace of time, in the late 1980s and early1990s, these buildings deteriorated muchmore rapidly than they had done in thepreceding thirty years, simply because therewas no-one there to take care of them. Therewere break-ins and a spate of fires when anumber of buildings were lost.”

In 1988 Royal Mills had been given agrade II* listing but three years later most ofAncoats’ surviving mills were on their lastlegs. English Heritage rushed to put them allon the Buildings at Risk register and finallythe city sat up and took notice – a vital pieceof world history was crumbling away on itsdoorstep.

4 east Mathew Kelly, owner-occupier in New Sedgwick Mill: “These mills are the essence of Manchester.”

…it’s only as youwander thestreets and getup close to thered brick walls ofthe mills, thatyou realiseAncoats still hasa uniqueatmosphere anda real sense ofits own place inhistory.

6 east The Royal Mills complex, on the edge of Ancoats Urban Village. The McConnel Building, below, one of two newly built apartment blocks.

The curved glass ‘ski slope’ atrium roof, above. This show apartment in the Old Sedgwick Mill has views over the Rochdale Canal.

8 east

In 1989, the whole area was designated aConservation Area to provide greaterprotection of its historic significance. Then in1996 Ancoats Urban Village (now part of NewEast Manchester) was set up by the City Councilwhich subsequently helped lobby for Ancoats tobe included on the ‘tentative list fornomination’ as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

AUVC began working with various privatedevelopers across the whole of Ancoats andin 2002 announced that the internationalproperty company ING Real Estate had comeup with an £85 million refurbishment/redevelopment plan (including £9 million ofpublic money) for Royal Mills that involveddeveloping 312 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in the complex alongwith offices and other commercial uses.

The sensitive treatment of the buildingsby architects FSP has meant that they haveretained much of their historic resonance,with bare brick walls and timber floors, whilethe ceiling beams, pillars and shafts that oncedrove machinery now form idiosyncraticfeatures in the new apartments.

The centrepiece of the development is acurved £1m glass atrium which encloses theold central yard where weavers and spinnersonce congregated each day. Natural lightbathes the whole development.

But there’s a lot more substance to RoyalMills than iconic architecture and the latestin interior design. An important part of thewhole concept is that it will be mixed-use,with shops, bars and a business centrealongside the well-appointed apartments.

“To keep this area vibrant it can’t justbecome a residential dormitory; it’s got to belive, work and play,” says Fenton.

It’s the idea of transforming Ancoats intoa new, vibrant part of the city centre thatappealed to Mathew Kelly, a 30-year-oldlawyer, who recently bought a two-bedroomflat at Royal Mills.

Manchester born and bred, he recalls theAncoats of his childhood as a wild no-goarea. “I remember that we were told never togo up there! Ancoats was always a bit rundown and derelict – there was nothing to gothere for really.”

But he’d admired the mills from afar andwhen the chance to live in one came up, hewas first in the queue. “They’re the essence ofManchester,” he says.

Kelly is excited by the prospect of the newbars and restaurants in the atriumunderneath his flat, “people are exactly whatthis area needs,” he adds.

A great community spirit has alreadydeveloped within Royal Mills, continues Kelly,with many residents extremely enthusiasticabout living in such an important historicalbuilding. They even have their own onlineforum.

But he also sees Royal Mills as just onepart of the New East Manchester jigsaw. Ofequal importance to the sustainability of thearea is the new infrastructure, the new shopsand the new school across the Rochdale Canalin New Islington. These, he believes, willensure the long-term future of the area.

One criticism that has already been raisedseveral times across the whole of New EastManchester is the issue of social housing. Andwith price tags exceeding £350,000 it’s onethat’s been levelled at Royal Mills too.

But Fenton is quick to defend thedevelopment. “We make no apologies forsaying that we’ve introduced a market thatdidn’t previously exist, which was a marketfor housing at the going market rate. There isa problem, and it’s a nationwide problemaround affordability. But affordability isn’tjust about social housing.”

