- Edson Burton and Michael Manson.

‘Medieval market,’ ‘bustling High Street’, ‘wild west’, ‘a wasteland’, ‘massage parlours’, ‘gay area’, ‘up and coming.’ Old Market conjures a myriad of conflicting associations in the minds of Bristolians. There is some truth to all these associations. They reveal the story of Old Market’s brightest hour as part of Bristol’s shopping Golden Mile, the riotous inter war years, the impact of war, post war decline brought on by the redevelopment of the city centre, and revival as Bristol’s gay quarter.