Have you ever been downstairs in the Tesco on Market Street?
While it might not particularly strike you as somewhere of much importance, considering you probably just nipped down there to grab yourself a last-minute tin of beans or some loo roll in a hurry, but that lower ground floor level is actually a unique part of Manchester’s retail history.
Manchester Arndale and the adjacent Market Street are undoubtedly some of busiest shopping hotspots the city centre has to offer – but back in the 1970s and 80s, the underground market was the place to be.
The Market Centre was the go-to place for pretty much everything you could ever need.
In its heyday, the market – which first opened in 1972 and eventually closed for good in the early 1990s when the Arndale grew in popularity – once boasted around 100 market stalls and shops covering a wide range of needs, and had several separate entrances on Brown Street (near Tesco), Spring Gardens and Norfolk Street, which have all since been concreted over.
ADVERTISEMENT
Once a real independent gem of the city centre, and sadly the sort of place you don’t see that much of anymore, with perhaps the exception of Afflecks, the Market Centre was home to a collection of dedicated clothing shops selling punk gear, a couple of iconic vinyl record shops and even a Stolen from Ivor – the first place in the north of England to stock Levi’s jeans.
Roxy was the place to hit up if you were in the market for a pair of classic 80s flares, stocked in every colour and pattern under the sun.
ADVERTISEMENT
Oasis, Justin’s and other smaller boutique stalls were also seen as treasure troves for Manchester’s fashion hipsters of the day, with leather coats and jackets being a particularly popular buy.
“I used to buy jeans from there”, Pat Karney from Manchester City Council once fondly recalled.
“It was exotic [as] it was so different to any other shopping experience in Manchester at the time [and] as teenagers, people met all their friends there
ADVERTISEMENT
“It was quite similar to the old Corn Exchange and was full of surprises. They were all units rather than shops and that’s what made it pretty magical [as] things would change from what they were a week earlier”.
The underground market was also seen as a music goldmine, with Manchester Underground Records Import used by DJs from across the region, as well as bootlegs, tapes and vinyl in all genres still being readily available from shops and stalls including Collectors Records, Yvonne’s Record Stall, and Spinn In Records.
But after closing down for good in 1989, largely due to the increasing popularity of the Arndale, the Market Centre has since faded into memory.
Do you remember the Market Centre? Share your memories with us.
Featured Image – Manchester Local Image Collection
Trending
Package holiday company launches new flights from Manchester to European ‘hidden gem’
Emily Sergeant
An affordable package holiday company has launched new flights from Manchester to one of Europe’s so-called ‘hidden gems’.
If you fancy taking a trip to tiny country tucked away in the middle of two major continents, then Holiday Best, one of the UK’s newest holiday package operators – which also happens to boast the lowest deposit on the market at just £25 per person, too – has recently launched new package holidays to Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.
Running in partnership with Turkish Airlines, the flights have now launched from a handful of major UK airports – including Manchester Airport.
And the best bit? There’s even trips available to book in time for the Easter holidays.
If you don’t know too much about Georgia’s capital city, Tbilisi was often once thought of as one of eastern Europe and the Asian continent’s “hidden gems” – but now, the picturesque place has become a truly modern and diverse city, with a hybrid of influences.
The old town of the capital is full of historic architecture, with a wide range of restaurants designed to make you fall in love with Georgian cuisine, while the outskirts are surrounded by the remote mountains of Svaneti – which some even say rival the Swiss and French Alps, not only in their beauty, but also in their hiking opportunities.
So it’s not hard to see why the city has cemented itself as a popular city break and holiday destination for many tourists, right?
Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is described as being a truly modern and diverse city / Credit: Nina Matcharashvili (via Unsplash)
If it sounds like a country up your street, and you’re keen to book yourself a well-deserved break away, then Holiday Best is currently running a deals for seven-night bed and breakfast stays flying from Manchester Airport, with 20kg baggage allowance and private transfers included – with prices ranging around the £925 mark per person.
A stunning range of four and five-star hotels in Tbilisi are included as part of this new Georgian package holiday offering, so there’s bound to be something in everyone’s budget.
These include the four-star Tbilisi Times Boutique Hotel, with its unique and memorable decor starting at £465pp, and the five-star Grand Tbilisi Metekhi Palace that has a rooftop restaurant and bar, as well as being known for its world-class service.
This company is looking to pay ‘young jetsetters’ to travel the world for FREE
Emily Sergeant
How would you like to travel the world for free? It’s not a bad offer, we’ll say that.
While we know it may sound a little too good to be true, especially for those who love nothing more than the feeling of hopping on a plane, leaving the typical often-dreary Greater Manchester weather behind, and stepping off into the heat of another country, but there’s genuinely a company out there that’s currently looking to pay young people to travel.
That’s right – leading youth, student, and adventure travel company KILROY has put out a call for ‘young globetrotters’ aged between 20 and 25 with a passion for content creation who fancy winning themselves, what can only be described as, “the trip of a lifetime”.
The company has launched a brand-new competition to hire one young British adventurer to join an international lineup of eight recruits for its revamped ‘Explorer Program’ – which is an extraordinary opportunity for budding nomads to bag a life-defining travel experience that’s worth up to €5,000 (or £4,280).
KILROY is looking to pay ‘young jetsetters’ to travel the world for free / Credit: Justin Besson | Dan Gold (via Unsplash)
The lucky young Brit will become KILROY ambassador, and get the chance to explore a range of experiences – including backpacking, volunteering, and group tours across the world over an unforgettable few weeks, all while sharing photos and videos from their adventure to KILROY’s website and social media channels.
Essentially, it’s like an all-expenses paid gap year.
South Korea, China, Argentina, Tanzania, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Fiji, and Vietnam are just some of the thrilling destinations the lucky winners could in with the chance of travelling to.
Chile, Cambodia, and Northern India are a couple more on the expansive destination list.
Fancy it then? If you’re aged between 20 and 25, and are keen to apply, then you’ll just need to “showcase your creativity, passion, and content creation skills” through a one-minute TikTok or Instagram video.
In the video, you’ll need to introduce yourself and your dream travel destination, and then share either an unexpected travel experience, unusual travel tips, tricks and hacks, or an existing or budding passion or skill.
Applicants must follow and tag the KILROY UK social media accounts – @kilroy_uk on TikTok and @kilroy_uk on Instagram – and include their name, age, and dream destination in the caption when posting their video, as well as the hashtag #explorerprogram2024 to enter.
All entries will need to be submitted by midnight on the 11 April 2024 to avoid missing out, and you can visit the ‘Explorer Program’ page on the KILROY website here for all the T&Cs.