Developments such as Royal Mills can lifta whole area, she explains. They bring in newpeople, create new communities and helpraise people’s aspirations.

And the fact that Royal Mills has a futureat all should be applauded. “Without theconversion [to apartments] we’d have lostthese mills,” says Little. “The purists may saythey’ve been ruined, but [at least] thebuildings are still there.”

Fenton recalls the reaction when plans toregenerate Ancoats were first announced,with many local people in favour of pullingthe whole lot down. “People were saying: ‘Allthey represent to us is the oppression of ourancestors in appalling working conditions, it’slike a great shadow hanging over this areathat we can’t shake off.’”

But these views are changing. “If you talkto them now, then people are much prouderabout what this area is, was, and can beagain,” says Fenton. “Regeneration can’t bedone to a set formula that ignores localcontext. And here local context jumps up andbites you on the bum. You can’t avoid it.”

“The purists maysay they’ve beenruined, but [atleast] thebuildings are stillthere.”

The show apartment in the McConnel Building.

10 east Home tuition: Barbara puts Buaphat through her paces.

“English is very difficult for me,” saysBuaphat Russell as she sits at her dining tableslowly writing out a list of words. “I’m still notusing the right words yet and spelling is aproblem.”

Her teacher, 67-year-old Barbara, hasbeen visiting Buaphat in her Beswick homeeach week for the past two years where sheputs her through her paces in basic English.This is the Home Tuition programme –coordinated by New Deal for Communities –where learners who are unable to attendcollege courses can build up their languageproficiency in their own home.

What is surprising about this programmeis that Barbara and many of her teachingcolleagues are asylum seekers or refugeesthemselves.

“I taught primary schoolchildren backhome in Zimbabwe,” she explains, “but I lostmy husband and the situation was not goodthere at all. I decided to leave.”

As an asylum seeker Barbara is not allowedto take on paid work but, as a volunteer, isable to make a contribution to her adoptedcommunity. Apart from Buaphat she helps twoother students in east Manchester.

“While I’m in this strange twilight zone,waiting for a decision on whether I can stay,I volunteer my skills,” she says. “It keeps megoing and I get satisfaction from helpingothers.”

In Britain an asylum seeker is defined asanyone who has fled persecution in theirhomeland and formally applied for asylum ontheir arrival here. If their application isapproved then they are regarded as arefugee. Asylum seekers are not onlyprevented from working while they await adecision from the Home Office but statesupport for them is 30% below the normallevel of income support.

“I had to attend a training course before I was able to volunteer,” explains Barbara,“and for each student that we teach we haveto prepare lesson plans which are approved byour supervisor. I have one student who is fromCongo and she is just beginning to learnEnglish. She finds it difficult because herbaby has been sick recently.”

As well as volunteering on the HomeTuition programme Barbara has also attendedcourses in healthcare, community relationsand youth work.

The number of displaced people fromaround the world seeking asylum in Britainhas been falling for the past few years.Britain in fact only hosts 2% of the world’srefugees. Most move around (sometimes upto 16 times!) in their own country beforemoving abroad for shelter. Latest estimatessuggest Pakistan accepts the largest numberof refugees: one million out of a worldwidetotal of eight million.

“I lost my husbandand the situationwas not goodthere at all. Idecided to leave.”

New to EastManchester

Manchester has a long tradition ofwelcoming newcomers to the city. Len Grant investigates how recentlyarrived asylum seekers and refugeesare settling into east Manchester.

12 east Global warming: childminder Shanine Buller checks out the project work.

Barbara’s home country, Zimbabwe, hasbeen led by President Mugabe for over 25years. In that time the economy has slumpedinto an ever-worsening crisis, estimated tohave shrunk by 40% in the last seven years.The predominantly agricultural economy isnow in tatters, with spiralling inflation andshortages of food and fuel. In an effort tostay in power the president has resorted tostrong-arm tactics to silence his critics. Twoyears ago he ordered the clearing of urbanslums where the groundswell of his politicalopposition lived. Thousands of people,already living in poverty because of the failureof the economy, found themselves destituteand homeless. Partly due to the worseningeconomic situation, Zimbabwe now has thelowest life expectancy anywhere in the world:34 years for women and 37 years for men.

