Longsight Market
Creative Tourist
Sick of overpriced “vintage” markets? Try Longsight’s bustling neighbourhood market which, every Tuesday, lays on a thriving flea market that’s a miniature (albeit slightly less glamorous) version of the famous Les Puces in Paris. Sure, there’s a lot of tat here, but if you’re an eagle-eyed sort, and prepared to wade through the rags and the junk, there are bargains galore at knock-down prices. We particularly rate it as a place to snap up vintage glassware, often in mint condition, from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s – such as the sets of six cocktail glasses or champagne saucers for £5 that we spotted on our last visit. You’ll also find discontinued or retro pieces from names such as Ridgway Potteries and Carlton Ware (both Staffordshire-based makers, back when Stoke was one of the world’s top ceramics centres), and kitsch 1950s enamelled kitchenware such as bread bins. The clothing stalls can yield vintage threads, while several traders sell furniture – it’s occasionally possible to find something approaching antique, such as a 1930s chaise longue. Half the fun is simply in the browsing, though – you may come away empty-handed on occasion, and you need to be willing to get stuck in, but if you do spot something good most stallholders will let you haggle.
