Down on Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter

Thomas Street, still waiting to happen

Now Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter is changing.

In the space of thirty minutes or so I saw a number of smart suited men with earnest faces and various degrees of interest looking at these buildings.

And you can see why, over the last decade and a bit the area has become an interesting and exciting place to visit.

I remember it as run down, and drab with a faint air of decay.  It was a place waiting to happen and now of course it’s time has come.

Thomas Street pretty much reflects what is happening to the area.

On the corner of Thomas Street and Kelvin Street

New quirky shops offering clothes which you don’t see in the main stores nestle beside a range of bars and eating establishments like the Teacup Kitchen to Al Faisal Tandoori.

But there is still plenty of that old Manchester here, with buildings which have done their time as a variety of retail outlets and been home to generations of families stretching back to the early 19th century.

Step off down Kelvin Street and follow it as it twists and turns crossing other small and narrow streets you can get a sense of how busy, cluttered and purposeful it all was

And there are still some fascinating bits of the past including this sign which is difficult to make out and I guess will be even more difficult to date.

It may have announced the name and business which operated from this corner building but the shop window has long ago been bricked up and the wall now bulges ominously.

A photo shoot on Thomas Street

So I guess the place is ripe for development from some of our people in smart suits.

All of which is a sort of appeal to get down there soon before this little bit of the city goes for ever and take a camera.

The digital archive has fewer pictures of Thomas Street than I expected and if we are not careful the place will have changed before someone has documented it.

That said I just bet now that there are a shed load of images all tastefully done in black and white just waiting to catch my attention.

Well I hope so and perhaps the two engaged on a photo shoot while I was there will have used more of the street as a backdrop.

Pictures; Thomas Street, June 2014