This location brings a real sense of emotion and pride.

The view is from Old Mill Street, looking north towards what is now New Islington Marina and Cotton Field Park.

We took the top photo in March 2009. At the time, it felt like the world had stalled—the UK had entered recession just two months earlier, and the gloom was tangible. Without realising it, this moment marked the beginning of Euan Kellie Property Solutions. I spent days walking around the city centre, photographing stalled sites and capturing a sense of uncertainty.

Regeneration in New Islington had started in the early 2000s, led by Urban Splash and Manchester City Council. The vision was to create a mixed-use community blending residential, commercial, and green spaces. By 2009, the infrastructure was in place—but delivery, like so many other schemes, had stalled.

Fast forward to today, and the bottom photo brings me nothing but joy. It was taken by 17-year-old Hugo Waring, who joined us at the end of April 2025 for two days of work experience. It shows a vibrant, active New Islington—an excellent example of urban regeneration, transforming a once-neglected industrial area into a thriving modern neighbourhood.

We took Hugo on a tour of this part of the city, shared old photos, and he was fascinated by the scale of transformation—especially considering he was just one year old when Euan took the top photo!

His visit coincided perfectly with last night’s ‘Inspiring Minds’ evening at Freight Island, organised by ING Media and Regeneration Brainery. It was a pleasure to attend with Anna O’Shea and to hear from the fantastic panel which included Andy Burnham, Rose-Anna Hallam, Simon Peacock, Roxane McMeeken - chaired by Damian Wild - on how we can open doors for new talent in the built environment.

In that spirit, it’s a privilege to share these Flashback Friday posts each week. We hope they play a small part in celebrating our profession and inspiring the next generation to shape the future of Manchester—and Greater Manchester.