Big week in little Flixton. Not only has The Long Shot Exp. launched a fresh crop of caps but Mike, mighty milliner and founder of Long Shot, has put together a Top 5 of local independents for our web-based weekend exploration. Hold on to your, errr, hats…
1. Note Shop, Northern Quarter
First things first, skateboarding is not a sport. It is a wonderfully immersive way of life and the best people to guide you through this magical world are the ladies and gentlemen of your local skater owned skateshop. Note’s two shops in the Northern Quarter provide everything you need and more. During this past year it seems many kids have picked up a board for the first time and if I can give one piece of advice to parents it is take your children to the local skate shop, the staff may seem weird at first but they are fantastic and will open the doors to a positive cultural experience.
2. Bags of Flavor, Tib Street
Richie was one of the first people I got to know in Manchester over twenty years ago. He is a living subculture encyclopaedia and if you can get him talking you’ll discover gems of knowledge that the internet will never know. The shop is always chock full of treasure for your mind, body and soul.
3. Libero, Altrincham
The premise is simple, somewhere to watch the football with nice beers and no knobheads. Ian, Paul and Danielle have achieved this small but elusive dream in an Altrincham courtyard. Given the current situations, founder Paul (Rooney) will bring beer to your door with his DeliveRooney service. The bar is small and friendly with room outside in the courtyard if, like me, you not a fan of the match.
4. Figurments
Figments produce small runs of high quality, unisex clothing. Made in the UK for the best part, influences come from Dutch Masters and Japanese woodblock prints as well as Rob and Gre’s backgrounds in skateboarding and tattooing.
5. Passion Fruit Coffee Roasters, Ayres Road, Old Trafford
Passion Fruit’s shop and roastery on Ayres Road, Old Trafford, is not only filled with incredible coffee but beautiful chocolate and various coffee related trinkets – I have no idea what they’re for but I want them nonetheless. I met Shen when I was looking for locally roasted coffee to package with Long Shot’s collaboration with Percy Dean Ceramics. She delivered the goods and anyone who copped a Long Shot Coffee Club set knows that’s the double truth Ruth!
Long Shot create meticulously designed and crafted headwear, made by hand, one at a time in Manchester. The first spring pieces have just dropped on their website.
Brothers & Sisters 