I took my mother-an old Kingstonian - to see the newly created market.

"Where is it?" she said, whilst seated by Rymans.

"This what you see is it Ma."

"What!!! Don’t bring me here anymore. It’s so heartbreaking to see what the council has done to it. They have taken not only regular stallholders’ livelihood away. They have taken the character of the market away. "On second thoughts, make that ‘thrown it away".

She can remember when it stretched back as far as where Costa is now.

Names she recalled were: Websters/Money-Fish Stalls; Jimmy Cochrane Senior/Jackie Clark Senior-Flowers; Barnes/Brokleburys/Danny Collins/Kents- Fruit and Veg

Her brother George Coxon was a very well-known milkman who served many of them and she commented he’d be not turning but spinning turbo-speed in his grave.

Tim Wells
New Malden

 



MORE KINGSTON STORIES »