Stockport, an Independent Spirit
A brilliant evening in Stockport hearing about the experiences of the independent trailblazers that have kickstarted the town’s renaissance. Inspiring, emotional, and informative in equal measure.
Tony Murray, owner of local independent retailer, Old Town General Store and board member of Totally Stockport kicked off the afternoon in Bask, a self-described “speakeasy” which has live music at its heart. As we sit just a few strides from the train station, Tony exclaims, ’People don’t recognise how close Stockport is to Manchester’. Covering a distance of just 6 miles, trains take an average of 14 minutes to get to Manchester; not only that, but they’re every four minutes. Having recognised more people are visiting from newer areas of Manchester, he feels it’s part of his job to build relationships with people and almost ‘sell Stockport’ - not hard sell his own clothes.
‘Oh, it’s better than I thought!’ people whisper. Having seen the countless articles of positive press naming Stockport as not only ‘the town of culture’ but one of the best places to live for first-time buyers and one the best places to retire.
Tony wishes to put the pride back into Stockport. He appreciates it’s going to be rough around the edges, but encourages us to look at adding the new things that fit in with its unique character. The number of vacant buildings appears high - but, the demand to open shops and restaurants is strong. There’s so much going on in the background that people don’t see, to enable the activation of more streets and spaces; restoration is underway. He tries to get involved in as much as he can - even the stuff he’s not been invited to. Surrounded by all scales of ‘work in progress’, Tony feels you can take a risk in Stockport because it’s not too expensive and the innovative attitude is contagious. Everyone seems to be excited to see something different and independently crafted.
Helen Walters of Stockport Council spoke to us about Totally Stockport, the face of Stockport’s Business Improvement District which offers a strong supportive community, working together to drive footfall. They let residents and businesses know where they spend their money, actively speaking to them rather than issuing a press release. They don’t have an awful lot of money to spend on activation, so they find collaborating to spend the limited pots to create town centre-wide events drives higher engagement. In turn, encouraging people to visit and explore new areas. Over the last few years, they’ve noticed the huge benefit of pedestrianising spaces, as people will sit outside for coffee or a pint - whatever the weather.
Benji Taylor, co-owner of Bask spoke of the infectious nature of Stockport, ’People visit with the plan to go to Manchester but just don’t leave.’ There is a feeling that Manchester, as the ‘capital city of the North’ has huge pressures to do things right the first time around, whilst Stockport has the ability to apply an experimental approach.
Then a walking tour took us to Hopes Carr to see the beginnings of GRIT Studio’s new project La Boca to La Stocka. A series of murals that bring together both Argentinian culture and Stockport’s industrial and cultural heritage. The plan is to create murals on Stockport’s Canal Street and Lower Hopes Carr, with inspiration drawn from artists’ discussions with the local community.
After making our way through the old town, admiring the details of shop fronts, and discussing the plans for restoration, we grabbed a drink and perched in the Market Hall to begin the evening session. The first of our soapbox speakers, Mark Welsby co-founder of Runaway Brewery is relatively new to Stockport. Although 10 years old, Runaway Brewery only recently fell captive of the excellent beer scene that Stockport has to offer. Full of good old-fashioned boozers mixed with contemporary stuff happening - none of which are particularly beer-focused.
Mark had recognised that people come to Manchester City centre for a year or so, then settle down in a suburb – it’s hard for businesses to build up relationships with customers. While Stockport seems to be a more consistent destination, even for the local people. He is fond of the DIY approach to business that Stockport has to offer, rather than the cookie-cutter way seen in central Manchester; as the place was becoming a lot more ‘shiny’ it brought a lot of added pressure for businesses like Runaway. He has felt really welcome since arriving in Stockport, and that the community genuinely wants the town to do well and that draws more people in with a varied offer. Mark believes beer itself, is something that brings people together and fosters social cohesion. Within the beer industry, everything is open and everyone learns from each other. Collaboratively, they have the ambition for more independents to be on taps in pubs. With that collective aim, Runaway has been supported by other businesses here and they want to do the same for others.
