Market....

I always up for a good market. I love having a good mooch and seeing if I can find something unusual as a gift for a friend or even myself if I’ve been particularly good. And then you get lots of artisan food and drink. Manchester is pretty well served for markets. From the little markets on the terrace at the Post Box Cafe in Chorlton to the festive extravaganza of the Christmas Markets (less than 12 weeks away now, I can almost smell the mulled wine) there’s usually one on somewhere for you to explore and enjoy.

Well, an organisation called The Maker’s Market has opened a new one. They are based in Cheshire and have markets in the pleasant country towns like Knutsford, Sandbach and Middlewich. They’ve come to town now with a market in affluent Cheadle and another along the foodie stretch of Burton Road in trendy West Didsbury. And now they have one right in the heart of the city, in Spinningfields; it starts in the little square off Deansgate in front of the Armani Store and the John Ryland’s Library, then goes all the way along The Avenue to Iberica on Crown Square. I like the space between the Armani Store and the John Ryland’s Library, it’s one of the places in the city where the old and new clash wonderfully well.

It was a good one with lots of nice things on offer. I’ll have to try the West Didsbury one as well, possibly with some lunch at The Lime Tree.