| Welcome to this podcast about the Sheepmarket, which is one of the oldest parts of the city. |
| As its name suggests, there was originally a market here where farmers brought their sheep, |
| but now it's been redeveloped into a buzzing, vibrant area of the city, |
| which is also home to one of the city's fastest-growing communities. |
| The nearby university has always meant the area's popular with students, who come in to enjoy the lively nightlife, |
| but now graduates embarking on careers in the worlds of fashion and design |
| are buying up the new apartments recently built here |
| to replace the small houses where the market workers used to live. |
| The narrow old side streets are great places for finding original pictures, jewellery and ceramics which won't break the bank, |
| as well as local produce like fruit and vegetables. |
| There's also lots of pavement cafes where you can have a coffee and watch tourists from all over the world go by. |
| The oldest buildings in the area are on the main streets, |
| including the city's first department store, built in the 1880s, which is still open today. |
| The Sheepmarket is a centre for fashion, |
| and there's a policy of encouraging new young designers. |
| The Young Fashion competition is open to local young people who are passionate about fashion. |
| This year they've been asked to design an outfit based on ideas from the music and technology that's part of their everyday life, |
| using both natural and man-made fibres. |
| The garments will be judged by a panel of experts and fashion designers, |
| and the winning entries will be modelled at a special gala evening. |
| Parking at the Sheepmarket is easy. |
| There are plenty of pay and display car parking spaces on the roadsides |
| which are fine if you just want to stay for an hour or two, |
| but if you want to spend the day there, it's better to park in one of the four underground car parks. |
| It's not expensive and if you can present a receipt from one of the local stores, you'll not be charged at all. |
| After six pm many of the car parks have a flat rate which varies but it is usually very reasonable. |
| The Sheepmarket is one of the main centres for art and history in the whole of the country. |
| If you look at our map, you'll see some of the main attractions there. |
| Most visitors start from Crawley Road, at the bottom of the map. |
| The Reynolds House is one of the oldest houses in the city, and is open to the public. |
| It's on the north side of Crawley Road, next to the footpath that leads to the public gardens. |
| The area's particularly interesting for its unusual sculptures. |
| The Thumb is just what its name suggests, but it's about 10 metres high. |
| You'll see it on Hill Road, across the road from the Bank. |
| The Museum's got a particularly fine collection of New Zealand landscapes. |
| It's on the east side of the Sheepmarket, on City Road. |
| It's on the other side of the road from the public gardens, immediately facing the junction with Hill Road. |
| The Contemporary Art Gallery is on a little road that leads off Station Square, not far from the public gardens. |
| The road ends at the gallery - it doesn't go anywhere else. |
| That's open every day except Mondays. |
| The Warner Gallery specialises in 19th-century art. |
| It's on City Road, near the junction with Crawley Road, |
| on the same side of the road as the public gardens. |
| It's open on weekdays from 9 to 5, and entry is free. |
| Finally, if you're interested in purchasing high quality artwork, |
| the place to go is Nucleus. |
| You need to go from Crawley Road up through Station Square and east along Hill Road |
| until you get to a small winding road turning off. |
| Go up there and it's on your right - |
| if you get to City Road you've gone too far. |