It was uncommonly busy on Saturdays. All the stalls had red and blue awnings and all the market traders were shouting. Fruit was for sale, of course, and vegetables, and fish. Fish is quintessential in any market, on a bed of ice with a grizzled trader shouting ‘Haddock! Haddock for sale!’ over them. Other things were displayed in their stalls as well, army uniforms, clothes, towels, and badges all were included in this market. The whole market had so much colour to it; especially the fruit stall- from fire engine red tomatoes to amethyst purple grapes. The oranges lay in their crates, quietly, only to be picked up and fondled by passing customers. The same with the melons and the apples. A spilt water can rolls over the pavement, the water is trickling down the road in tiny tributaries, finally spilling into the gutter. There are olives, too. Wooden bowls full of tiny, medium and large black, brown and green olives. There are tomatoes too, and cheese- it’s an Italian feast.
The people in the market are very interesting as well- it’s quite simply a cross section of society. There are the groups of teenagers, who aren’t being loutish but are just sitting on the benches in the town or browsing the clothes stalls. Then there are the Mums and children with buggies- the mums are forever telling their brood not to touch the Frozen toys, or the fruits or the fish. The slightly strange bearded men with their accordions are there, eating fish and chips while sitting on the benches, staring at the whole scene. They have their hats and their sticks with the shiny silver skulls on top of them. The teenagers are slightly wary.
Of course, it’s not just all about the market, people are using the other shops as well. The market takes place in the high street, and nearby there are book shops, charity shops, et cetera. The weather was hot and everyone was out, threading in and out of shops and threading their way through stalls.
(Photo credits: http://www.leedsmarkets.co.uk )