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Here's the Mancunian Way for today:
Hello,
I hope you all had a lovely weekend. I spent mine with family - always a lovely treat - and we defied the persistent drizzle by heading outside.
I know it was wet and cold, but the rain cast an eerie, Brontë-esque mist onto the moors that allowed me to practise my best Kate Bush impression by singing Wuthering Heights at the top of my voice. As I say, it’s always a treat to see family. Not sure the feeling is mutual.
Onto the news. In today’s newsletter we’ll be discussing what it’s like to live in a mouldy home with a baby on the way, how rail changes could affect disabled people and one man’s extraordinary escape from North Korea. Let’s begin.
'Nothing but problems'
Shauna Perrin is currently 24 weeks pregnant - but she fears the temporary home she is living in with her young daughter, in Newton Heath, won’t be safe for a newborn.
It's her second place provided by Manchester Council after she presented as homeless with her daughter. She was forced to move from the first temporary accommodation property after being told the damp house was not suitable for her to stay in.
Now Shauna has a leak in her new property and her 20-month-old daughter's bedroom is covered in damp. She says they have both been ill with chest infections.
The house has recently been inspected and the leak reported for repair - but she still fears the house isn't safe for two young children. "It's not just my health, it's the health of the baby. Nobody seems to be listening to me. They just tell me to paint over the mould,” she says.
Sophie Halle-Richards and Stephen Topping have been speaking to mums and experts about the problems with temporary accommodation. They cite research from The National Child Mortality Database which shows that in the last three years, homelessness and temporary accommodation may have contributed to 34 child deaths in England.
One mum, currently in temporary accommodation in Crumpsall, told the reporters she's had 'nothing but problems' with thick black mould - which won't go away. She feared her daughter's cough could be due to the substandard living conditions after hearing about the death of Awaab Ishak.
"I looked at the story and I thought, oh my God, this could be why my daughter is getting a cough," the 22-year-old says. “I don't smoke, I don't really go out, so I don't know how she keeps getting it. I'm just thinking, if she just keeps on breathing in damp and mould, it's going to keep coming back. The damp and mould in my daughter's bedroom, it stinks.”
Judith Vickers, operations manager at homeless charity, Lifeshare, says she is 'not surprised' dozens of child deaths had been linked to temporary accommodation. “We've seen sub-standard properties with damp and mould and then consequently living with that damp would affect someone's health,” she says. “On top of that you might not be able to afford a healthy diet or they are living in a property where they only have a microwave or in a homeless B&B. All these accumulating things affect that child.”
Manchester Council says support is provided for parents living in temporary accommodation and it is ‘mercifully rare’ for a child living in such housing to pass away ‘whatever the cause’ . “Homelessness, and the complex health challenges associated with it, is a nationwide issue which need to be tackled at a national as well as local level,” they say.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove last week announced £15 million for Greater Manchester to improve existing social housing. A Government spokesperson said the NCMD report ‘reinforces the urgent need to tackle poor quality housing wherever it occurs’.
‘If there are no guards, you’ve had it’
“Without the guards and help from staff my independence would be totally compromised and I would just not be able to get from A to B,” says Kevin Greenan.
He regularly uses the train to travel from Middleton to Manchester, Leeds and Littleborough and says the service is a lifeline.
But as Nick Statham reports, the pensioner now fears his life could be brought to a standstill under proposals to get rid of guards from trains and close ticket offices across the country.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper last month refused to deny the government scuppered a deal to end rail strikes by insisting on a clause allowing all passenger services to run without guards. The RMT union continues to oppose plans for ‘Driver Only Operation’.
Kevin, 67, is blind and has some mobility issues which means he is reliant on the lift to Platform 2 at his local station, Mill Hills. But he says it is often out of order and the stairs up to the platform are ‘very, very steep’.
“If they were to remove guards from the trains it would make this station almost inaccessible to me,” he says. “If there are no guards, you’ve had it.”