The Home Office’s figures for 2006 statethere were 23,520 asylum applications (thelowest level since 1993). Of these only 10%were initially recognised as refugees andgranted asylum. Of those who appealedagainst their decision, 23% were eventuallysuccessful. Commentators suggest the drop inasylum numbers in Britain reflects a harshersystem rather than improved world security.

While Barbara is teaching English tonewcomers across east Manchester oneEnglish-born woman is trying to get to gripswith a few Zimbabwean words.

Shanine Buller has been a registeredchildminder for nearly three years and knowsmore than most about the challengesimmigrants face when integrating into theiradopted community. For the past eighteenmonths Shanine has been looking after fiveZimbawean schoolchildren in her NewtonHeath home while their parents work or studyin Manchester.

“I pick them up from primary school everyday,” explains Shanine, who has two childrenof her own. “There’s one older girl who’s athigh school and she makes her own way here.I remember when they first came they weremore interested in watching TV, but now thatnovelty has worn off and we get involved indifferent craft activities and projects. We’vejust been doing a project on global warming.

“To begin with the children would just talktogether in their own language but now we all

speak English together. Their parents wantedan English-speaking childminder to help withtheir language development.

“And yes, I do get funny looks andoverhear the odd racist comment when I’mout with them all. You know, it’s the usual,‘They come over here and take all our jobsand benefits.’ These children’s parents are allworking or studying hard, yet they still don’talways qualify for the benefits others receive.One mother studying at university didn’timmediately qualify for childcare allowancebecause she hadn’t been in the country longenough, but she was still paying taxes likeeveryone else.”

Shanine is a member of the NationalChildminding Association working toward her level 4 qualification. At one of theassociation’s local network meetings theMulti Agency for Refugee Integration inManchester (MARIM) held a workshop tointroduce childminders to some of the issuesfaced by asylum seekers and refugees ineast Manchester.

“It was interesting getting some of thetrue statistics about immigration,” she recalls,“and it just goes to show how much the mediadistort the realities around these issues.”

Shanine is happy to be contributing to the children’s integration in their newcountry. “I can see their confidence growingmonth by month. They’re all changing as theyget older. It’s nice to watch.”

Like many service providers, schoolshave embraced the opportunities thatimmigration offers and have been able tocultivate the different cultural experiencesof their newest pupils and so extend theunderstanding and appreciation of globalissues to all pupils.

Over the past 18 months MARIM and theEast District New Arrivals Support Team(EDNAST) have been working with localschools on ‘Planet School’, a programmedesigned to support school staff indeveloping their knowledge andunderstanding of the needs of newly arrivedchildren in school. The current group ofteachers chose to develop work around thetheme of linguistic diversity.

“It’s been a great project,” says SueGaffney of EDNAST, speaking at a recent

14 east Former international, Gil Gomes, now trains the New East Manchester team.

“Everynationality iswelcome, andbecause I canspeak fivelanguages,there’s a goodchance I can talkto them all!”

celebration event for the project at theGrange Community Centre in Beswick. “Byoffering a collaborative network opportunitywhich builds on school’s existing work, theproject has helped massively to supportschools to raise awareness of the needs ofnewly arrived families, not just amongstchildren but amongst parents from allbackgrounds.”

Ten-year-old Zahri Gohari and her friendCrystal Shunkin were just two of theperformers from St Francis Primary School inGorton singing on stage at the event. Zahri,from Iran, has been in Britain for just sixweeks: “I like my new school,” she says slowlyin her new language, “the teachers are kindand I’ve made some new friends.”

“My family are from Congo,” chips inCrystal, “so we speak French and whenever wehave a new pupil at school who can onlyspeak French then I can look after them. Youknow, we’ve got 31 languages at our school,”she adds proudly.

