Sebastian Dixon is the owner of Gone Fishing Vintage, a shop on Oldham Street known locally for three reasons: 1) it’s the best place in Manchester to find anything with a slight paninaro influence, 2) it’s in possession of a bench that is never without sun, and 3) it has what might as well be the last independent toilet in the NQ. While that last part is a terrible in-joke, the looming threats of development are turning the NQ into a homogenised blend of big brands and mini-coalitions of bars all owned by the same people. Gone Fishing’s existence is a testament to independent business, and the whole reason the NQ defined itself as a destination in the 90s.
As part of our long-standing Favourite Fives series, we’ve grabbed Seb for 10 mins to find out what five of his favourite things are – from items of clothing to documentaries. Seb, being the busy man he is, sent over a series of voice notes to answer our questions.
Q1: Most of your time is spent digging through vintage clothing. What’s your favourite item that you’ve ever found?
VN1: It was at a festival – what’s that dead posh one where the Tories go? (Wilderness) – It was from this Egyptian guy selling silk shirts, they were all a fiver, flicked through and found a Moschino shirt, think it was called Love’s Nature shirt, it sold the next day for £350. That’s probably not my favourite shirt but it was a profitable one.
VN2: But my favourite item of clothing has to be a prototype Stone Island hunting jacket with a removable hood, a blue reflective one, no one’s ever seen one before, it was just dead cool.
VN3: I’ve got bare favourite items of clothing man, I don’t know, what do you think?
Q2: Have you got a favourite film or documentary?
VN4: It’s that one set in Egypt bro, with the Pharaohs, man. That’s why I wanna go to Egypt, remember when we was gonna go after Covid?
J: Documentary in question: Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb, 2020. Highlights from the doc: discovering that Tutankhamun wasn’t a successful Pharaoh, he just lived at a time when Egypt was richest, and therefore his legacy is the most celebrated.
Q3: Favourite place to eat in Manchester?
VN5: Bar San Juan or This ‘n’ That, cheap and cheerful innit, either or.
Q4: Favourite album of all time?
VN6: Obviously, answer to my favourite album of all time, Lil Wayne’s The Carter II.
VN7: I grew up on Manchester grime, though, so like Shifty, Fiasco, Wrigley, that sorta shit.
VN8: Also, favourite album, no, my actual favourite album is The College Drop Out, probably, but my first album ever bought was Lil Wayne which holds a special place in my heart.
Q:5 Favourite place to visit or relax?
VN9: Naples cos it’s rough n ready and after a few days in the city centre of grime and mafia gangs you can take a 45 min train to Sorrento, Positano, Capri, blah blah and chill on the beach.
Give Seb’s store a follow on instagram, pop in there in real life or head to the website. It’s good.
