On any given day there are hundreds of people milling around Stockport's Merseyway shopping centre and the surrounding streets.
The collection of more than 90 shops, cafes and eateries in one central location draws people young and old to the area, as well people from other parts of Greater Manchester.
People like to do a bit of shopping, stop for lunch, and say hello to the traders who many see more as friends than business owners. READ MORE: Date set for Bee Network's move to a London-style touch-in, touch-out payment system Others stop by on their way to the Underbanks, the town's trendy hangout place with bars, restaurants, and shops running along its historic cobbled streets.
But a few years ago things were very different, locals say, when there were worries about whether the Merseyway shopping centre had any future at all.
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