As well as education, sport hastraditionally been a way in which newcomersquickly integrate into their host communities.One local team, New East Manchester FC, hasplayers from Brazil, Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana,Cameroon and Angola, as well those bornwithin a stone’s throw of their training groundin Ardwick. Newcomers to the team might notat first realise the wealth of talent that theirplayer-coach Gil Gomes brings to thisfledgling club.

Born in Angola into a family of sevenbrothers and four sisters, Gil moved toPortugal, Angola’s mother country, when hewas just fourteen.

“My godfather wanted to help me to go toPortugal to study. When I got there it wasclear that I had a talent for football and Ijoined Benfica. When I left Angola thesituation was very bad back home and I usedto send all the money I earned playingfootball back to my family.”

In 1991, having become a Portuguesecitizen, he played for the national under-21steam that beat Brazil in the finals of the FIFAWorld Youth Championships. “That was a veryspecial time,” recalls Gil, “we were managedby Carlos Queiroz, who is now assistantmanager at Manchester United, and I played

alongside some of the greats like Luis Figoand Rui Costa.”

After Benfica Gil played for clubs inFrance, Switzerland, Italy and the USA beforecoming to Britain. At 34 he’s now settled inManchester where he works as a director forthe sports development company, Sport4life,which develops all kinds of sports particularlyin areas of deprivation. “I work a lot withschoolchildren,” says Gil, “but also enjoytraining the East Manchester team.

“We have great talent in our team andthey come from all over the world. Everynationality is welcome, and because I canspeak five languages, there’s a good chance I can talk to them all!’

The arrival of immigrants to Manchester isnothing new. There can’t be many so-calledestablished families who haven’t had agrandparent or great-grandparent come fromIreland, Eastern Europe or the Caribbean toescape political or economic hardship. And,given the right opportunities, immigrantshave consistently made significantcontributions to the cultural and economicsuccess of this city.

…the project hashelped massivelyto supportschools to raiseawareness of theneeds of newlyarrivedfamilies…

Dying Days at Ciba

At its peak the Ciba Speciality Chemicals site in Claytonemployed over 2,500 workers. At that time it wascalled the Clayton Aniline Company and was one of the world’s largest producers of chemical dyes. Localresidents still recall fathers and sons coming homefrom the ‘Aniline’ covered in multi-coloured dyes.After 130 years of production the site is being decommissioned and will becompletely demolished by April 2008. The new owners, Harrow Estates, plan asignificant mixed use development with hundreds of new homes, shops and smallbusiness units.

Len Grant meets the men dismantling their own machinery and hears stories of better days.

18 east Alan Dugdale, 37 years: “My dad worked here for 30 years. He’d come home all different colours, like I did when I was younger.”

Alf Hulme, Shift Team Leader, 33 years

My first job was with Hardman and Holden, achemical firm next door to here. We used tomake whiteners, cleaners if you like. I workedin the research department and when I wasmade redundant I moved over here as a labtechnician.

I was 21 then and there were 2,250 peoplehere. The place was buzzing, I mean you’veseen what it’s like now, but back then it usedto be like a train station with people shoutingabout all over the place. When it was hometime – 4 o’clock – there was standing trafficon the main road. It was like the end of aUnited match, so many people leaving atonce. At dinnertime both canteens would beheaving, people’d be queuing on the stairsjust to get fed. It was a real hub of industry.

Plenty of social life too. They used tohave a football team, a cricket team, severalbowling teams in the local league, a golfsociety, climbing, walking… and aphotography club.

It was one of those places where if yourdad worked here then, chances were, you’dget a job too. You’d see generation aftergeneration.

I think the best time for me was in theearly days when 74 Building was stilloperational. It was very much a familyatmosphere: the plant manager was like asecond father to me. He had a good reparteewith everyone, and it was a good social life…just like one big happy family.

Things have always been changing, thebigger plants were replaced with smallerones, with more computerisation and soneeding less people. The death-knell hasbeen hanging over us for a couple of yearsand now of course we know the end is in sight:we’re talking about March, April next year.And although people are getting stuck intothe job as professionals, it’s not the same.It’s very depressing at times. People just wantit to end.

