Viva Brighton Issue #74 April 2019

MY SPACE
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All the stall holders are on first name terms,
and a lot of us have nicknames. I’m ‘Captain’
because of the sailing hat I wear. Stall holders
tend to stay around for the long haul, so the
market is like a social occasion for us.
That’s just as well, because times are hard.
All the Brexit uncertainty has led to people
being very careful with what they spend. In the
last five months sales have dropped off and off
and off. Winters are always difficult: this one
has been exceptionally so.
I have an arrangement with Steve, who runs
the stall next to me. He books the stalls from
the Council, and I give him and his stuff a lift in
the morning, in my Toyota High Ace van. The
Council, it must be said, have been very helpful
over the years with any concerns we’ve had.
The market has been going since 1843, and
Steve has been operating since then. Joking
apart, John, on the other side, has been
running a stall since he was a boy working
alongside his father, who went back to who
knows when.
The most expensive item I’ve ever sold? I
remember the occasion well. It was a Zandra
Rhodes dress, for £75. Happy days.
As told to Alex Leith
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