The Market. Packed with Personality. Part 1

I remember back to our first day of trading at South Shields market. Unlike the glamorous appeal that can be seen in this photo, it was a dull rainy Monday, my wife (Fay) was pregnant and there wasn't a sole in sight! Just shows how naive we were to think that a Monday would be a good day to start selling costume jewellery.

I remember the excitement and anticipation we had felt the day before, and we had spent hours going through dress rehearsals of exactly how each individual item would be laid out on the table. I had even gone to the extent of drawing up a plan view of the stall and writing a roster of events, giving a minute by minute account of how the days activities would pan out. Of course, me being me I had a little bit of stress going on, my heart rate was definitely up, and even though it was only April there was an evident glistening coming from the beads of sweat running down my brow.

It was 4pm on the day before and surely everything was in place for the big event. Anyhow, this is what I was telling the subconscious part of my brain at the time. I mean, we had organised our "Public Liability" insurance with the NMTF (National Market Traders Federation). - Surprisingly this is the only necessary requirement to start trading at a market, and it is relatively inexpensive at around £80 for a years cover. - Hint hint, for anyone considering a future in this line of business. However, after you have read this you might well change your mind! Anyway as I was saying, everything was in place and the insurance was done, our little Tupperware boxes were neatly packed with our various products, I had hand written all the little prices on bits of paper, we had our covers for the stall made from old vintage curtains given to me by my Nana, AND I had even topped up my car with fuel just to ensure there were no hiccups on the way!....THEN it hit me like a Harry Hill punch line and I gasped, "Aaah Fay. The bluddy Phone Charms". Fay looked at me with the kind of bemused and couldn't give a damn expression someone gives to a person that doesn't need any speech to follow. "How we going to display the charms" I said in a voice that gained in pitch like the climax to an El Divo concert. (I would just like to add at this point that "Yes" I have always had a bit of a squeaky northern voice at times, and "Sure" some people have said that I am in touch with my feminine side, but I will always be adamant that I'm completely straight and can only put these personality traits down to being brought up around women. Mind you, it is very annoying considering my 6 feet 4 inches frame and the fact I have always wanted to consider myself as a bit of a "Del Boy", and more often than not get labelled as "Rodney".).

I've gone off track a little here, but to get back onto the topic that had arisen over the phone charms, I had realised that we didn't have anything to display them on. You may be thinking "What's the big deal here?", but you must remember that four years ago phone charms were quite a new fad and I wanted things to run as smoothly as possible, and strongly believed that every man, women, boy, girl & their dogs would all want one of these things and especially tomorrow. Without hesitation I straddled down the back yard and bundled myself into the car. I was going to sort the problem, I had to think on my toes, I had to save the day, I had to decide where the hell I was going as it was 4:30 pm, and where better to go than to head to....Wilkinsons!! I mean they've got everything there haven't they, and they were certain to have your average market phone charm display unit hiding somewhere on the 3rd floor. Weren't they?

Well, I wont bore you all by giving you a full run down on how the shopping trip went, but I will say that I walked around Wilkinsons with all the grace of a little ball bearing being flung around in one of those hand held maze games you get in Xmas crackers! BUT,after a bit of flapping around I had done it....I had purchased the perfect item. I knew Wilkinsons was the place to go, and I knew they would sell "Market phone charm display units". I handed over the money to the check out girl and couldn't help but feel a glowing sense of self satisfaction deep inside, it was a proud moment for me embarking on my new adventure, and I picked up.... the clothes horse and placed it under my arms as I marched out of the shop. Fay was going to be impressed.....

The famous "Mobile Phone Charm Display Unit" with each individual charm lovingly hung by hand, and the same unit used for 4 years I might add.

I knew it was going to take some doing to get this thing ready for the morning, but I had a plan. I arrived home, and like a peacock boasting its feathers proudly presented Fay with her solution to our problem. "I have a job for you" I muttered to her with a sense of excitement. She gave me the same bemused look that she had given me earlier and with a reluctant motion of her arm picked up the bag of phone charms. "I need a shower after all that hard work" I said with an unusually deepened voice and could sense that this was the start of a great business relationship.