‘Nottingham boasts a wide range of world-famous brands,’ writes Platform’s Taylor Ind.
The city can be thanked for the candy-striped clothes of Paul Smith, the hangover-soothing ibuprofen found at Boots and the beloved bikes of Raleigh.
But tucked away in a small corner off the beaten track lies Sneinton Market – a vibrant, bohemian area that is slowly but surely leaving its own stamp on the world.
Today, the area is buzzing with independent shops and creativity, from eye-catching window displays to neon shop signs – Sneinton Market is not short of quirky charm that has even captured the attention of A-list celebrities.
In recent years, however, questions have been raised over how the area is being managed by Nottingham City Council.
From the now-scrapped Creative Quarter project to many of the units sitting vacant, Sneinton Market shop owners are asking if enough is being done to support the area.
“I absolutely love being here – but it’s just so quiet”
One of the many business owners in Sneinton Market is independent artist and furniture designer, Herbie Hare.
Herbie, whose real name is Adrian, came to the area a year ago and has since been making a name for himself.
With his colourful shop full to the brim with pop art-inspired pieces and punk paraphernalia, his work is hard to miss.
The designer says he has always had a passion for art and couldn’t wait to open his own gallery after years working as a painter and decorator.
“I’ve been doing art since I was a kid – about five or six years old,” he said.
“About 20 years ago, I moved to Cornwall and did a bit of work in this café. I’d done some paintings on the walls there and people were asking to buy them.
“They started flying off the shelf and I was like ‘bloody hell!’ So, I started selling them properly.”
Eventually Herbie moved back to Nottingham and, after selling art out of his garage for a while, he managed to get a gallery in Sneinton Market.
“I kept coming down here bugging them to see if any spaces had become available and finally one did – this one,” he added.
Fast forward to now, and Herbie has been commissioned by a series of celebrity clients, including Jade Jagger and most recently Pete Doherty – to name a couple.
Although Herbie enjoys working out of his Sneinton Market studio, he says he wishes the area was busier.
“I absolutely love being here – but it’s just so quiet. I thought it would be a lot busier here but there are a lot of empty shops that people are just queuing to get in!”
“The council need to pull their fingers out and get people in the empty lots. It could be buzzing round here – it’s such a cool area.”
When asked what he thought could be done to encourage more customers to the area, Herbie said: “I think Sneinton Market should be signposted all the way from the train station because nobody knows it’s here.
“People just sort of stumble upon it.”
The history of the market
In the late 1930s, Sneinton Market was divided into the avenues that we know today, serving as fish, meat and vegetable markets after the Nottingham Corporation approved redevelopment of the area.
Walking through the units today, all that remains of the past is the 30’s-style buildings – now donned with window displays of modern art and up cycled clothing.
The area has become a hub for creatives and the images of an old meat and veg market seem like distant memories.
In recent years, there have been attempts from the council, universities and businesses to bring more investment into the area.
The most recent – The Creative Quarter Project – was established by Nottingham City Council in 2012.
Upon the project’s creation, long-term businesses in the market were invited to be part of the ‘Creative Quarter,’ with the hopes that it would help to boost trade.
“It’s important that every city has some kind of creative hub”
Fashion label One BC was one of those contacted by the council.
Co-owners, Reeta and Tony Brack have been in Sneinton Market since 1998 – but the One BC label has been up and running since 1974.
It has undergone various name changes over the years, but the sentiment has remained the same -it is a self-described ‘label with attitude’.
In their over 50 years of designing, the couple have amassed a star-studded clientele, ranging from the world-renowned Rolling Stones to the legendary Freddie Mercury – but it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the duo.
When asked about their involvement in the Creative Quarter project, which has since closed, Reeta said: “The council got in touch with an idea to start the project because we have a lot of contacts with artists and designers.
“It ended up being horrendous because in the end no one wanted to move in – it was just so expensive and the whole thing was badly managed”
Tony added: “I think that’s getting to be a problem with Nottingham in general – something is always nearly happening and then it gets to a certain point where it fizzles out again.”
The couple also faced challenges in 2020 – when they were told that they would have to move out to make way for an extension of student accommodation by providers IQ, after a planning application was approved.
“It was devastating,” Reeta recalled.
“It was more to do with the fact that the landlord didn’t tell us directly – it was a shock to the system in the way it was done.”
“It’s important that every city has some kind of creative hub for people to be involved in – when we first moved here, there were lots of creative spaces but now it is poorly maintained.” She added.
Tamily Cookson, interim CEO of the QCQ said: “We are proud of the legacy that has been created” in an interview with Nottingham live, discussing Sneinton Market.
For now, the future of Sneinton Market is uncertain, but one thing is clear: it’s had an impressive impact on Nottingham and the World.
Nottingham City Council has been approached for comment.