He also struggles to use the touchscreen ticket machine at the station, so currently buys a ticket from a guard on board. If he is no longer able to do that he worries he could be left with a hefty fine.
The DfT says reforms would mean more staff on platforms helping the public 'face-to-face'. But Kevin says this should not come at the expense of retaining guards on trains.
"They still need guards on the trains. It would be very good if there were more station staff and more platform staff, provided it doesn't incur losing guards,” he says.
Another person fighting against the closure of ticket offices and the removal of guards is Nathaniel Yates, from Stockport, who has cerebral palsy.
“Some disabled people and older people don’t have smartphones and will not have an app to get tickets. They would rather go to the office and get a ticket. Some people like offices as information hubs - and it’s a security issue as well. What if someone gets mugged if the ticket office is closed?” he says.
The 29-year-old - who is also calling for step-free access at Greater Manchester’s railway stations - says removing guards from trains would mean those with walking impairments would struggle to get on and off the train.
The Department for Transport says the safety of passengers is ‘top priority’ and it is working to ‘modernise’ the railway. Northern, which runs Mills Hill station, says it is committed to making its network ‘as user-friendly and as inclusive as possible'.
Senior officer being investigated
A senior officer at Greater Manchester Police is among dozens currently being investigated for sexual misconduct.
GMP last week revealed it is investigating 82 officers for sexual offences or misconduct with investigations for a further 16 concluded and those officers currently awaiting a misconduct panel hearing. The figures - representing around one per cent of the force - were shared at a public meeting.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has confirmed a senior officer was suspended from the force in October in relation to allegations of sexual harassment. A separate allegation of sexual harassment by the same officer has also been received, the watchdog has now confirmed, as Joseph Timan reports.
GMP's deputy chief constable Terry Woods says all allegations of sexual misconduct by officers are treated ‘extremely seriously’ and will be ‘ethically recorded, fully assessed, and investigated objectively’.
Once I'm gone, I'm gone
Pete Sivori started selling ice cream on his family’s vans since when he was 17. He later took over Sivori's Café in Gorton before the market moved to its current home on Garratt Way. But after 47 years, the cafe is set to close this weekend.
"It's got to the point where it's not sustainable for me. The customer base is the same, but the overheads are too high,” he told reporter Damon Wilkinson - who has been talking to traders at Gorton Market about a new masterplan.
The Sivoris have been making ice cream in Manchester for more than a century. And though Pete and his team managed through the pandemic, the cafe has struggled to stay afloat during the cost of living crisis.
Even with a skeleton staff, Pete says he simply cannot afford to keep the lights on. "I've adapted, but it's not an overhead I can put into my prices. I can't turn any more equipment off," he says.
Manchester Council hopes to reinvigorate Gorton with a night-time economy and by expanding the existing market to offer more food and drink. It wants to open it out onto a new town square which could host outdoor stalls and events.
Pete is positive about the plans - but Sivori's won't survive to see it. "If they do this regeneration I'll be first in the queue and see what's available. But once I'm gone, I'm gone. I can't say without a shadow of a doubt that I'll come back. I'd like to think I could. It would be nice if it was in a new Gorton."
Others are sceptical. One trader says he has lost faith the market will be maintained properly. Some point to 'Christmas lights' put up two years ago that remain on and Diamond Jubilee bunting that is still draped above.
Ali Javed, who took over his uncle's stall two years ago, criticises the market security after having £1,200 worth of clothes stolen. "There's people here who don't even know the market exists," he adds. "We're taking the same money in three days as we did in six days."
Manchester Council says it hopes to ‘excite’ traders with the proposals to invest in and improve the site and conversations with them will continue.
“Although specific plans are some way off, our proposals would see the market building open out on to a new town square for Gorton, which would allow a safe and flexible space for outdoors markets and events. Importantly the building is staying – but we will look to improve it for both the traders and visitors,” a spokesman said.
Getting by with a little help from his friend
He's Manchester’s youngest busker - but age hasn’t held back John Denton so far.