Alan Dugdale, Shift Team Leader, 37 years

I’d always wanted to work here because mydad had worked here. I remember when I wasabout five and, for whatever reason, dad wason the sick and we came down to collect hissick pay. I can remember coming in at thefront gate and going up some wooden stairsto what must have been the pay office tocollect his sick pay.

I didn’t do so well at school, only got acouple of exams, and at first I worked at atextile firm down Clayton Lane. I’d get £13 aweek for seven until seven. You couldn’t workat the Aniline until you were 21 so as soon as Iwas old enough my dad asked and I got a job.I was working quarter to eight while fiveo’clock and getting £20 a week. So it was alot more money for a lot less hours.

When I first started it was three shifts,Monday to Friday, and then it started gettingbusier and busier, and we started workingcontinuously. We just worked all the waythrough for 365 days. Non-stop. But there’snothing left any more.

It feels very sad. You know when you’veworked here for so long and you’ve seen a lotof changes. People have changed as well, youknow… the atmosphere’s changed. I mean,you can still have a good laugh with yourmates, but…

It was very mucha familyatmosphere: theplant managerwas like a secondfather to me…just like one bighappy family.

east Dave Phillips, Process Operator, 28 years: “I was a reserve fireman here, I’d have liked to have joined the proper fire brigade but I’m too old now.” 20

Dying Days at Ciba

Barry Paul, Process Operator, 24 years

I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess how many ofmy family have worked here. There’s been me,my brother, my father, my uncles, cousins,nephews, aunties… we were one of thebiggest families in here but there were loadsof others. I think we can go back to the1940s, maybe 1930s when my granddadworked here. In those days we were based inwhat was called Bradford, just down the road.For some reason they’ve changed it toBeswick now. That’s where I was born.

I was working in engineering after I leftschool and then that firm closed down so mydad said, “There’s vacancies here, d’youfancy it? Tell ’em you’ll play on the footballteam, and you’ll be in!” Well they asked onthe application form whether I had anyrelatives working here and I practically filledthe whole form with names! I never did playon the football team though.

I’ll need to find another job after I leave.Most of the interviews I’ve had so far are inthe same industry but I’m beginning to thinkthat maybe I won’t bother because thisindustry’s all shift work now, and I think I’vedone my share of that. I quite like the idea ofnot doing nights or weekends.

I’m probably going to have to go self-employed. So I’m looking at courier work,which is up-and-coming now, and I’m lookingat buying a black-cab taxi. I think there’sjobs for everyone, but not on the same moneyas they’re on here. The lads who’ve alreadygone have got decent jobs, but they’ve allbeen in their thirties. The lads that are leftnow are all in their fifties and companiesaren’t interested. I’m one of the younger onesleft. I’m only 49, 50 in September.

Joe Walsh, Process Operator, 38 years

I had a few other jobs before I startedworking here. From aged 15 I was anapprentice plumber, then I worked for about amonth as hammer-driver, but I didn’t likethat, it frightened me to death.

Before I started at the Aniline I wasworking round the corner on nights getting£21 a week for five 12-hour shifts. My cousinwas working here getting the same money forthree eight-hour shifts. “I’ll get you a job atour place,” he said. And so he did and I’vebeen here ever since. I was 21 then, I’m 59 now.

In those days, there were no computersand you’d have to make up the dyes by hand:shovelling it out of a drum into a pot and ofcourse the powder would go everywhere,you’d be covered in it. Health and safety hasalways been good in this firm so you’d haveyour face mask and breathing apparatus butno matter how much you wore, you’d still becovered in it.

My gran used to work here when it was allcobbled streets and little trucks, and the mendidn’t have showers then, and they’d beleaving the Aniline covered in red, yellow,green, blue dyes, whatever they’d been usingthat day. When it was snowing you’d see trailsof the stuff all along the pavements.

