Once upon a time in Glasgow there were street markets on seemingly every corner of the neighbourhood.
And for people of a certain generation, they still hark back to those days and get nostalgic for a bygone era.
But look a little closer and Glasgow has a thriving market scene, thanks in part to the likes of the hugely popular Park Lane Market in the city's south side.
Found in the heart of Shawlands, recently acknowledged as one of the UK's best places to live, on the first and last Sunday of every month you'll find up to 20 different independent traders showcasing arts, crafts, vintage clothes, furniture, antiques and more for the hundreds of shoppers passing through.
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Having first been set up over four years ago by business partners Harry and Lewis, the market has become somewhat of a south side and even a Glasgow institution.
Ahead of this weekend's market, we caught up with Harry himself to find out just what makes the market so popular with traders and southsiders looking to do some Sunday shopping.
For people who have never been to Park Lane Market, how would you describe it?
"It's an independent market in the south side, which takes place on the first and last Sunday every month.
"It’s effectively for up and coming traders to showcase what they’re about.
"Me and my business partner Lewis started four years ago. He’s a musician and his recording studio is actually in the lane where the market takes place.
"We just thought about making an independent market for creatives there.
"It’s just grown arms and legs. We’ve now got up to 1,000 people in our database for markets and we’re fully subscribed to December now.
"It’s a community hub where people just come to trade. But I think it’s become part of Shawlands now as well."
What can people find there?
"You can get everything from cakes, coffee, art, soap, antique furniture, vintage clothing, candles, you can get your tarot read, plants. We’ve pretty much got everything when it comes to arts and crafts.
"With our food and beverage side we have the likes of vegan curries, pizza, organic butter. We’ve got the guys who make Panther Milk down the lane as well - it’s actually produced at the back of the market as well.
"Normally we have a few regular stallholders, like the pizza guys, The Bevy Store at the back which does cocktails as well, we’ve got coffee at the front. The stores change regularly but we have six or seven traders who showcase their stuff at least once a month."
What makes Park Lane Market so popular with southsiders?
"We’ve got a variation with the traders, with established stalls and traders that are up-and-coming. You never really get the same people coming apart from our regulars, who we look after.
"There’s a category for everything and we just flip it. People know ‘if I come to the next market it’s going to be a different soap person or differently jewellery'. There’s that variety - it’s the not the same stallholders who turn up every week or fortnight, where it can become very stale.
"It keeps it spontaneous. You never know what you’re going to get!
"We picked the Sunday to do it as well. Me growing up, I always thought was a chill day where you go for a walk, you get out the house, you spend time with your family, you always try and do something during the day on the Sunday.
"The south side is known for its brunch at the moment and a lot of people brunch on a Sunday and go for a walk. It’s a nice day out with family, meeting with friends, doing something different like coming to find some artefacts, one-off pieces. It’s something a bit more different and European.
"It encourages that creative spark in your life too. You can get stuff that’s not online or not in a supermarket or a high street stop. Traders are slaving away in the back of their houses half the time or in their garages just to create."
And why do traders keep coming back too?
"It’s all very organic. I’ve got a full time job so it was never really a money-making exercise. It was always a community thing for creatives. We’ve made it very affordable for stallholders to be able to take a punt without losing any money.
"It’s a platform effectively for up-and-coming people and established businesses to sell their wares to a dynamic and receptive crowd.
"Supporting people like that is what we’re about. After covid especially, we support local artists, creators, just people who have a passion to do something and want to make it reality.
"People who started at the market now have their own shops, Deanston Bakery in the south side, East coffee roastery in the east end, they started here and we’ve got loads of others too.
"All the traders seem really happy and we’ve never really had a bad review.
"Everyone’s used to buying stuff online, but it just shows what you can do if you can get people together."
The next Park Lane Market takes place this coming Sunday, May 1 and is based at 974 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, G41 2HA
To find out more about the market and their various traders, you can visit their website here or their Instagram here.
We spoke to Park Lane Market which is one of several independent Glasgow businesses supporting the Made In Glasgow campaign. To find out more and follow the #MadeinGlasgow trail, you can visit @experienceglasgow on Instagram here.
