Vibrant market 'bringing people together again' in Liverpool town
A vibrant market boasting 120 stalls is 'bringing people together again' in one area of north Liverpool. Ricky Tomlinson cut the ribbon at Stanley Park Market in Anfield on Wednesday (March 19), as the weekly fixture returns until December.
Stanley Park Market launched in July 2024 for an initial seven-week trial before extending until October due to its popularity and success. It returned again for a festive version from November to December.
The market, which began with around 50 stalls, quickly grew, offering a diverse array of goods, including fresh produce and clothing, with some traders reporting record-breaking sales. On Wednesday, the Anfield bazaar more than doubled this number, with over 120 stalls from 80 traders.
READ MORE: Village in Liverpool is officially the best place to live in the North West
READ MORE: All the best areas to live in Merseyside, according to the Sunday Times
On offer is everything from perfumes, furniture and clothing to fresh meat, vegetables and oils. Not to mention the many food stalls cooking up various snacks and treats for market-goers.
Catherine McNeill, Neighbourhood Manager for Anfield and Everton at Liverpool City Council, told the ECHO they 'couldn't have asked for more' on their first day back. She said: "It's been massive; the car park's full, we've got double the traders and we could have filled it again."
Referring to the sunny weather they'd been blessed with, she added: "I prayed for this weather today." Billy Marrat, the councillor for the Anfield ward, said: "It's absolutely brilliant - and the sun's out.
"It's going to revitalise the area and bring people together again. There's not many shops in the area anymore which serve fresh meat and fresh veg, so this is fantastic.
"The people of Anfield were asking for this and they've responded in great numbers." Of the over 100 stalls at Stanley Park Market is Greek Olive Oil Direct.
The trader, as its name suggests, sells olive oil, but also Corfu honey, balsamic vinegars, herbs, spices and fig pies. Craig Draper, who runs the stall, told the ECHO: "I do Neston and Lark Lane too.
"I was meant to be here last year kept dragging feet. Today has been okay; people been trying a bit of oil and balsamic too. We sell Italian oils too."
Craig has been trading for 18 years, and even has a place in Greece, going 'backwards and forwards all the time' between there and the UK. He added: "There's quite a lot of Greek people in Liverpool and they're always coming down. I have two staff on Lark Lane because it gets that busy."
If you enjoy reading and are looking for a new book, you must visit Roy Fairclough's stall. His vast array of fiction and non-fiction ranges from ancient history to true crime, and everything in between.
His best seller on Wednesday was After the Pictures, a book written by Keith Rose in which Liverpool cinemas are revisited. Roy told the ECHO: "Everything is used, some hundreds of years old to current day.
"There's loads of stuff and I buy and exchange. I've seen an awful lot of books in my time but there's always books I come across that I haven't seen
"This is the first time I've done this market - I normally work other markets. Today's ticked over and it's the first one so I'm happy."
There's plenty of places to grab a bite to eat in the market, with stalls selling donuts, burgers, crepes to mention but a few. Another is Eat Up Gud, which serves Caribbean classics such as goat and yam curry and jerk chicken - all served with traditional rice and peas.
Greg Falola started the stall 15 years ago. He said: "Someone was looking for someone to cook at a market. I gave it a go with my own camping gear and here I am, 15 years later.
"I've done festivals, and the Palm House and Africa Oye in Sefton Park. I don't own a shop because I don't want to do the same thing every day."
Wash that spicy food down with a cup of cordial from Mr Fitzpatrick's but, on your way, see if you can't be tempted to buy some meat from the butcher's van, whose butcher is quite the salesman on the microphone. Drawing a considerable crowd, he uses the old Liverpudlian sense of humour and way with words to try to sell his produce to anyone within hearing distance.
"It's not from Wigan, but it's a big'un," is one of the sayings he used, when describing a cut of beef to potential customers.
Anyway, cordial. Mr Fitzpatrick's, a stall run by Linda Miller, sells 28 different flavours of cordial, ranging from Root Beer to Dandelion and Burdock.
All are suitable for vegans and coeliacs while they also offer a 'no added sugar' range. Linda's concoctions even drew the attention of Ricky Tomlinson on Wednesday.
She told the ECHO: "Ricky's a character and a lovely guy. He got a sarsaparilla. This stall is new to the market and it's been very well received. The weather makes a big difference."
Mr Fitzpatrick's cordials aren't just for drinking either, as Linda says you can cook with many of them. She added: "Sarsaparilla is great for marinating ribs, dandelion and burdock for spatchcocked chicken and 'Iron Brew' is great for gammon - or with a whisky."
Stanley Park Market will be available weekly between 9am and 3pm until mid-December. Chris Connor, who manages the market, said: "It's been good for first day. We're hoping it'll build now everyone knows we're back.
