An event? At the shop? In 2021? Yep. We're giving it a go, and what better way to get back in to the swing of things than a book about something we hold very dear - Stockport itself, our home, home to Rare Mags. We wouldn't be anywhere else.
After the incredible reaction to the exposure of Heidi Alexander's photographs in the national press at the start of the year, and with the successful production of an impressive photobook, we're very excited to announce we'll be hosting the official launch at the shop on the 16th of July. Come and discover your own Stockport while reliving some excellent characters from the past.
Here's some words from Heidi about how the project came about:
"In April 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown, I discovered (quite by chance) some 35mm film negatives from weekend visits to Stockport Market in Greater Manchester, in 1976 and 1977. I had shot several rolls of film with the old Leica M4 camera passed on to me by my father. At that time I was an undergraduate student at Stirling University. Soon after that my life became all about parenthood and a full-time career in social work. So the negatives from my 1970’s adventures went into storage, occasionally dragged around house moves in Scotland, but mainly forgotten for over four decades.
Once they were scanned, I was able to see the Stockport images properly for the first time. They quickly brought back happy memories of the wonderful atmosphere I experienced wandering around the market with my camera: the sights, colours and noisy busyness and business which characterise a thriving market community."
The event will run with limited numbers in the shop and a general hope for good weather. We'll keep the situation updated as elements unfold.