6 min readLevenshulme Market is a bustling haven of independent creativity, with a rotating roster of 50 traders - meaning plenty of artisan delights as well as weird and wonderful wares to enjoy. Taking place every weekend between March and December, the next edition is on Saturday 6 July and features a performance from local acapella group Vocal Harum.
Established as a Community Interest Company back in 2013, Levenshulme Market is one of only a handful of Social Enterprise Markets in the country, celebrating sustainability, local traders and having a positive impact on the community wherever possible. (Image below: Kala MCR)
The positivity can be felt further in the format of the market itself; welcoming a variety of content, remaining free to enter for the public and providing a platform for local trade. It also encourages creativity, often incorporating performances from grassroots artists.
From food products and gift ideas to whole artworks and even plants, an array of content can be expected every week it is running - when on a Saturday, 10am-4pm. Announced as a finalist in the BBC Food and Farming Awards back in April this year, it is clear that the market has a reputation for quality too, as well as diversity.
Another marker of its success in bringing something special to the local community, the market is often affectionately referred to as ‘Levy Market’, and the innovative format involves a ‘Night Market’ once a month, with the running time of 5-9pm. 2019 has also seen Levenshulme Market take its traders on Tuesdays to a site at The University of Manchester (11.30am-2.30pm). See the dates here.
Typically hosted on the car park next to Levenshulme Station, even the location is intriguing, close to the now-iconic ‘The Street With No Name’. This has become the title applied to the street where the railway station stands; a strip just 77 yards long and more than 160 years old. Rather unusually, the street was given no official name, but after years of being referred to as ‘The Street With No Name’, a sign was fitted with this title!
Levenshulme, which is a district roughly halfway between Manchester and Stockport, has many stories of hidden history and fascinating facts associated with it. Whilst the Antiques Village is an ideal place to explore, winding backstreets and bustling independent shops make Levenshulme an interesting visit.
Although seen as in Greater Manchester today, it was previously considered a township in Lancashire – it was not until 1909 that Levenshulme was seen as a part of Manchester. Additionally, the area to the East of the district was known for years as ‘Talleyrand’, with the famous French Statesman Talleyrand rumoured to have visited during his exile from France in the French Revolution. Examples of how that naming still holds influence can be seen in the title of the characterful bar ‘The Talleyrand’ on the A6 in Levenshulme.
Another local legend in Levenshulme is that the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin was a regular visitor to the Blue Bell Inn on Barlow Road – with a pub still on the site with the same name, though a rebuild - as the original suffered a hit during a bombing raid in World War II. On the subject of interesting and different places to drink, there is hidden bar in the tucked-away haven of the Klondyke Club and plans to convert the currently abandoned former Levenshulme Station into a Cycle Café.
Levenshulme is one of the city’s liveliest districts and bustling with creativity too. It is the new home of spoken-word night Verbose (Fred’s Ale House), has the annual Levenshulme Festival and is the home of ALL FM.
On the subject of charming and unusual creativity, HAUNT Manchester decided to discover some of the traders coming to Levenshulme Market this weekend…
Kala MCR
Beautiful clothing and accessories handmade in Manchester, incorporating textiles from across the world. Unusual fusions of colour, texture and pattern come together for bold and impressive designs. (Featured image/first image in the article is also a Kala MCR design)
Rick Jones Art & Illustration
A Cheshire-based artist creating nature-inspired geometric artwork, with a range of powerful patterns allowing for eye-catching designs. Themes of spiritualism, folklore and wonder emerge in Rick’s work, which is available in a range of forms, including T-shirts, beautiful collectible pebbles, wood, canvas and T-shirts.
Miss River
Are you ready for clown-meets-baby-head lamps?! These wonderfully wacky designs are the creation of Miss River - allowing for light-up intrigue, brilliant colour and a marvellously unnerving example of interior design, sure to transform any room. Why not go shopping for a Halloween lamp ahead of time? Miss River also creates handmade jewellery, combining vintage and Rockabilly styling for a unique look. All pieces are made personally and no two are the same – meaning for an ideal gift.
Amelia Alice
An array of Vintage-inspired and Steampunk accessories can be found at Amelia Alice; intricate, handcrafted and often recycled designs allowing for truly unique jewellery and gifts. Pendants, earrings and cufflinks are just some examples of items available, incorporating everything from 1940s watch parts to retro ribbon and lace. This is mixed media creativity at its best… keep a look-out for the Alice In Wonderland inspired designs.
Ames Likes Toast
Born in Yorkshire but now living in Manchester, Ames is a creator of crocheted randomness – bringing weird and wonderful woollies to Levenshulme Market, with a range of characters and designs to pick from. These pieces certainly stand out, often bursting with colour: potted cacti, Full English Breakfasts, even a replica human heart – just some examples of crochet creations by Ames. Come and see for yourself!
Chiron Designs
Handmade silver jewellery from a local creative. These are unique designs, inspired by organic forms and natural designs, sure to make an impression.
Siobhan Daniel
Mexican-inspired crucifixes and skulls are just some of original designs available from Levenshulme’s own Siobhan Daniel. Come to the stall and find an array of original paintings on canvas, hand-crafted ceramics and great homemade gifts, combining bursts of colour and dramatic detail.
An Unexpected Artist
Lucy is bringing her beautiful designs from St. George in North Wales, her creativity often inspired by the countryside there. Her intricate drawings and imagery has been hand-printed onto a range of mediums, with many examples of wearable art including bags and super-soft cashmere scarves and shawls. Rabbits, deer and foxes are just some of the animals you can find in her work… as well as dragons! Not shying away from encountering the mysterious forces of nature and fantasy, An Unexpected artist is offering something distinct and beautiful.
Black Dog Pottery
Bold, characterful pottery. Choose from a range of small-batch ceramics and hand-embossed items. There are even pots with facial features!
MyDistopiA
Dramatic, distinct Graphic T-Shirts and clothing designs by local abstract artist J.M Colede. These are stunning pieces, combining colour and shade for eye-catching effect. Think tie-dye meets darkness.
