Glossop photographer Keith Bate has compiled a portfolio of over 60 black and white photographs of town centre shops and the traders who work in them. 

This snapshot of a moment in Glossop's retail development (Say Cheese has already become Glossop Delicatessen) is archived at Glossop Heritage Centre.

You can also see the photographs here.

The project was sponsored by Glossop Town Centre Partnership.

All the photographs are copyright © Keith Bate 2002.

If you would like to buy prints please email Keith or call 01457 855871.

Keith's own website also has a picture gallery, an e-book on The Many Dales of Derbyshire and details of Chapel Camera Club.

Shopping in Glossop can still be a pleasant, relaxed experience.

Unlike some other nearby towns, Glossop has not (yet) developed plastic, pressurised American-style malls where you're not allowed to sit down and all the shops belong to national or multinational groups with corporate branding which means they're just like the shops in every other plastic mall.

The town centre is compact and walkable; there's plenty of cheap off-street parking and the tree-lined High Street has all the charm and vitality of a traditional English country market town.
 

Keith Bate's photographs of Glossop shopkeepers capture this quirky individuality and rich variety. At first glance they seem to be much the same - shopkeepers standing proudly behind their counters. And that glowing pride is part of the attraction of these stores - the pride they take in their range of stocks, busy displays, and warm and friendly service.

But look more closely at the clamouring clutter. There's a huge variety of styles from Deejays discount store's brash bargains to the calm elegance of Derbyshire Clocks. Look at the cool, clinical feel of Sunrays and the glorious muddle of Jim's "new and used antiques".

Given its historical links with the textile industry, Glossop naturally has a range of fashion, fabric and factory shops - like In-house Clothing - that are worth a day out in themselves. And designer craft workers like The Soft Centre. Or the period furniture workshop run by John Hetherington.

It also has a surprising number of IT-related businesses like Teckno, where you can make your own mouse mat.

Given its location on the edge of the Peak District National Park, Glossop naturally has a fair selection of shops specialising in clothing and accessories for outdoor pursuits like walking and cycling. It also has more bookshops than you would expect in a town of this size. One of which - the George Street Loft - also sells wood-burning stoves.

You may find that the cafés close for tea. But shopping in Glossop is real, not plastic - it's shopping as it used to be. Shopping as it should be.

For more details of Glossop's shopping facilities, have a look at our shopping guide or track down what you're looking for in our business directory.

Scroll down for thumbnail images of Keith Bate's photographs of Glossop town centre shops and shopkeepers in 2002. Click on any image for an enlargement.

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