Bold Street Market gone... but not for long

By Louisa Collington, Website Editor

Graffiti on the wall after demolition and the building site that was once a fruit & veg stall

As the much loved Bold Street Market mysteriously disappears, graffiti depicts the wider view of some members of the the public.

But it isn’t the super chain across the road that has caused the family run metal shack to be pulled down, it’s the fact that its owner’s lease ran out in 2004 and Liverpool City Council want it gone.

Since 2002, the Christian family have been selling fruit and vegetables on Bold Street attracting customers who wanted to buy cut-price produce.

Last week work began to demolish the structure as the owners
had been ordered by the council to evacuate the premises by
10th March.

A council spokesman said: “The issue is about the structure that
was being used. The owners only had temporary permission to
use that structure. It’s not unsafe, it’s just inappropriate. It’s not in
keeping with the area.”

Although the building has now completely gone, the family
business, which has served Liverpool for over 125 years, has no
permanent plans to cease its trading.

Liam Christian, who now runs the stall, told the Echo: “I don’t know how long it will take – if it takes a week, it takes a week. We hopefully won’t be closed for more than a week.”

The council spokesman added: “It’s up to the owners now. They can sell their fruit; it was just about the structure.”

The owner, Mr Glennon, was reported last year to be on the cusp of taking the case to a public inquiry to try to save the building. However, the appeal was withdrawn resulting in an order for the structure to be demolished within six months.

The council are now allowing handcarts or barrows to be used on the same plot of land and the Christians hope that trading will return within the week.