The incredible 30-year transformation of Manchester captured on camera
Len Grant has amassed the largest and most significant collection of images of Manchester’s amazing transformation. For the first time ever, we have a bigger picture of the regeneration story.
1997: The Shambles is demolished around the Old Wellington and Sinclairs pubs before they are dismantled and moved.
Most adults dread turning 30-years-old. But Len Grant will always look back on entering his third decade rather fondly.
It was at this age he decided to quit his uninspiring sales job and swap it for something he loved: Photography.
It was a bold move, especially given how there was very little to shoot.
Manchester in 1990 was a dry patch for a budding photographer. Snappers on the Hacienda beat had their hands full, but other lensmen were hard pushed to find picturesque scenes in the city worthy of publication.
New Islington and Ancoats May 2005
Springtime of that year saw photographers flock to capture prisoners rebelling on the roof during The Strangeways Riots, but the day-to-day surroundings offered little else in terms of inspiration.
Manchester looked tired; and not even the kindest camera could cheer up its forgotten inner-city neighbourhoods.
Castlefield was barren. Ancoats was a ghost town. New Islington was little more than a cluster of houses known as the Cardroom Estate. Hulme even had stray dogs scampering through its dilapidated Crescents tower block.
2002: The Cardroom Estate before its demolition to make way for New Islington.1994: The indoor arena next to Victoria Station takes shape.
Change was coming, citizens were assured. But it would be some time before Manchester was remoulded.
Until then, Len decided he would photograph the people planning these changes. Architects, entrepreneurs, town hall officers, developers, landowners, city councillors. Everyone and anyone set to play a role in Manchester’s forthcoming transformation.
His resulting exhibition, City Shapers, was displayed at the Arndale. It was his first big break. But it also created crucial contacts – meaning Len was given a front row seat whenever a new curtain was raised anywhere in the city. And he’d always take his camera with him.
Three decades on, Len has amassed the largest and most significant collection of images of Manchester’s amazing transformation. No other anthology contains as many photos across such a scope. For the first time ever, we have a bigger picture of the regeneration story.
The Fallowfield photographer is now publishing an upcoming book – in which he plans to showcase these incredible photographs to the world.
He’s got a big target to hit, but the demand is clearly there. £6,000 has already flooded in since the kickstarter was launched – and Len’s still campaigning fiercely to ensure the pictures go to print.
“I’ve been very lucky at being in the right place at the right time,” the humble photographer tells The Manc.
“There was very little in Manchester before the nineties.
“If people came to visit me around that time, I’d take them to Liverpool for a day out. There were things to do there.
“But in the early 90s, things were starting to happen. Manchester was starting to look to find a way out of its post-industrial past.”
1994: The Nynex Arena under construction.1998: The interior of Maxwell house was ripped out leaving just the facade, behind which The Printworks was built.
After getting up close and personal with many of the heavy hitters calling the shots on Manchester’s future, Len saw the blueprints unravelling right before his lens – and he was there to capture the changes when they came.
According to Len, it was the hard-headed approach of Manchester City Council that set off the regeneration domino effect.
“Manchester City Council were quite pragmatic about who they worked with,” he explains.
“For instance, in the eighties in Liverpool, the council were militant and against the Tory government.
“But in Manchester, it was much more pragmatic. There was an organisation called the Central Manchester Development Corporation which was a government quango, and MCC worked with them to do the best for the city rather than to score political points – so that was quite significant.
At the turn of the decade, Manchester was packed out with car parks and brownfield sites – which meant there was ample space for planning opportunities.
“Slowly but surely, there were pots of money to be able to do things,” Len explains.
“The CMDC put money into building Bridgewater Hall and the surrounding area of Castlefield – which was very run down back then; nobody went there.”
Bridgewater Hall under construction, 19941997: The Shambles is demolished around the Old Wellington and Sinclairs pubs before they are dismantled and moved.1998: The Quays Theatre under construction at The Lowry. No Imperial War Museum North or MediaCity yet.1998: Stell framework of The Printworks following the demolition of Maxwell House.
Len has cited the construction of the Bridgewater Hall in 1995 as being one of the most pivotal moments in the regeneration of the city.
