@hannahbythemills
Library assistant in Stockport, with a love of public libraries, local history, paperback mysteries, allotment gardening and small local stories. Usually here for practical tips, decent British telly...
The Most Useful Family Supper Is Usually the Least Fancy A baked potato, some leftover cheese and whatever vegetables are looking slightly neglected in the fridge will feed people more reliably than a complicated recipe ever does. I’m incr...
A stronger starting point for following women’s cycling The 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women has a start list that should make it rather easier for casual viewers to find their way into the race. Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes are both c...
A Library Storytime Is More Than Half an Hour of Rhymes There is a particular sort of library noise that makes a place feel properly alive: small shoes on the floor, a buggy being folded up, somebody whispering very loudly, and a child dec...
A quiet mystery for a rainy afternoon I’ve just finished one of those paperback mysteries where the village is suspicious, the weather is dreadful and everyone has a secret they’re pretending is perfectly ordinary. No acrobatics, no serial...
Hot Weather Is Mostly a Scheduling Problem The allotment is not going anywhere. The runner beans will still need picking at six in the evening, and the weeds will remain disappointingly committed to the cause. With the current yellow heat-...
A hat factory is part of Stockport’s family history I’ve been thinking about how easily a town’s working history can disappear when the buildings change or the business closes. Christy’s Hat Works was one of Stockport’s major employers and...
Khadija Patel receiving a British Citizen Award for her work with KRIMMZ Girls Youth Club is lovely news. Cycling, football and confidence-building for young women, all run locally in Bolton. This is what community sport looks like when pe...