Stories by Anne Knight
Ashton Market
Last week my husband and I went to Ashton market. We travelled
by bus, having to catch two buses. We were lucky to get off the first
bus and straight onto the Ashton bus. The journey was a pleasant one,
passing through places I knew, such as Woodley where my Gran once lived,
also Hyde. It was a nice journey, we arrived at Ashton. Getting off the
bus, we looked around the outside market, then onto the new indoor
market, which is open all week. So I'm told.
Wanting to look for the haberdashery stall but not finding it, we looked
for a café. I didn't mind the market one, but no, my husband
decided to take me for our lunch in the large store selling Swedish
furniture.
He assured me there was a cafe there. He took me the long way round, so
I found out after. We had a quick look at the furniture, but not for us,
too modern. As I was very tired we had lunch. To get our lunch was so
confusing. There was a trolley with two trays, but my husband was having
none of that, he took a tray and asked for our required needs. I looked
and saw that there were trolleys and so I got one. We got our meals and
asked for some tea. ‘The cups are in those blue stacks.’ So, seeing
them, I quickly got two, then we could have tea. I had a salad and my
husband tuna potato. We pushed the double trolley to a long table,
the trolleys are a little bit like the supermarket type trolley. I was
very glad to sit down and rest as well as eat. We stayed a little while,
then we finished and put the pots where we were told to. Then we walked
round the store. I found it much too hot, so we left and walked back
into Ashton Centre.
We were not keen on it but it was my husband's idea, we both agreed that
we would not go again when visiting Ashton market. We made our way to
the inside market. After a while I found the haberdashery man, after
asking a stallholder where it was. ‘Hello,’ he said. ‘Oh,’ said I, ‘you
have it like you had in the other place.’ ‘Yes,’ said the stallholder.
‘I try to keep to it that way.’ I was pleased that he had not made it
too neat. ‘I'm not buying today, but did want to see if your stall was
there.’ ‘That's okay,’ replied the stallholder. ‘See you another time.’
We both said our goodbyes, being by now rather tired and leg weary.
Going through the bus station I saw our bus for Stockport, I'm so glad I
spotted it. Showing our bus passes we got on. The journey took one hour
from Ashton to Stockport. Our home bus was in, so we got on it. When we
arrived at our stop I got my husband to look at his watch. Yes, one
hour. We strolled down the road to our house and opened the door. Once
inside we put the kettle on for tea and a good rest, resting my legs on
a leg rest. It was a long day but we both said we would do it again, but
not to the big store. Too far for me. The sun was shining, our tea in
our hands. Resting after a long day.