Not only was it Manchester’s first civic building since the 1930s, it was also a sign that things could – and were – starting to happen.
“I had a conversation with the council leader at the time, Graham Stringer, and he told me there were only two surviving photos of the town hall being built,” Len remembers.
“He was quite aware that Manchester was on the cusp of new change and wanted it to be documented sufficiently.”
Len was the man to photograph this transformation in all its glory, seizing the opportunity to get involved whenever new finance came flooding in for local projects.
Change from that point on was steady but scattered – with some development even being driven by disaster.
Len recalls that Hulme won a much-needed pot of City Challenge money to redevelop the area after the inner city riots of the eighties, and finance was also made available for the city centre after the 1996 IRA bomb.
“Crucially, the city council and the private sector actually took this opportunity to work closely together – something Manchester is very good at – to bring about key renovation of the city centre at a difficult time,” he explains.
“Later, towards the turn of the millennium, there was money available from the National Lottery too, through the Millennium Commission.
“Projects like The Lowry in Salford Quays were only made possible by the dogged determination of people at Salford City Council to make that money come in.”
2002: New Islington. Residents of the old Cardoom estate discuss plans for what will become New Islington.2004: The demolition of Maine Road football ground.
From 2000 onwards, East Manchester enjoyed tremendous change. It was sorely needed after being neglected for so long, despite the area’s influential history.
An industrial powerhouse during the 18th century, Ancoats was also the place that gave birth to Manchester’s first social housing development – with the construction of Victoria Square in 1894-97.
But when the block was completed, the rents were too expensive for the people it was originally intended for, and the area plunged into economic decline during the 1930s.
Following the war, East Manchester was essentially abandoned by everyone but its residents.
“Ancoats, Beswick, Clayton, Openshaw – you’d have never needed to go into those areas in the early nineties,” says Len.
“There was nothing there for you to go and see. It wasn’t on the way to anywhere, either.
“When I first started photographing in Ancoats in 2002/03, the streets were dead and if you ever came across anybody you’d kind of worry you’d have your camera taken off you.
“Not many people crossed Great Ancoats Street into Ancoats from the Northern Quarter in those days.
“I’ve really enjoyed how Ancoats has changed. It’s just phenomenal looking at it now. It’s only when you see photos with the mills in them that you’re able to determine it’s the same place.”
2006: St Peters Church before Cutting Room Square is built and before The Smiths Arms is demolished.2006: The New islington canal arm and the creation of Cotton Fields.2009: Royals Mills, Ancoats during its refurbishment
Whilst sketching in Cutting Room Square one afternoon, Len got talking with a man who’d lived in the area for many years.
He expected the resident to be sentimental for the past – as so many of us often are – but he was besotted with Ancoats 2.0. Nostalgia was no competitor for the shiny new space – which he recognised had given the area a whole new lease of life.
Len started his career by photographing people – and he has maintained that focus to this day. His interest in human subjects, and how their lives have been affected by the ever-changing skyline, has remained a key part of his work.
“I think those stories can be lost sometimes,” Len tells us.
“Which is what my book will help to cover.”
He has seen both the good and bad sides of regeneration, and whilst most of the changes have been positive, Len is hoping that further development does not come at the cost of loosened community connections.
“We might be continuing to build, but how much effort are we putting into communities?” he asks.
“I hope that’s being considered. After all, it’s the people who make Manchester so great.
“During adversity, the strength of Manchester comes to the surface. We see that again and again. It’s even happening right now – with people in inner-city communities helping one another during coronavirus and supporting the most vulnerable.
“Many people who come to Manchester call themselves ‘adopted Mancunians’. I love how people give themselves that tag.
“I wonder how many other places around the country you’d call yourself adopted?”
You can learn more about Len’s incredible Regeneration Manchester project online.
It will be money well spent, indeed. Stories about Manchester don’t come much better than this.
Feature
Drinking around the ‘Beermuda Triangle’ of brewery taprooms in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
If you’re looking for the best pints in Manchester, turn your ass around at the door of the pub and head to the ‘Beermuda Triangle’, a corner of the city centre where taprooms are king.
