I was in two minds about mentioning the passer-by in the last photo, but since you ask, Ghostly! She is most likely a student- there are many around Rusholme. She looks boldly into the camera, with some amusement on her face: Why is some Rasta guy photographing an empty bench early in the morning? People told me Rusholme was full of crazies but...
This part of Rusholme is where bootleg DVDs are sold. Jaded, stalk thin young Chinese women with heavy carrier bags, circulate endlessly, asking all and sundry do you want DVDs. If you do, they move you into a shop to avoid spying eyes (and probably circumvent street trading laws) and a deal is done. I’ve watched their minder, an emaciated guy who chainsmokes and hangs around bus stops but never catches a bus.