Gemma: Me and my sister Donna – who owns the shop – we’ve always lived here, we’re born here. We just know the place, that’s why she chose it for the shop.
I’ve been down here a few times when I was younger for nights out and stuff. There’s the Queen’s Head on the corner, and the White Lion… we just used to stagger around wherever. Couple of drinks somewhere quiet and then we’d start to get a bit rowdy and we’d go somewhere louder, and then we’d get even louder!
I remember us coming down the hill from the market, Donna was trying to walk in her shoes but she couldn’t. So we were just sat laughing on the floor. We’d take out different shoes to do the walking in flats but then as soon as we’d get near the pub we’d change them.
This street is really part of the town, you’ve got the old bits and then the new stuff. But I think we’re really unique. You don’t see many people wearing this sort of clothes round Stockport. You just see people wearing the same t-shirts, the same shoes. Whereas if you come here you can get something a bit special. When you’re wearing a dress from here, you catch somebody’s eye, you can turn heads. You’re different, you stand out.
That’s Donna, she loves to be different.
Donna: If you want history you don’t have to step far. There is a pub round the back where the Rolling Stones played. There are some great Facebook groups like Stockport Memories and Memories of Stockport if you want to find out more.
When I was a teenager the Underbank was buzzing, everyone came down because it was exciting, different. This is where I had my hair dyed red, and bought fish nets and cobwebs from Stage Door for nights out.
That’s what I want this place to be again, buzzing. I have noticed a change in the last eighteen months, slow, but positive change.
Last weekend we had our Longest Weekend where all the indie shops stayed open late and had events, I counted fifty independent businesses just in this little area of the Underbanks, the Market Place and Hillgate.
People are bored of doing all their shopping on line, the heyday for independent shops is coming.