The 12-year-old often plays on Market Street with videos of his performances gaining thousands of views on social media. And he’s already followed in his hero Johnny Marr’s footsteps by playing at Salford Lads Club.
Now, The Smiths guitarist is helping John with the next stage of his musical career, as Neal Keeling reports. He has chosen the schoolboy as the first recipient of a £1,000 Johnny Marr Award, to support talented youngsters in the city, supported by Salford Foundation Trust.
John's dad, Phil, says he will use the funding to have music lessons to help both his guitar playing and his singing. “In these tough times it’s a massive help and means that he can progress in his passion,” he says.
John asked Johnny for his advice on forming a band when he met him at Piccadilly Records last year. And the youngster has since gone on to form his own group, The Height, named after the area in Salford near where he lives.
Johnny said: “It’s a pleasure and privilege to give some assistance to a young musician especially when they’re as dedicated as John. Well done brother."
Peter Collins CBE, from The Salford Foundation Trust, said: “There couldn’t be a more worthy recipient of the Johnny Marr Award. Even though John is only 12 he’s already proven he’s committed to making a future in music and we’re delighted the Trust can give him a helping hand on this journey.”
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Weather etc
- Tuesday: Heavy rain changing to sunny intervals by late morning. 8C.
- Road closures: One lane closed due to carriageway repairs on M56 in both directions between J7 A556 Chester Road (Bowdon) and J5 (Manchester Airport). until February 18.
- M56 Eastbound exit slip road to the A34 closed due to roadworks at A34 Kingsway. until February 5.
- Trivia question: Which Greater Manchester borough is well-known for its black pudding?
Manchester headlines
- Sacked: A Greater Manchester Police officer has been sacked for having an 'improper relationship' with a vulnerable woman. Paul Banks, who worked as a PC in Salford, met the woman 'in the course of his policing duties', told her to create an email account and then accessed explicit videos and pictures that she had uploaded to it. He clicked on these more than 200 times and failed to report them to his colleagues. His own colleagues rooted him out and reported him to the force’s Professional Standards Branch. Banks has now been sacked without notice after a Gross Misconduct meeting last week. He had been on restricted duties since the investigation began in December 2020. More here.
Parking ‘nightmare’: Neighbours living next to Leigh Sports Village Stadium say they are ‘trapped’ in their homes at weekends. Police ticketed several vehicles that were blocking driveways and crowding pavements during a recent event. Residents are now calling for more action. More here.
- Issa brothers: A drive-thru Indian street food restaurant and a new mosque are among some of the biggest ongoing projects linked to the Issa brothers this year. Mohsin and Zuber Issa built their empire from a Bury petrol station and in just over two decades the siblings have become self-made billionaires. You can see some of the projects that are completed, underway or in the pipeline, as well as the companies they run here.
- The best: What’s On writers Jenna Campbell and Ben Arnold have been sifting through Greater Manchester’s restaurants, cafes and canteens and have compiled a huge list of the 50 best places to eat right now. If you need any inspiration, you can take a look here.
Worth a read
Fish and chips, football, history, a full English breakfast, a pint in Wetherspoons - these are some of the things Timothy Cho loves about his adopted home. But there's one thing about the UK he values above all else, freedom.
As Damon Wilkinson writes, he was just 17 when he fled the world's most oppressive regime, risking his life to cross the border from North Korea into China.
Though he had a relatively comfortable upbringing, he was aware of the regime's cruelty from a young age. At primary school he remembers his class visiting a friend who had been taken ill. When they arrived at his house Timothy says they discovered the family had been poisoned by the grass they'd been eating to ward off starvation.
It was a hardship Timothy would later face himself. When his parents fled the country, Timothy suffered through national famine, faced homelessness and found himself rejected from the army because his father had 'betrayed' the country.
After a miraculous escape, he made his life here in Greater Manchester and now works with the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on North Korea and gives talks on human rights across Europe.
You can read Timothy’s extraordinary story here.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk.
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The answer to today's trivia question is: Bury.
