Afflecks Palace Manchester Steps
Image details
Contributor:
Tony Smith / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
GJ79A6File size:
57.1 MB (1.8 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
3648 x 5472 px | 30.9 x 46.3 cm | 12.2 x 18.2 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
9 August 2016Location:
52 Church St, Manchester, England, UK M4 1PWMore information:
Afflecks (formerly Affleck's Palace) is an indoor market in Manchester, England, in the city's Northern Quarter on the junction of Church Street/Tib Street and Dale Street with Oldham Street. Dozens of independent stalls, small shops and boutiques operate in the one building. The building was once occupied by a department store called Affleck and Brown as a store and office space, hence the name. Affleck's Palace first opened in 1981 by James and Elaine Walsh with an ethos of offering a safe environment for entrepreneurs to start out with affordable rent and no long term contracts. Unit holders operated under a licence agreement which allowed them to pay for space on a week by week basis. The atmosphere and colourful maze-like layout led to Affleck's becoming a mecca for alternative culture. The establishment was able to bounce back from two building fires and overcame many obstacles. During the 1990s 'Madchester Summer of Love' period – when local bands like the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and Inspiral Carpets were at the height of their popularity; Affleck's Palace was a fashionable spot to get oversized flared jeans and tie dyed T-shirts and 'Eastern Bloc' was a popular record shop as it dealt in all the latest underground dance tunes of the time.