"Along the passenger bridge at Macclesfield railway station, a frieze celebrates the town's history. Towards the far platform it reads 1874, Macclesfield Town established. The next entry is 1979, Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures released. Local humour has it that for 105 years nothing happened in Macclesfield. Macc's Macc, say those who know of a place where change is for ever slow, many Maxonians happy enough with that."
"The town, in the east of Cheshire, a gateway to England's north-west, is a classic northern mill town, though silk was the product not cotton. It once would have been described as a bustling market town until falling victim to the nationwide death of the high street, its Marks & Spencer branch boarded up in disuse and footfall low. That said, the outdoor Treacle Market, selling artisan foods and trinkets, held on the last Sunday of each month, claims to be the region's biggest monthly event."
Macclesfield sits in east Cheshire as a classic northern mill town historically focused on silk production. The town shows signs of economic decline with boarded-up retail, reduced footfall and a closed Marks & Spencer branch, though the monthly Treacle Market remains a strong local draw. A railway frieze lists local dates and inspires wry humour about slow change. Football remains central to civic identity, with Macclesfield FC's FA Cup shock and a banner celebrating Macclesfield Town's 2017-18 National League title. That promotion later coincided with financial problems and the club's collapse in October 2020.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]