They’ve really looked after me here.Within 12 months of starting I’d got threerises. I’d never known anything like it in mylife. We all got pewter tankards for thecentenary, we got a free trip to Belle Vue,they’ve even raffled a car once. What othercompany does that sort of thing?

As regards leaving the place, it’s not hithome yet. And I don’t think it’ll hit home ’til Iget my letter. Then that’ll be it. But I’m one ofthe fortunate ones, I’m retiring because I’mnearly 60. So I won’t be looking for anotherjob, I’ll be taking the wife all over the country.She’s a clairvoyant. That’ll be my job.

“I’m probablygoing to have to go self-employed. I’m looking atbuying a black-cab taxi.”

Barry Paul, 24 years: “It’s been a good company, a very good company. There’s going to be a lot worse out there.”

Get On, Get Active!

Like a modern-day bus conductor ‘Bus Buddy’ Mary Howard welcomes her passengers on board theActivity Bus. Len Grant tags along to follow the action.

26 east

Starting at Gorton Tub, the Activity Bus wendsits way through the streets of eastManchester picking up passengers waiting onstreet corners wrapped in their winter coats.An hour or so later the same passengers areall in their ‘cossies’ being put through theirpaces in a fun aqua-aerobics session at theManchester Aquatics Centre.

“Most of my passengers have beenencouraged to do some physical activity bytheir doctors,” says Mary Howard, the BusBuddy, “and you can see that people’shealth has really improved since they’vebeen coming.”

“That’s how I started,” Mary continues.“I was overweight and they said if I startedswimming that it would help, and it did. Iused to come every week.”

Soon afterwards, Mary became avolunteer Bus Buddy and she’s ridden theActivity Bus every week since. “It’s brilliantbecause I’ve now got lots of friends. I don’tgo out except on the bus so it’s reallyopened my world up for me. And everyone onthe bus is great, I couldn’t pick the bestbecause they’re all good!”

The activity bus, which was initiated byNew Deal for Communities and the SportAction Zone, is part of a wider health andsports strategy encouraging more communityuse of former Commonwealth Gamesfacilities and taking people to activitiesoutside the area, like the swimming.

“We always come to the Aquatics,”explains Mary, “but we also go to the tennisor squash centres at Sportcity, or the indoorbowling at the Grange in Beswick, or ClaytonVale for a health walk, all different things.

“In the school holidays we need twobuses with all the families that use us. Thekiddies are great, always well behaved.There’s one large family from Clayton thatlove the bus, but I can never remember alltheir names! If I see them in the street it’salways: ‘Hey, there’s Mary off the bus!’ andwe say hello. That’s really nice.

“There are places I’ve discoveredbecause of the bus. I’d never been to ClaytonVale or Philips Park. Imagine that! I’ve beenliving so close to these places but havenever actually visited them. I’d only ever godown to the shops and back.”

Mary can testify that as well as theactivities the bus has helped people sociallytoo. “Oh, yes. We’re one big happy family,we’ve even had people get married who’vemet on the bus,” she says. “Mostly it’sdifferent people on each day but there’s afew that come on the bus three times aweek. There’s Vera, she must be 83 now.She’s been coming for five years, she’s anabsolute star. And Terry, he couldn’t swimwhen he started but he taught himself andnow helps others.

“If fact, on Fridays there are freeswimming lessons for those who’ve neverlearnt to swim… so there’s no excuse!

“If anyone is thinking of coming on thebus I’d just say to them, ‘Get on and havesome fun!’”

The Activity Bus runs on Mondays,Wednesdays and Fridays. The fare is £1return for adults and children over five.Swimming at the Aquatics Centre is £1.70.Call 0161 223 6711 or email: info@manct.orgfor times and pick-up points. The ActivityBus is now operated by ManchesterCommunity Transport.

About EastOnce again we welcome you to our magazine about the regeneration of east Manchester, aprogramme that is significantly improving the social, economic and physical make-up of the area.

