Memories of market that was a child’s wonderland

Published: 20 January, 2011

• I READ with great interest your editorial on Exmouth Market, with the photograph of a group who were singing the its praises (Market values, January 14).

Sorry, it can no longer be called a market – perhaps Exmouth Eatery or Exmouth Walk, but never a market.

May I explain, as a 73-year-old I remember it as a wonderland, especially at Christmas. 

All the stalls were lit up with gas lamps, fruit gleaming, oranges stacked individually in their tissue wrap. 

This is the Exmouth Market I remember, holding my mum’s hand, to watch mesmerised, as Val, the guv’nor of Manzes eel-and-pie shop with her trays of live eels, killed and prepared  them for customers. You could not walk between stalls; there were so many.

There were grocery shop staff in their gleaming white coats and aprons; the men with straw hats – I could go on forever.

Those people in the photograph know nothing of Exmouth Market when it truly was a market, and sadly it never will be again.

To prove my point, here’s a list of what used to be in the wonderful market: Bettison’s fashions, Wilson’s butchers, Redford tobacconists, Maypole grocers, Sainsbury’s, Peark’s grocers, Woolworths, Barker Bros fruit-and-veg, Lewis Taylor grocers, Medcalf butchers, Manzes eel-and-pie, Morris Glanz ladies’ fashions, Penley’s In-Out shop, Finch’s pub, the salad stall, Coate’s fish stall, the bacon and ham shop, Gus Edwards sweet shop, the rabbit stall, the egg stall, May fruit-and-veg, Rosie Fitzgerald’s fruit-and-veg, Kilby’s ladies’ support garments, Harrison’s meat and Bata’s shoes.

These are all but a few I can remember. Perhaps other folk of my age will be able to remind me of many more?

Bill Ward
Gee Street, EC1

• IT is good to see that Exmouth Market has been named “Great Street 2011”, mainly as a result of the policies of Debenham Property Trust.

I wonder if Councillor Paul Convery, in charge of leisure and regeneration, has been there recently. The road and pavements are disgraceful as is the street furniture. He should not be congratulating himself and the council for its efforts.

BOB TOOKEY
WC1