The vanishing world of Greater Manchester's markets as we remember them best

For centuries, markets were the bustling hubs of society where people not only gathered to buy groceries, but were places to gossip and socialise.

They were places where professional stallholders relied as much on the personal touch of their sales pitch as their stock to get us to dig deep into our pockets.

In addition to stalls selling essential everyday items, markets were melting pots of bustling commerce.

Here you could as easily pick up a killer outfit for a Saturday night - or pigs' trotters a freshly plucked chicken for Sunday dinner. They were not places for the squeamish!

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However, with everyday shopping dominated by supermarkets and online ordering, the way we shop has changed dramatically, and sadly, many of Greater Manchester's once popular markets have since disappeared.

Recently, the Manchester Evening News published a story on the slow death of Manchester's markets. Supermarkets and online deliveries are reducing the size of existing markets while others disappear altogether.

But to celebrate these traditional meeting points, where we learned about the lives of our neighbours while picking up the weekly shop, we've taken a look at Greater Manchester's markets from decades past.

These photos offer a trip down memory lane at markets in Stockport, Altrincham, Ashton, Bury, Rochdale, New Smithfield, and Tommyfield market to name but a few.

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