Our city has a great rep for craft beer and microbreweries, and a lot of these are concentrated in one brilliant, unexpected stretch of industrial estate.
Head beyond Manchester Piccadilly and you’ll find yourself in an area nicknamed the ‘Beermuda Triangle’, where tucked among tool shops and warehouses are breweries welcoming in thirsty punters.
These are places where you can sip on the freshest lagers, ales and sours, straight from the source.
As you kick back in one of these taprooms, you can see the brewers hard at work on their next creation, and see beers being canned before your eyes.
There are, of course, plenty of other taprooms and brewery-operated bars all over Greater Manchester, but if you want to minimise your step count and maximise your drinking time, this is where to head.
So we’ve gone out exploring the current residents on the Beermuda Triangle (I know, tough job) to give you the low-down for your next pub crawl.
All the taprooms on Manchester’s Beermuda Triangle
Cloudwater
When you think of craft beer, you probably think of these guys.
Since being founded in 2014, Cloudwater has gone on huge things and is now listed among the largest craft beer brands in the UK.
They’ve got their own pub (The Sadler’s Cat), a taproom down in London, and a huge brewery next-door to their taproom on the Piccadilly Trading Estate.
In here, it’s a stripped-back, Scandi-style interior upstairs, with a few extra tables squeezed in amongst oak barrels downstairs, plus a decent suntrap terrace out the front.
Our order? A pint of Fuzzy pale ale.
Track
Track TaproomTrack Taproom
Another big player in the craft beer game, Track’s taproom is comfortably one of Manchester’s coolest bars.
It’s a huge space, split between the actual brewery and the taproom, where beers are displayed on a rainbow-hued menu board and their own merch lines the walls.
With loads of plants, a leafy little beer garden, and a small kitchen that’s home to Slice Culture pizzeria, this one is the least rough-and-ready of all the taprooms on the Beermuda Triangle.
The most logical order here has, and will always be, Sonoma, they’re easy-drinking session pale ale available on both cask and keg – but there are always tonnes of other beers beyond their core range that are worth your attention.
Sureshot
Sureshot proves that you can take the art of brewing seriously but still have a laugh, with silly beer names and a giant bear mascot manically grinning at you as you sip your beer.
What’ll it be – a pint of ‘Wait… What?’, a schooner of ‘Small Man’s Wetsuit’, or a third of ‘Be Polite and Comb Your Hair?’.
They’re known for their hop-forward styles but are always dreaming up new creations and collaborations, like a recent sour with Bundobust, and collaboration with inclusive football club Manchester Lacesm with a donation of each ‘I Thought She Was A Pisces’ sold going to the club.
This one’s off the Piccadilly Trading Estate and is under the railway arches, handily with Nell’s next door who will deliver you a pizza while you’re on your taproom crawl.
Balance Brewing & Blending
The final stop on the Beermuda triangle is Balance, who specialise in barrel-fermented sours.
The taproom itself is a real looker, with fairy lights festooned overhead, a deep burgundy bar, and persian rugs thrown all over the concrete floors.
The beers here are all funky and punchy and well worth ordering a few testers of before you make your final decision.
Whatever you order, it’s going to have good British roots and a beautiful flavour.
Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | July 2025
Danny Jones
Hello again, it’s us: The Manc, or more specifically, our Audio North arm – back to talk about the music coming out of Greater Manchester that we’ve been listening to over the past month.
If you’re new here, it really is as simple as that, and whether they’re revered veterans of the region’s music scene or what we think might be the next up-and-coming thing, as long as it’s from ’round our way, we’ll give it a chance.
Five native artists, three recommended tracks from each and hopefully hours of exciting new listening if you play your cards right.
Headphones and playlists at the ready. Here’s what we had on in July.
Manchester music we’ve been into recently
1. poor effort
We’re kicking things off with an experimental project from Salford-born and Manchester-based musician and writer, Matty Dagger, whose new outing in the spoken word space immediately caught our attention when it came down the grapevine. It’s a bit alternative, a bit punk and very Manc. We love it.
