It’s the shopping area with the third largest footfall in Greater Manchester after the Arndale and the Trafford Centre.

Anyone visiting Bury on a Friday morning would probably agree with that, hearing the background hum of conversation and cries of traders harking their wares ringing outamong labyrinth of stalls on the town’s famous outdoor market.

Shoppers were vying for spaces at the nearby Mill Gate and Rock shopping centre car parks and coachloads of visitors from out of the borough

were disembarking and flowing into the market area, eager for a bargain and maybe a cooked breakfast.

Earlier this year Chris Roberts, development director at Bruntwood who are involved in regeneration projects in town, hailed Bury as the ‘regional capital’ of North Greater Manchester, citing its strong attraction and strategic positioning.

Regeneration plans for the town include proposals to transform the Mill Gate Shopping Centre with new shops, leisure, residential and business opportunities.

Alongside this, a new £20m Flexi Hall, which will have a multifunctional events space that can support market stalls, ‘pop-up’ trading, live performance and community events is set to be built.

At the centre of Bury’s retail attraction is its outdoor market, which operates fully on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Around for more than 500 years, Bury Market is often described by townsfolk as ‘the pride of the the town’.

Attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors per year it proudly lives up to its ‘world famous’ label and description by Bury council as a ‘very large traditional market in a modern setting’.

It has been voted ‘market of the year’ in 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2015, and Britain’s Favourite Market in both 2019 and 2022. The Local Democracy Reporting Service visited the town centre to ask visitors what the appeal of shopping in Bury is:

Walter Brash, 71, from Workington is laden with four full shopping bags after an hour of shopping. He says he’s visited markets up and down the country and ‘Bury is by far the best’.

He said: “We have our caravan at Blackpool at the moment and every time we’re in the area we come to Bury. “It’s second to none, the people, the shops and the market.

“We’ve been been to Skegness market recently and that was nice but not a patch on here. “Look at all these bags, I’ve bought meat, clothes, fruit and veg and flowers. “All that and I’ve had a belting English breakfast.”

Peter Rawlings and and Sheryl Frazer, both 69, hail from the village of Wainfleet All Saints in Lincolnshire and were visiting family who live in Worsley.

Sheryl said: “The beauty for me of Bury town centre is that it’s bustling, busy and I can honestly say the people around here are welcoming and warm.

“I’ve always got an eye for a good deal and have picked up some Marks & Spencer clothing seconds at a stall, bought some Christmas presents, been to the pet stall and used a book swap.

“It’s the best place for a bargain I’ve been to. “It’s how shopping used to be and I hope it continues to be busy.”

Mother and daughter Gemma Hall, from Elton and Christina Percival, from Tottington, visit the town centre every Friday. Christina, 75, said: “I wouldn’t say the market and town centre are old fashioned – more like how things used to be generations ago and I think that’s a good thing.

“I’m fiercely proud of what we have in Bury. “I worked on a stall here for eight years selling children’s clothes. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it but I loved every day with the banter and meeting people. “The coach parties coming here are important. A lot of the coach trips are organised from people staying in Blackpool and I’m told it’s one of their most popular excursions.

“It’s great to speak to people from up and down the country and I don’t think coming to Bury disappoints.”

Gemma, 49, said: “Coming to the market is something I’ve always done with my mum and we still come once or twice a week. “I’ve bought wool and trimmings and we’ve sat down for a coffee. “I’m proud of the traditional aspect we’ve got with the market.”

Amy and Paul Downey, from Atherton, say they travel to Bury once or twice a month to shop. Amy said: “It has got everything here, we enjoy the market and the shopping centres have most of the big names. “We’re prepared to make the trip because we find it a more welcoming and busier town centre than others closer to us. “It definitely has a good atmosphere on market day.”

Heather Deane from Rochdale say she travels to Bury as ‘Rochdale has lost it’s market to all intents and purposes’. She said: “I’ve been coming here for 50 years because as anyone will tell you it’s the best market around.

“I’m getting a Christmas jumper for my husband today but I’ve not decided whether it’s snowmen or reindeers yet.”