Smoker's Row

One Street: Market Square, Shipley #65

It's been another grind of a day and I'm feeling rather flat again, not helped by the fact that I'm coming down with a cold. I've been dosing myself up this evening in the hope that I can still get the better of it. On Market Square at lunchtime again, grabbing another slice of Shipley life in the raw.

This is very much smoker's row but there is no judgement being passed here. A year ago I would have given all these people a pretty wide berth, yet that would have meant missing out on getting to know some rather fabulous characters. It never ceases to amaze me how many of these ladies are actually related to one another. Claire and Julie here are sisters, two of seven siblings who were all born locally and remain living here. The furthest any of them has gone is 2 miles down the road to Thackley. If I remember rightly, Claire has two children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, again all living locally. I guess it's no wonder then that everyone seems to be related! It really is a very close-knit community here.