Some might say it’s reminiscent of Yard Act and Sleaford Mods, which would be fair, but more specifically, our first listens gave us Stockport’s very own Hello Cosmos with a sprinkling of Oldham’s Seb Lowe (both previous monthly picks). The lyrical/vocal delivery is charmingly casual and anecdotal.
Dagger’s poor effort couldn’t be anything less than; there seems to be a very considered approach to the more electronic style of spoken word and poetry-driven music. You can complete the discography already, but we’d start with ‘you’re wrong, i’m right (symphony)’, ‘HMRC’, and then ‘City of Hope’.
Cool visual aesthetics going on too.
2. Victoria Jane
Next up is a big knee-jerking turn in genre and overall temperament, as if Dagger has been making us pay microscopic attention to every word and Greater Mancunian reference, this local musician hooked us in with her somewhat quieter but inviting timbre of voice and smooth, almost sleepy melodies at times.
Victoria Jane may have been born in London, having previously collaborated as part of the Vibbar collective, but having moved to 0161 as a kid and falling in love with Man United, she’s always immersed herself in the Northern way. The R’n’B act also presents BBC Radio 1 ‘Future Soul’ show.
Her work really hits all the notes you want, from smooth and soulful singing, to not quite voice cracks but soft, intentional breaks that often feel nigh on agonising – as if she’s into you and welcoming you to slump back the other way. ‘The One’, ‘Voicenote Freestyle’ and ‘On My Own’ are our picks.
Number three is, admittedly, another big whiplash when it comes to overall experience, but it’s one of the most unique musical discoveries we’ve made in a hit minute. This musical duo is called Phellotape, conceived by double bassist Alice Phelps and multi-instrumentalist producer Thomas ‘Twem’ Twemlow.
They met while playing in the queer alt-rock outfit, The Irrepressibles, but this project could be branded as anything from alternative and/or experimental to maybe even art pop. All we know is the multi-talented mix of instruments within almost every section, and pulling from numerous styles is pretty staggering.
Rather fittingly, there are only two recorded tracks to their name so far; ‘Rain’ is a quiet, atmospheric song that puts you in mind of London Grammar with a mix of the xx and Massive Attack, while ‘Hungry Ghost’ is quite easily one of the most interesting tunes we’ve heard in the past decade. No exaggeration.
4. 10cc
Fancing something more familiar for number four? Well, as a born and bred Stopfordian myself, every now and again I go back and admire some of the incredible names that recorded at the town’s famous Strawberry Studios – one of which is Stockport‘s very own 10cc. Great name, great band.
The moment I heard my then-teenage brother play ‘Donna’, I was baffled as to why he was playing what I then just dismissed as “old music”, before it quickly got stuck in my head. Is it their best tune? No. Does it still hold a special place in my head and heart? Yes. Do they have other standouts? Absolutely.
For the record, while most people recognise the likes of the controversial ‘Dreadlock Holiday’, I’d argue ‘Good Morning Judge’ is their best track and the first time I listened to it, I thought it was one of the coolest sounding intros ever. Still do. ‘I’m Not In Love’ with them, but they are a core childhood memory.
A hugely undercelebrated of Greater Manchester music history (Credit: AVRO/Dirk Annemans (via Wikimedia Commons)
5. Oasis
Speaking of legends who evoke nothing but feelings of hometown pride, legacy and pure admiration, it’d be the most see-through lie ever to pretend that we haven’t spent most of this last month listening to the almighty Oasis amid their comeback tour.
We had the pleasure of being there at Heaton Park and up on ‘Gallagher Hill’, which now has its own precious place in British music history, and July as a whole still feels akin to a fever dream and similar to what we imagine Glastonbury is like for those nearby when it takes over their entire universe.
July 2025 really was “biblical” and we don’t think we’ll ever get over it, so, last but not least, we’d thought we’d give a special shout-out to some of our favourite tracks that didn’t make the setlist. ‘Don’t Go Away’, ‘Shock of the Lightning’, ‘Round Are Way’. Done.
As The Masterplan proved, everything from the so-called ‘filler’ album tracks to those B-sides is better than most other bands could dream of. As you were x