"The people in the area have supported it brilliantly. They've been great."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Business News
25 minutes ago
- Time Business News
Corrado Garibaldi: The Contrarian Trader Who Profits When Others Panic
In the high-stakes world of Trading Invest Celebrity Italy, where herd mentality often leads to costly mistakes, one investor has built his success on a simple but ruthless principle: When others zig, zag. Corrado Garibaldi—better known in finance circles as Lord Conrad—has carved a reputation as a maverick trader who thrives on going against the grain. His mantra? 'Buy the fear. Sell the euphoria.' The Unconventional Path to Trading Mastery Unlike Wall Street's typical Ivy League-educated financiers, Garibaldi is a self-made trader with no formal finance background. An Italian native, he entered the markets out of necessity, driven by a desire to take control of his financial future. 'I never studied economics or attended business school,' he admits. 'I learned by doing—making mistakes, refining strategies, and realizing that most people lose money because they follow the crowd.' The Contrarian Edge: Why 99.9999% of Traders Are Wrong Garibaldi's core philosophy is rooted in contrarian investing—a strategy that capitalizes on market overreactions. 'When everyone is buying, I'm selling. When panic sets in, I'm buying,' he says. 'The masses are almost always wrong at extremes. That's where the real opportunities lie.' This approach has allowed him to profit from major market swings, whether during the crypto crashes of 2022 or the AI stock frenzy of 2024. Two Sides of the Same Coin: Trader by Day, Investor by Night Garibaldi operates in two distinct modes: As a trader, he's a speed-focused tactician, scalping the Nasdaq and executing swing trades with military precision. As an investor, he's a patient wealth-builder, holding long-term positions in giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Tesla while diversifying into bonds and crypto. His portfolio strategy? 99% long-term holdings, 1% high-octane trading—a balance that maximizes growth while keeping risk in check. The Trader's Mindset: Why Psychology Beats IQ For Garibaldi, trading isn't just about charts—it's about mastering fear and greed. 'Most traders fail because they let emotions drive decisions,' he says. 'The key is to stay mechanical. Follow the plan, not the panic.' He enforces strict rules: ✔ Never risk more than 1% on a single trade ✔ Always use stop-losses ✔ Ignore hype—trade the data, not the narrative 2025 and Beyond: Adapt or Die In an era of AI-driven markets and geopolitical volatility, Garibaldi remains agile—constantly refining strategies and engaging with traders worldwide via social media. 'Markets change. If you're not learning, you're losing,' he warns. Final Word: The Slow Road to Trading Success For aspiring traders, Garibaldi's advice is refreshingly honest: 'This isn't a get-rich-quick game. Consistency beats luck. Small, smart gains compound over time—that's how real wealth is built.' Want to see his strategies in action? Visit Trading Invest Celebrity Italy. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sunny Greece struggles with solar energy overload
In a field in central Greece that once grew clover and corn, maintenance worker Nikos Zigomitros deftly drives a tractor between rows of solar panels, trimming weeds under a blazing sun. "Letting them grow too high impairs the panel performance," the 52-year-old explains, wiping sweat from his brow. Once a centre of agricultural production, the area around Kastron Viotias, some 110 kilometres (70 miles) northwest of Athens, has seen solar parks mushroom over the past 15 years, part of a major renewable energy push in the country. Greece currently has 16 gigawatts of renewable energy installed, with solar power representing nearly 10 gigawatts, including 2.5 gigawatts that came on line last year. The rapid growth of solar is similar to other countries in Europe, where it has overtaken coal for electricity production, according to climate think tank Ember. It estimates renewables have risen to account for nearly half of the EU's electricity production. Greece did even better: 55 percent of annual consumption was covered by renewables last year, with solar accounting for around 23 percent, according to SPEF, an association which unites local solar power producers. In 2023, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis predicted that Greece would "soon generate 80 percent of its electricity needs through renewables." But getting there is proving complicated. SPEF chairman Stelios Loumakis said that the solar sector has hit a wall because of a combination of factors, including Greece's small size, limited infrastructure and delays in building up energy storage capacity. - Saturated - The Greek state approved too many photovoltaic projects over the last five years and the market is saturated, leading to a "severe production surplus" on sunny days, the 56-year-old chemical engineer and energy consultant said. Greece's national grid operator in May repeatedly ordered thousands of medium-sized operators to shut down during the sunniest hours of the day to avoid overburdening the network and triggering a blackout. "The trick is to balance supply and demand. If you don't do it well, you get a blackout," said Nikos Mantzaris, a senior policy analyst and partner at the independent civil organisation Green Tank. In April, a huge blackout of unknown origin crippled the Iberian Peninsula. The Spanish government has said two major power fluctuations were recorded in the half-hour before the grid collapse, but the government insisted renewables were not to blame. "It could be something as mundane as a faulty cable," Mantzaris said. - Batteries 'crucial' - To manage the surplus, Greece is building battery storage capacity. But catching up to its solar electricity production will take years. "The next three years will be crucial," said Stelios Psomas, a policy advisor