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Commercial
Union
Now the home of Vivienne Westwood's boutique this building at 47 Spring Gardens was built by Charles Heathcote in 1881. Heathcote's client was the Commercial Union Assurance Society.  The Commercial Union
has a history that can be traced back to the 1600s
involving a union of a number of fire insurance
companies. Among its customers over the years have
been a young Winston Churchill and the White Star
Line's Titanic.
 The "Time Out
Manchester" web site says of the Vivienne
Westwood boutique at 47 Spring Gardens, "Viv is
from nearby Glossop, so it's only right that she
should have a dedicated boutique here. And it
does her justice. Carved mahogany display cases
reveal glittering Westwood orb jewellery, the
latest collections are hung beside huge gilt
mirrors and there's a chaise longue on which to
try the latest shoe ranges. The pricey but
stunning main collection sells alongside the
diffusion line T-shirts and every self
respecting Manc fashionist owns a tartan
Westwood bag."
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