WE ARE GOLDEN A brief history of Prestons historical Markets
With thanks: To all the market sellers and customers who offered their time, opinions and wonderful stories: who without, this project would not have been possible.
About the Project
The photographic project ‘We Are Golden’ is a celebration of Preston’s outdoor markets. The images have been taken between January 2011 and March 2011. The project is made up of a collection of seven zines, which feature photographs and text about the market history, sellers, customers, visitors and items for sale. As the future of the outdoor markets is uncertain due to the Tithebarn Project (which is set to ‘regenerate’ Preston) it became the driving force behind the project with the thought of loosing the markets, which I have come to know and love since coming to Preston. The markets are a part of Preston’s history and are used by visitors and locals alike. The Tithebarn project is designed to enclose the outdoor market spaces to establish a more European market style. Whilst the plans are to return the food market to the newly enclosed market place (where it stood prior to the 1970’s) it means the future of the current outdoor market sellers is one of uncertainty. It is this uncertainty, which has led to the development of this project as I feel the outdoor sellers are part of the heritage of Preston and its markets and it adds a unique characteristic to the town itself.
The selection of zines available are a celebration of these historical markets and the individuals who sell and purchase goods. This project has allowed me to gain insight into their livelihoods and how these developments are likely to affect their future as a market seller. A part of this project was also about gaining opinions and insight of the market sellers and customer’s views of Preston’s Outdoor Markets. To capture these views and opinions I asked individuals of the market to write on postal tags to draw attention to the fact that the changing of the market not only affects the historical value of the space but it also affects the people who use it. The regeneration project should consider more than the protection of architecture and the commercialisation of the City, it should protect the independent sellers and the locals who use and rely on the space. By changing the outdoor markets into a modern environment it results in the town losing its individuality, resulting in it becoming a carbon copy of the more commercially driven cities.
Preston Pot Fair Preston markets can be traced back as far as 1179 when it was granted the Guild Merchant charter by King Henry II. In 1199, the original Charter of Henry II was confirmed by King John who also gave the town the right to hold a fair in August. This also included permission to hold three ‘Pot Fairs’ throughout the year, which took place on the site of what is now the Town Hall. The fairs took place in March (3 days), August (8 days) and November (5 days).
Preston Pot Fair 1907
The Pot Fairs continued to take place up until 2008. The fairs were held over the August Bank Holiday in the Flag Market outside the Harris Museum. The Fair used to attract 20 plus stalls but has seen a decline over the last decade. In 2007 the Fair only attracted eight stalls and then in 2008 the number dropped significantly again, attracting only four stalls.
Covered Market A long standing and substantial market to Preston, known as the Covered Market, had a troubled start. The construction was slow and on the 6th August 1870 the whole structure collapsed during high winds.
The impressive structure was then rebuilt by a local shipbuilder William Allsup. Construction finished in 1875 and the structure, which is not supported centrally, still stands today.
The Fish Market The smaller of the two covered markets, known as the Fish Market, was roofed in 1924. The two markets combined can accommodate a grand total of 157 stalls. The markets take place from Monday to Saturday selling both new and second hand items. The Fish Market is home to the Car Boot / Flea Market style of the market which was first introduced by the Council in 1985 and runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year.
Laura E Oliver www.lauraeoliver.co.uk lauraeoliver@hotmail.co.uk