at HELAPCO, a trade association for Greek companies producing and installing solar panels. In the meantime, solar panel operators will have to ensure production does not outstrip capacity, thereby limiting their potential earnings. "Managing high shares of renewables -- especially solar -- requires significant flexibility and storage solutions," said Francesca Andreolli, a senior researcher at ECCO, a climate change think tank in Italy, which faces a similar problem. "Battery capacity has become a structural necessity for the electricity system, by absorbing excess renewable energy and releasing it when demand rises," she told AFP. - Farm income - Mimis Tsakanikas, a 51-year-old farmer in Kastron, readily admits that solar has been good to his family. The photovoltaic farm they built in 2012 at a cost of 210,000 euros clears at least 55,000 euros a year, far more than he could hope to earn by growing vegetables and watermelons. "This park sustains my home," he said. But the father of two also notes that the environmental balance has tipped in his area, with the spread of solar installations now causing concerns about the local microclimate. Tsakanikas says the area has already experienced temperature rises of up to 4.0 degrees Celsius (7.2 Fahrenheit), which he blames on the abundance of heat-absorbing solar panel parks in the area. "The microclimate has definitely changed, we haven't seen frost in two years," he told AFP. "(At this rate) in five years, we'll be cultivating bananas here, like in Crete," he said. jph-bur/rl/cw/phz
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sunny Greece struggles with solar energy overload
In a field in central Greece that once grew clover and corn, maintenance worker Nikos Zigomitros deftly drives a tractor between rows of solar panels, trimming weeds under a blazing sun. "Letting them grow too high impairs the panel performance," the 52-year-old explains, wiping sweat from his brow. Once a centre of agricultural production, the area around Kastron Viotias, some 110 kilometres (70 miles) northwest of Athens, has seen solar parks mushroom over the past 15 years, part of a major renewable energy push in the country. Greece currently has 16 gigawatts of renewable energy installed, with solar power representing nearly 10 gigawatts, including 2.5 gigawatts that came on line last year. The rapid growth of solar is similar to other countries in Europe, where it has overtaken coal for electricity production, according to climate think tank Ember. It estimates renewables have risen to account for nearly half of the EU's electricity production. Greece did even better: 55 percent of annual consumption was covered by renewables last year, with solar accounting for around 23 percent, according to SPEF, an association which unites local solar power producers. In 2023, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis predicted that Greece would "soon generate 80 percent of its electricity needs through renewables." But getting there is proving complicated. SPEF chairman Stelios Loumakis said that the solar sector has hit a wall because of a combination of factors, including Greece's small size, limited infrastructure and delays in building up energy storage capacity. - Saturated - The Greek state approved too many photovoltaic projects over the last five years and the market is saturated, leading to a "severe production surplus" on sunny days, the 56-year-old chemical engineer and energy consultant said. Greece's national grid operator in May repeatedly ordered thousands of medium-sized operators to shut down during the sunniest hours of the day to avoid overburdening the network and triggering a blackout. "The trick is to balance supply and demand. If you don't do it well, you get a blackout," said Nikos Mantzaris, a senior policy analyst and partner at the independent civil organisation Green Tank. In April, a huge blackout of unknown origin crippled the Iberian Peninsula. The Spanish government has said two major power fluctuations were recorded in the half-hour before the grid collapse, but the government insisted renewables were not to blame. "It could be something as mundane as a faulty cable," Mantzaris said. - Batteries 'crucial' - To manage the surplus, Greece is building battery storage capacity. But catching up to its solar electricity production will take years. "The next three years will be crucial," said Stelios Psomas, a policy advisor at HELAPCO, a trade association for Greek companies producing and installing solar panels. In the meantime, solar panel operators will have to ensure production does not outstrip capacity, thereby limiting their potential earnings. "Managing high shares of renewables -- especially solar -- requires significant flexibility and storage solutions," said Francesca Andreolli, a senior researcher at ECCO, a climate change think tank in Italy, which faces a similar problem. "Battery capacity has become a structural necessity for the electricity system, by absorbing excess renewable energy and releasing it when demand rises," she told AFP. - Farm income - Mimis Tsakanikas, a 51-year-old farmer in Kastron, readily admits that solar has been good to his family. The photovoltaic farm they built in 2012 at a cost of 210,000 euros clears at least 55,000 euros a year, far more than he could hope to earn by growing vegetables and watermelons. "This park sustains my home," he said. But the father of two also notes that the environmental balance has tipped in his area, with the spread of solar installations now causing concerns about the local microclimate. Tsakanikas says the area has already experienced temperature rises of up to 4.0 degrees Celsius (7.2 Fahrenheit), which he blames on the abundance of heat-absorbing solar panel parks in the area. "The microclimate has definitely changed, we haven't seen frost in two years," he told AFP. "(At this rate) in five years, we'll be cultivating bananas here, like in Crete," he said. jph-bur/rl/cw/phz Sign in to access your portfolio
