[entwisi]

I love shopping in a good market(Barcelona's and Palma, Mallorcas being my fav's) and use Accy market for veg when possible as its usually better quality than ASDA and Tesco. I agree the market is a shadow of its former self.. My auntie used to run a stall for many years selling the tabard things people wore in work.... I've not seen one for sale now in donkeys years, people have changed, there is no need any more... Kevin Horkin I first met when he had a stall selling cheap tat jewelry on accy market ( Would have been ~ 78-80 I reckon?).

Neil did however hit the nail on the head, far more families have both people working so have less time to nip to town during the week, when I've finished work the markets packed up and gone, even if I wanted a nice piece of fresh fish or some veg for tea the only place I can get some is a supermarket unlike abroad where they are thriving well into the evening. As such people have to do a weekly shop and as such want to do it all in one go. It is this convenience that people want hence the rise in Internet shopping. can the market be turned around to become something like Bury? sadly not IMHO, there just isn't the money or desire in the residents to make that happen and you won't attract external visitors till it is already successful

One interesting quirk is at work yesterday ( in Knutsford in case you don't know where I work) I was sat having lunch and some lads on the next table were talking and one was berating his home town for being nothing but charity shops, pound shops, phone shops etc... and he didn't have a Lanky accent either so I'm pretty sure he wasn't talking about Accy! I don't think we are unique here, its happening all over