Benjamin Nuttall

In November of 2015, news came from Bolton Council that Farnworth market would close. In its place, amongst the rubble, remain only memories and the centuries of history that came before.

Friday the 26th of February saw its residents pack up for the final time. My father had traded on the market from the age of nineteen, and looks back at its once vibrant past at the age of fifty-seven. For me, markets have always held the strong value of community, as Farnworth was once for many a chance to socialise. Perhaps their only chance.

 As I learnt of the closure, I spent it’s last three months of trade documenting the life inside, the beating heart- the people. The final days shown here, sadly, will never compare to the hay day of enterprise, labour and bustle it once saw. Nevertheless, I witnessed the still living spirit, which was enduring until its final day. 

This is a limited run publication, printed A5 on 170gsm silk paper, 44 pages