Bold Street retailers fight back with festival
The newly founded Bold Street Traders Association, created in response to the retail core shift threatened by Grosvenor's imposing Liverpool One retail scheme, is holding a street festival this weekend, on Saturday 4 October.
Using the slogan the True Independents of Liverpool, the street's retailers aim to celebrate "Liverpool's most unique shopping district packed with fashion, lifestyle and specialist stores, cool cafes and bars, and cutting edge cultural institutions".
Activities will include Brazilian Samba dancing and live music, free food and wine tastings, live DJs, goody bags, competitions and raffles to win free prizes, discounts in a wide range of stores and a big charity fundraising event in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness. For kids there are Laurel and Hardy acts, magicians, face-painting, storytelling and a design-a-rubber duck competition.
Dick Mawdsley, from Utility, chairman of the Bold Street Traders Association, said: "Bold Street has always been known as the independent quarter of Liverpool with probably the best selection of independent retailers in the North West. With its historic buildings echoing Liverpool's architectural heritage Bold Street has evolved into Liverpool's most vibrant district and is an antidote to bland, boring identikit High Street Britain.
"We are really looking forward to the festival. So many stores on the street have agreed to take part and have organised different events that it is going to be a great day out. It's a real chance for Bold Street to show off its independent spirit."