Having recognised the beauty of the Underbanks, Sophia Rosemary took her hobby and online presence to the next level during lockdown and bravely opened Top of the Town. Although there wasn’t that ‘come in on a Saturday and shop’ activity around that time, she really wanted it to be a tangible shop. Adapting to the situation at that time, the shop also became a photography studio and office. As more independents join the scene in Stockport, Sophia is recognising that ‘Saturdays are becoming more like Saturdays again’.
Emiko is one of those newer arrivals, a sustainable clothing factory with just 5 seamstresses’. Coral Murphy, founder of Emiko, believes fashion is a beauty to be seen. ‘Due to fast fashion, it’s not normal for people to see the making of items but if things are done correctly, then why not?’ She felt accepted from day one, and although originally from Birmingham, Stockport was where she felt more at home.
Up next, John Macaulay from GRIT Studios. Having seen elements of his newest project on the walking tour, it was great to hear about how these ideas originally came about. John never considered himself a ‘creative’ as he never went to art galleries; he found them boring and didn’t think it was for people like him. So he set about creating an event that focused on art but had the same energy as a gig - Art Battle, where 10 artists paint for just 30 minutes and the audience decides on a winner. It began small, in a dive bar in the Northern Quarter with 200 people. Now, 10 years later, 1000 people attended the latest event at New Century Hall. He feels collaboration and partnerships are how it’s grown into something bigger.
GRIT Studios has been full since opening in 2021. The studios are more than just a space to craft, everyone shares problems and opportunities. They have regular meetings to share things as John believes there is ‘always stuff to learn and share’. The importance of rapport with your neighbours is often overlooked. But everyone has the appetite to improve the area; making those conversations and sharing the opportunities to get involved often leads to great things. The sense of community is there, create a catalyst to make it happen. The first paste-up wall in Stockport now has 62 people adding to it from across the world. John trusts that GRIT Studios can bring people to Stockport through art. Culture is about working nationally, internationally, and locally. If you take the approach to music as you do traditional culture you’d be a bit stumped; it’s all about creating a sense of identity.
To end our soapbox talks, Joe Barratt, of the High Street Taskforce, Teenage Market co-founder, and Local Councillor tells a tale of two towns - Merseyway and Underbanks. Although a short walk to market place, you would often ‘find more pigeons than people’. The vacancy rate was 50% in 2011 in the Underbanks, this was due to the lack of focus on retail after the financial crash in 2008. This then led to a historic, community, and social focus; a new way of doing things that gave a sense of belonging to communities. It was recognised that Stockport is full of creative people, but no social hub to bring a new atmosphere. He described that after much tension and ‘some resistance’ by the Council, stakeholders came together to spend rewarded funding in Stockport Old Town. This new heart of Stockport supports the independents, hosts annual events, and exposes 1000s of people to art, music, and culture. This new outlook encouraged other unique offerings for Stockport, such as the award-winning Foodie Fridays which gives small businesses the opportunity to grow and build.
With all these great stories we didn’t have much time for Q&A, but we covered some excellent messages in a brief panel discussion to end the night.
Town centres provide access to a more local, rooted community compared to a more transient city centre customer base.
Taking a leap of faith is a key part of the process, these people have taken massive risks in turbulent economic times.
Collaboration is key – better and stronger together, there is a lot to learn from your neighbours.
A strong existing community is a massive pull factor for Stockport and provides a fundamental basis for positive regeneration.
Open more if you want increased footfall, longer opening hours are the number 1 contributor to place vitality!
A ‘dead’ space is never dead – from old business units and warehouses to blank elevations or alleys, any space can become active and vibrant if you have a committed community fighting for the cause.
Bring on competition! – independent businesses in Stockport welcome regeneration of all types. More houses bring more people (and footfall), and more businesses mean a more diverse offer for the town centre (even more footfall!).
The community of creative local people that has blossomed in Stockport holds the key to its future - we must learn from their knowledge and experience, and keep them close as town centre regeneration moves forward.
Thanks for having us Stockport, you didn’t disappoint!