Tib Street is a built-up blend of bakeries, bars, florists, cafes, newsagents and sex shops nowadays. It’s an intriguing and peculiar old part of town that seems to have a bit of everything.
But it wasn’t always this way.
For many years, this slender stretch of Northern Quarter had a single definitive trade that used to attract Mancunians in their thousands: animals.
Established as an agricultural space in the 1800s, Tib Street gradually morphed into a pet shop paradise during the early 20th century; a cavalcade of creatures peeking out from behind the windows that lined the street.
Hayley Flynn, the founder of Skyliner and a walking encyclopaedia of Manchester history, has previously dived into the history of the area on her walking tours, having discovered that Tib Street was a truly ‘wild’ part of the city.
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“There’s always been animals on Tib Street since it was established around the 1800s,” Hayley explains.
“But it became less about agriculture and pigs, and more about pets when the area became more developed in the early 1900s.
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“There’s still one pet shop there today but it was the arrival of the Arndale in the mid to late 1970s that saw most of the area close down and businesses move out.
“The area then became what we have today partly through the natural process of gentrification, partly down to arts-led regeneration.”
One of the most prominent traders in Tib Street’s heyday was a man name Walter Smith – who owned one of the longest-running pet shops in the area.
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He eventually sold it to another family, the Browns, but they kept the original name – and the original founder’s legacy survives in a painting titled “Mr Smith’s Dream” created by artist Liz Scrine.
“The Dream piece is based on Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas and the plan was the create the dreams of the animals in the pet shops in further lightboxes along the same wall, but the project was never completed,” Hayley informs us.
“So, we have this one piece that seems quite abstract as a standalone installation.”
Tib Street’s markets became bigger and more diverse throughout the 1900s.
As the areas began to attract five-figure attendances on Friday evenings, the pubs opened earlier to accommodate growing numbers of traders.
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“Around Tib Street could draw crowds of up to 10,000 on a Friday night, much of this was market footfall around Smithfield, especially the Shudehill side (the wholesale fish markets on High Street),” Hayley tells us.
“Then to serve the workers of the markets the pubs opened very early in the morning – so it was something of a 24 hour city in that respect.
“Teenagers relied on the markets for entertainment and a social space, and it was popular with sex workers too, so it was a bit of a wild place at times.”
Much of the animal trade and pet shops shut down on Tib Street in the seventies, but the concealed structure of the street rendered it ideal for explicit stores to pitch up for patrons; away from city residents’ prying eyes.
“The pet shops and other independents along Tib Street were a very popular day out right up until the 70s,” says Hayley.
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“Even later on, strange independent traders who managed to survive in the area for a while longer drew in crowds, there was a latex mask shop that was popular with the younger crowd.”
Modern Tib Street is no longer a round-the-clock fiesta of beasts and booze, but if you crane your neck upwards, the relics of its past are in plain view.
Perched gently on the buildings, you’ll see a pandemonium of painted parrots.
“The birds form part of the same art trail as Mr Smith’s dream, they’re looking back into the building wondering where to go now that the pet shops are closed,” Hayley explains.
“They’re the Sulking Parrots of Tib Street, and have found themselves homeless. There are other birds like this hidden around the Northern Quarter to look out for, from doves to toucans.
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“They’ve been handing around since the late 90s but have been surprisingly overlooked, suppose that’s just testament to the fact we should always look up.”
To discover more about the amazing history of Manchester, you can take a walking tour with Skyliner – led by Hayley herself.
Tours are resuming later this month following lockdown; currently limited to five people due to group restrictions.
Gaping Gill – the record-breaking waterfall you can only see twice a year
Daisy Jackson
There are a lot of incredible waterfalls in the UK – but did you know that the highest unbroken waterfall in England is right here in the north?
Gaping Gill is a record-breaking spot in the Yorkshire Dales, about an hour and a half from Greater Manchester.
Despite the Fell Beck waterfall being a massive 110-metres tall, it’s actually pretty difficult to see.
Unusually, the waterfall is underground in a huge cave system – and even more unusually, it’s only accessible to the public twice a year.
Those lucky enough to visit are lowered down into the massive chamber on a winch by a local pothole club.
It’s not for the faint-hearted, or much fun for people who are scared of heights, but once your feet are on the solid ground at the bottom of the cave you’ll be in one of the most awe-inspiring settings in the country.
The Gaping Gill cave chamber is 129m long, 31m high, and 25m wide – so large you can fit an entire cathedral inside it.
Its cave system is connected to the famous Ingleborough Cave.
The first person to make it all the way inside was Frenchman Edouard Martel in 1895, who used a rope ladder to climb down and kept in touch with those on the surface using a telephone.
The Craven Pothole Club helps people to visit every August and the Bradford Pothole Club every May.
The rest of the time, all you can see from above ground is the cave’s opening on the slopes of Ingleborough.
Local photographer Tatiana Hepplewhite said after her visit: “Twice a year, England’s highest unbroken waterfall is open to the public.
“The catch? The waterfall, named aptly Gaping Gill, actually falls into the ground.
“Very helpful Bradford and Craven pothole clubs put a winch and take lucky members of the public, such as myself, all 100 meters down. How was it? In one word – awesome!”
The next trip down into the chasm will between the 25 May and 31 May for £20 per person.
The northern village, caves, and medieval street named among the most beautiful places in the UK
Daisy Jackson
The most beautiful places in the UK have been named, with several spots up north elbowing their way onto the list.
From mystical caves in the Lake District to the Mediterranean-style architecture in… Wales… there are so many stunning places to explore on our doorstep.
Time Out’s list of the 15 most beautiful places in the UK, compiled by travel writers, has picked out ‘pinch-me’ destinations across the nation.
Several of the places chosen are within a couple of hours’ drive of Manchester, too, so you really don’t have far to go to seek out the very best of the British isles.
One spot that was well-deserving of a mention is Portmeirion, a popular village in North Wales that’s famous for its colourful architecture.
The village is the brainchild of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis and was inspired by the Mediterranean, which is plain to see in the colourful buildings and palm trees jutting out from an otherwise very British scene,
The tourist hotspot completed in 1975 and Time Out says it’s ‘like something out of a dream’.
The guide said: “This unique tourist village has established itself as the most romantic spot in north Wales.
“Of course, it certainly helps if it comes with Italianate architecture, colourful facades and an unforgettable sense of romance. How could you not fall for Portmeirion?”
Another spot in the north of England that has been named one of the most beautiful places in the UK is Rydal Caves, tucked in the heart of the Lake District.
Now us Mancs know that nowhere in the country can compare to the majestic scenes right across the national park, but there is something really special about the dramatic cave system.
Located right between Grasmere and Ambleside, they’re accessible in just a 15 minute walk from the nearest car park.
Rydal Caves in the Lake District made Time Out’s list of the Most Beautiful Places. Credit: Unsplash, Jonny Gios
You can leap across stepping stones all the way to the back of the cave, then look back out at the surrounding woodland through the cave’s huge entrance.
This spot was chosen by Netflix for scenes of the second season of The Witcher – told you it was magical.
Over in Yorkshire (and it’s a surprise to no one to see this on the list), is The Shambles in York.
The well-preserved medieval street features ramshackle buildings, cobbled street, and quaint little shops, and again looks like something straight out of a storybook.
Skipping over its gory past, Time Out said: “There are few easier, more atmospheric ways to transport yourself back hundreds of years (without the iffy smells and sights) than a stroll down Shambles.”