Shirley Baker was a hugely important street photographer who captured images of the people and places in Manchester and Salford during the 60’s,70’s and 80’s. Her work is now shown in galleries around the world as it marks the enormous changes we have seen in an historically short time. Today we think nothing of the vast array of images collected everyday and displayed on the net for everyone to see. It may seem obvious to some but It cannot be stressed enough just how few documentary images we have of the regular people of Manchester during these times. It is therefore important for us to celebrate the gift of these images that Shirley Baker has provided in her legacy.     I had first seen this image by chance in 2000 at the opening of the Lowry centre in Salford; I was immediately attracted to it because of its subject matter and composition. This and the other images stuck with me because I was a child that grew up on the streets of Salford and Manchester from 1970. I frequented similar streets whilst spending a lot of time skateboarding during the eighties and in effect playing on those streets in a similar way to the girls depicted in the image. The girls in the image have adapted their meagre surroundings for fun in exactly the same way skateboarders do today.   Fast forward to 2017 and sadly Shirley Baker is no longer with us but after a few too many years in my ideas folder I thought it worthwhile doing a little research and contacting Shirley’s daughter Nan. What has resulted is the Black Sheep Store has been given permission to produce an exclusively numbered 50 skateboard decks of this iconic image. I am personally so stoked to get this graphic made a reality and honoured to celebrate a true Manchester creative “Shirley Baker”.   Harry.   If you'd like to get your hand on one of these limited edition decks then do so by hitting the link... Black Sheep x Shirley Baker Decks.   We have also given you the option to have each deck and cruiser set up as a complete skateboard and the premium complete includes Independent trucks, Spitfire wheels and Bones Reds bearings. Be sure to check those out too if you are an individual who would like to skate one rather than use the deck as a wall hanger.