Sunday on Market Street ……… no 3 taking the escalator

The escalator that takes you to the Food Store.






Location; Market Street

Picture; Market Street, 2019, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

Sunday on Market Street ……….. no 5 …... reflections

Yep.... just another image of a reflection.

Location; Market Street

Pictures; Market Street, 2019, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

Sunday at the shops ……… with an eye on the future

An occasional series, following the family across the city centre in pursuit of two tops and a pair of boots.

Uniqlo, Market Street, 2019

French Connection, St Ann's Square, 2019

We began on Market Street, and proceeded by degree into the Arndale, and out again into St Ann’s Square.

And as you do, I reflected on the swift changes  in retail fortunes, which offered up a few new shops, the loss of some favourites and those that never seem to disappear from the streets.

At which point I could claim that this was part of that big project to record the shops
in town over five decades, and with that in mind, I should dig out my old pictures, of Chelsea Girl, Lewis’s and On the Eighth Day, but they are all lost deep in the recesses of the collection.

Moss Bros, St Ann's Square, 2019

Which I suppose is another way of saying I can be as careless with our recent past as anyone.

In my case I wish I had been more active with recording Oldham Street and what is now the Northern Quarter during the 1970s and 80s, and also persevered with the photo sessions around St Ann’s Square and King Street before they became pedestrianized.

But I didn’t, so instead I shall just leave it at the three.


Location; Market Street, and St Ann’s Square

Pictures; Uniqlo, Market Street, French Connection & Moss Bros,  2019, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

Sunday on Market Street ……….. no 4 ….. faces

The benches along Market Street are constantly taken by a succession of shoppers


Location; Market Street










Pictures; Market Street, 2019, from the collection of Andrew Simpson

Sunday on Market Street ……….. no 2 ………. street food

We tend to think that street food is a feature of the last half century, be it the hot potato stall or burger van, but not so.

Charles Dickens recorded the pie stalls which were a feature of the streets of London and other cities and towns, when many working-class homes had only the most limited cooking facilities.

And six decades ago, Uncle George would often treat us to a bag of hot chestnuts as part of visiting the Christmas lights.

Location; Market Street

Pictures; street food, 2019, from the collection of Andrew Simpson