Grand Central

this is a very nice place to go there a seat that you can sit down if ur tiered and it is very very clean

Gaze on me in wonder for I am the only person in the history of mankind who never went to the old Quiggins. Don’t begin to think it was some kind of protest or anything at all to do with my own resolution, I just never got round to it.
Oh, I was present for the conversations though. First people would bang on about the place, then they complained it wasn’t as good as it used to be, then they lamented its closure. Just like the Iranian army or a coma, one other thing I’ve never been ‘in’ is the loop. Old Grampa Dave.
Grand Central is the closest I can get to the golden memories of this mythical shop of shops. Trudging around what feels like the nest of some burrowing animal, part of me can see the appeal. This is the textbook illustration of ‘alternative’ and provides a handy diversion from the scorchingly glossy places elsewhere.
The downside is my age and non-​emoness. The customers here all make me feel old and those skinny birdlike jeans the young ‘uns of today wear make me want to chew their fringes off in venomous rage. Lots of them can be found here.

The ultimate emo /​alternative shopping experience in Liverpool, a smaller version of Manchester’s Afflecks Palace, it’s basically, if my view of the interior artwork on the walls is correct, some sort of underwater Aladdin’s cave of treasure for the dyed hair, tight jean wearing, pierced youth of my not– so-​distant past. I still think it’s great, they’ve got some cool vintage shops with wacky names like ‘Curious Orange’ and a piercing studio upstairs which I’d definitely recommend even if I personally wouldn’t get my nose pierced again. Also, I noticed a small Tarot reading stall tucked away amid the labyrinth of mini shops; I don’t put any stock in that but it could be a bit of a laugh. So if it’s a blast from the past, some ‘Cult Vinyl’ or luminous nail-​varnish and hair-​dye you were looking for, you need search no further.

Quiggins for me has to be one of the weirdest stores I have been to in Liverpool which is what makes it so unique being that alternative store it is. The reason I find it weird is because this place gives me the creeps but in an interesting fashion! It is almost Adams family like in nature and I used to love the Adams family!
The store has now moved to a bigger location after it had to be closed due to the Paradise Street Project in 2008. It hosts the type of wear that would attract those who are more gothic and emo in style, so it is a great store to have as you won’t find a similar store anywhere else.

Quiggins! As a teenager seeking out the best in band T-​shirts and posters, I often found myself in Afflecks in Manchester, but an equal alternative was the Quiggins shopping centre in Liverpool. However during the Capital of Culture bid it found itself under attack as planners wanted to acquisition the building in which it was housed, and they weren’t going without a fight. Protests, petitions, they threw everything they could at the government but had to admit defeat and close the School Lane site in 2006.
While Liverpool One has since overtaken the original demolished building, the traders have moved to a new and far more exciting site. See, you just can’t keep a good alternative shopping centre down! Now occupying the spot where my mother saw countless bands as a teenager on Renshaw Street, the Old Central Hall, Quiggins has much more of a market feel and definitely veers more towards the vintage, something I certainly won’t complain about. It’s not owned by the same people but residents have come to associate it with the original Quiggins due to many of the old traders taking up there.
They’ve used the space incredibly well and made it quirky and beautiful, particularly with all its original features. The markets offer some of the finest vintage wares this side of Camden, with retro fascinators, delicate dresses, jewellery and furs being particular specialities. I love having a good old nose around here and it’s a very ornate spot too, certainly worth checking out if only for its breathtaking architecture. You’ll be sorry if you miss out on this incarnation of Quiggins, it’s really rather good.