MARKET FORCES AT AN END FOR FAMILY STALL
Derbyshires had sold fruit and veg for 113 years
COUSINS John and Arthur Derbyshire are retiring today – after more than 50 years running their family’s market stall.
Their retirement ends A&J Derbyshire’s 113-year family association with Longton Market after the stall was previously run by their fathers and grandmother before them.
They are retiring from their fruit and veg stall after turning 65.
John, right with Arthur, said: “The family has had a business on the market for over 100 years, and we’re the third generation of the family. “Both myself and Arthur have worked on the stall for over 50 years.
“It’s been very enjoyable and we’ve got a lot of lovely customers who’ve become like friends. It’s the right time for us now to go and let somebody else take it on. “There’s nobody in the family. It’s sad, but it’s the right time for us to move on.”
John added: “Our nana originally started it. She worked on a stall with somebody else, and then when they were giving the stall up she took it over.
“Then our fathers – Arthur and Jack – went into the business after the war.
“When we first started, when we were lads, there were 18 fruit stalls in here, and now we’re the only fruit stall left.
“So we’ve done very well to survive the climate.
“We’ve had recessions – and Covid has been the worst of everything. But we’ve just pushed through it and done the best we can.”
K&L Fresh Fruit and Veg is taking over the stall.
Longton Market is open during lockdown, 9am to 5pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.