Author Topic: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre  (Read 19100 times)

Carl

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #30 on: 19:46:39, 09/12/12 »

Have a large collection of books and could stock a mobile library, like reference books the best :)


My book collection started back in the 80's when I was working in Piccadilly.  I used to pop into Gibb's Bookshop on Charlotte Street - an old fashioned type of shop which was actually located in the basement.  I bought loads of local history books here.  Then over the following years, I have bought mostly reference and history books, but I do also have books on several topics varying from natural history to geography........and of course, photography.  ;)

Jim44

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #31 on: 19:48:54, 09/12/12 »
I remember Gibbs, it was an excellent bookshop.

Carl

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #32 on: 19:56:08, 09/12/12 »
I loved popping into Gibbs.  I don't think the shop is there any longer sadly, but they do have an online version.  I spent many a lunch break here as it was just a stones throw away from Piccadilly Plaza.


http://ukbookworld.com/members/GibbsBooks


http://www.gibbsbookshop.co.uk/osc/eshop/

celeste

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #33 on: 19:58:11, 09/12/12 »
Yes I've been in Gibbs runs parallel with Mosley Street
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Carl

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #34 on: 20:12:43, 09/12/12 »
Manchester had some good independent book shops many years ago.  I remember one called Willshaw's on John Dalton Street, and Sherratt & Hughes in St. Ann's Square, and Dillons.  All gone sadly.

celeste

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #35 on: 20:15:27, 09/12/12 »
Used to be a Sherratt & Hughes in Altrincham or was it called Foyles?
All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

Carl

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #36 on: 20:23:48, 09/12/12 »
Yes I think they had a premises in Altrincham, but I don't know about Foyles other than their London branch.  Sherratt & Hughes in Manchester was taken over by W.H. Smith even though they kept the original name.  Waterstone's eventually took over in the early 90's before finally closing.

celeste

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #37 on: 20:35:33, 09/12/12 »
The ornate pink and white building in St. Ann's Square opposite McDonalds was where Sherratt & Hughes was I think
« Last Edit: 20:43:12, 09/12/12 by celeste »
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Carl

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #38 on: 20:43:43, 09/12/12 »
Yes that's right.  I recall Dixons being opposite as well - now called Curry's presumably.


I wish I had a pound for every hour I spent at Sherratt & Hughes.  I'd be a very wealthy man.  ;D
« Last Edit: 20:46:50, 09/12/12 by Carl »

celeste

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #39 on: 20:47:16, 09/12/12 »
Did you ever buy the National Geographic books or were they like thick pamphlets, I wondered if they were collectable?
All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

Carl

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #40 on: 20:54:49, 09/12/12 »
Sorry Celeste, I don't know as I never bought any of the National Geographic books. 


They had a good selection of transport books right at the very back and I bought many titles which included photographs of railway stations as they were when in use, to what is on the same location today - sort of 'then and now'.  In the basement, they had all the history and reference titles - although they used to move these about from time to time.  On the ground floor to the right as you went in, there was a map section if memory serves me correctly.

celeste

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #41 on: 21:00:48, 09/12/12 »
You obviously frequented it more often than I did, I only went in a few times and the last time I was searching for one particular book but I can't recall neither the author or title of the book, not that it matters now ;D
All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

Carl

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #42 on: 21:10:17, 09/12/12 »
Dillons was a good shop too and had several floors.  This was located a little further down towards St. Mary's Gate on the same side as McDonalds.  It used to be a clothes shop in the 1970's.  I've no idea what's there now, but it does appear that Waterstone's on Deansgate is the only book store left.

celeste

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #43 on: 21:36:30, 09/12/12 »
I went to a few Literary Club lunches there, met Sir John Mills, Lord Snowdon and Gervaise Phinn, and others, also attended book signings among whom were Nigel Mansell, Spike Milligan, Larry Hagman, Alan Sillitoe, Sir David Puttnam and more - I don't know if Waterstones still arrange them but I would certainly go again O0
All that's necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

Carl

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Re: Favourite place in Manchester City Centre
« Reply #44 on: 21:47:09, 09/12/12 »
You've certainly met more famous people than I have.  ;)   I don't know about literary lunches, but they still do arrange book signings.  If you subscribe to their email newsletters, they normally inform you of any forthcoming events taking place.