Celebrating a half century of shopping at our Precinct

 There are those who are unkind to our Precinct.  

It is looking its age and has lost some favourite shops over the years, added to which it has been under threat of redevelopment for a long time.

But is still offers a range of businesses and if we have lost the wallpaper store, Safeways, and the newsagents, there is Adams the green grocers, Frosty the Butcher, Quality Save, and Boots the Chemist along with a variety of other shops.

And it remains busy enough to ensure I will bump into someone I know.

That said it is up for development, and unlike earlier plans which would have ranged from a bit of gentle TLC to more extensive make over, this one wants “to create a neighbourhood that responds to how people live work, shop and spend” and may include “up to 200 new homes and retail destinations along side open out door spaces” and will involve demolishing all of the existing buildings.*

Now I have always been a fan of the precinct and have serious concerns for the present retailers and where they will relocate during the redevelopment as well as the cost of renting when the project is complete.

But that’s for my set of comments using the current consultation process.

Instead, it is the history of that half century of retailing that interests me, and in particular people’s memories and the stories of the shops that occupied the place.

And I am not alone in thinking about recording its history.

So, Peter Topping has painted all of the remaining eleven shops, and to make it a bit more distinctive he has chosen to paint each one in the style of Van Gough.

Three have already appeared on the blog, and today I am featuring four more.

Now I could delve into the history of each, but where would the fun be in that?  

Better to encourage you to go in to each one, buy something and ask about the story behind the business.

Lazy writing on my part you might think, but each shop deserves its own history told by the people who work there.

And that is it.  

Leaving you to identify each business and try to remember what was there before, and for me just to offer up the names of the Precinct over the years which were Chorlton Place, Chorlton Precinct, and now Chorlton Cross. If I have missed any let me know, and perhaps suggest your own title for the new development

Location; Chorlton Cross

Paintings:-

British Heart Foundation © 2023 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures

Quality Save © 2023 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures

Chorlton Art Market © 2023 Peter Topping, Paintings from Pictures

*One Chorlton, https://onechorlton.co.uk/