We Built This City, the award-winning podcast celebrating the people who have shaped modern Manchester, has reached its 100th episode, marking a major milestone for the city-focused series.
Hosted by Lisa Morton, founder of PR agency Roland Dransfield, the podcast launched in February 2020, just two weeks before the UK entered lockdown.
Morton founded Roland Dransfield in 1996, and has since spent three decades supporting the city’s growth across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.
Each episode of We Built This City centres on an intimate conversation with someone who has put their heart and soul into Greater Manchester, exploring their values, the impact they’ve made and the legacy they are leaving behind.
Over 100 episodes, guests have included Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, community activist Professor Erinma Bell, the late Sir Howard Bernstein, actor John Henshaw, DJ Paulette, Clint Boon, Sacha Lord and Rowetta, alongside figures from the creative, arts, charity, business, property, sport and music sectors.
Collette Roche, Chief Operating Officer of Manchester United, appeared as Manc 99 on the podcast following the year the club won the Treble, attracting international attention as she discussed plans to regenerate Old Trafford and address decades of under-investment in the area.
The milestone 100th guest was Michael Ingall, founder and CEO of Allied London Group, the developer behind some of Manchester’s most recognisable neighbourhoods, including Spinningfields and St. John’s.
To mark the occasion, Morton brought together all 100 guests at Manchester Hall for a celebratory evening. The event featured performances from local musician Nina Morton and a chippy tea tailored to each guest’s go-to order, following a recurring quick-fire question from the podcast. Attendees included Simon Wood, DJ Paulette, Stan Chow, Chris Bisson, Collette Roche and Sacha Lord, with Bev Craig and Andy Burnham speaking about how Manchester’s strength lies in its people.
Lisa Morton said: “Hitting 100 episodes of We Built This City is a very proud moment for me. It takes soul to build a city and every guest has shared their own bit of Greater Mancunian magic, showing how much heart and grit goes into making this place what it is. Bringing our guests together at the fittingly named Manchester Hall, owned by Manc 92, Colin Shenton, was like one big family do – full of laughs, memories and of course, a proper chippy tea. It just reminds me how lucky we are to live and work in a city like this.”
You can check the podcast here…
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