At the beginning of the year east Manchester found itself well and truly in the media spotlight whenthe Casino Advisory Panel recommended the UK's first super-casino should come to Manchester. As this edition goes to press we are awaiting a decision by Government following the House ofLords' vote. Although the situation remains a little uncertain we continue to work closely with theCity Council to bringing this massive investment to the area.

Another recent success is the announcement that the UK's leading bakery retailer, Greggs, willremain in the area. A new £16m factory will be built in Openshaw securing hundreds of jobs for local people. This move is assisted by a £7 million grant from the North West RegionalDevelopment Agency and is the result of a great deal of hard work from our development team.

In this issue the magnificent Royal Mills in Ancoats have been profiled by writer Mark Hillsdon.These historic mills were once the tallest buildings in the city and people would travel greatdistances to just gawp in awe. They have been sympathetically restored by ING Estates into highspecification apartments and business units.

Elsewhere in east Manchester the outcome for another site of industrial activity has beendifferent. The massive Ciba Speciality Chemicals site – still known locally as the ‘Aniline’ – isbeing decommissioned by the men who have spent most of their working lives at the company.Through a series of portraits and interviews Len Grant takes a nostalgic look back before the sitebecome a cornerstone of a massive new investment programme for Clayton. As one door closes…

Immigrants have historically contributed significantly to east Manchester and the way in whichour immigrant community has been welcomed and helped to integrate into the area is highlightedin our piece about newcomers. It’s a subject that is often misrepresented in the media. We hopethis article will go some way to redress that balance.

Tom Russell Sean McGonigleNew East Manchester Ltd New Deal for Communities

Contributors in this issueLen Grant is a freelance photographer based in Manchester. For the past decade or so he hasmade regeneration the subject of his personal and commissioned work. He is currently preparinga second book on the transformation of New Islington in east Manchester which will be publishedin the summer. Also see www.lengrant.co.uk.

Mark Hillsdon is a freelance writer who came to Manchester as a student 20 years ago and neverleft. He’s written for a diverse range of publications from Maxim to Country Walking, as well asseveral national newspapers. Most recently he worked as consultant editor on the new Time Outguide to Manchester.

AcknowledgementsLen Grant would like to thank Allen Andrews and Peter Reucroft at Ciba Speciality Chemicals, and Lee Woods at Harrow Estates. Also Tamsyn Eida and Rachel Foakes at MARIM and Mike Smithat New East Manchester FC. Thanks to Anna Dawson and everyone who appears in this edition of East.

East is the magazine aboutregeneration in east Manchesterand is published three times ayear by Len Grant Photographyon behalf ofNew East Manchester Ltd andNew Deal for Communities

Issue 6 Spring 2007

Editorial address:East Magazinec/o Gill GourlayNew East Manchester Ltd187 Grey Mare LaneBeswickManchesterM11 3NDtel: + 44 (0) 161 223 1155

Photographs © Len GrantText © Mark Hillsdon, Len Grant

ISSN 1745-8277

Designed by Alan Ward @www.axisgraphicdesign.co.ukMonochrome prints by MarshallWalker. Interview transcriptionsby Lucy Banks. Printed by AndrewKilburn Print Services Ltd.

All rights are reserved. No partof this publication may bereproduced or transmitted in anyform or by any means, electronicor otherwise, includingphotocopying, recording or anyinformation storage and retrievalsystem, without written consentfrom the publisher.

The rights of the photographersand writers to be identified asauthors of this work have beenasserted by them in accordancewith the Copyright, Design andPatents Act 1988.

The opinions expressed in Eastare not necessarily those of eitherNew East Manchester Ltd or NewDeal for Communities.

Cover: Joe Walsh, ProcessOperator, has worked 38 years at Ciba Speciality Chemicals, formerlythe Clayton Aniline Co Ltd.

This issue of East is kindlysponsored by

In this issue of East:Mark Hillsdon recounts a regal story of Ancoats’ continuing restoration; east Manchester welcomes newcomers; taking the bus to get fit; and long-time workers at the ‘Aniline’ take a nostalgic look back. 6