BURY MARKET

We had a run out last week to Bury Market. We lived in Bury for two years when my husband worked in Rochdale and I have a soft spot for the market - it brings back memories of taking the artist son, aged one, in his pram for miles just so he could have a go on the da-da-dat (roundabout). However, when we got there it was completely unrecognisable. It is now huge and very, very busy. The days of fillet steak at 50p a lb and stacks of whiting for 40p are long gone. My husband kept saying that if we could locate the da-da-dat he'd be able to get his bearings. But the roundabout had gone the way of the 50p fillet steak. Not surprising really, because when we thought about it, it was 30 years since we'd last set foot in the market. It was strange to see children aged about five sitting on stone steps devouring warm black puddings and plastic cups of hot black peas - not something I could imagine many children round here enjoying.