Five tales from Leicester Market

Leicester market has existed within the city centre since 1300 AD, and centuries later it is still a major shopping destination.

It is not just the fresh produce, tasty treats and huge variety of vendors that draws people back time and time again.

The market is full of diverse characters, who offer more to their customers than discount fruit and veg.

BBC Leicester speaks to five stall holders about their experiences of life, home and away from the market.

Reuben: Caribbean food

Being a market trader was not Reuben Bell's first choice of occupation.

After leaving school at 16, he played four seasons for Birmingham City's youth team, followed by a stint as a chef, with a bit of mentoring and counselling thrown in for good luck.

"If you engage with people they'll always come back"

It was while working in a children's home that the idea of running his own business, selling Caribbean and other exotic food, came to him.

"To own your own business is always the best way rather than working for someone and building somebody else up, build up your own future and build up a future for your children's children and other children to come."

When he first started up he was the only Caribbean stallholder on the market, a situation that really spurred him on to serve the local Caribbean community and introduce new people to the cuisine.

"I always give them a little product to go away, show them how to cook it, give them a recipe.

Then if they like it they'll come back and tell me, 'Oh that thing that you told me last week is beautiful, have you got any more recipes?'."

For Reuben the pull of the market it not solely about income; it's about being their to lend an ear to the people of Leicester, each one a potential customer.

"Of course you need money to survive, but if you engage with people they'll always come back."

Shirley: Second-hand stall

Shirley first started working on the market when her eldest son was just months old out of the necessity to earn a wage.

Now 38 years on, being a stallholder is as natural as anything, "It gets in your blood".

Running her second-hand stall means Shirley is always on the look out for a bargain.

"I like it because you never know what you're going to find, what treasure you're going to come across."

One of her biggest achievements to date is a painting by a Leicester artist bought at a car-boot sale and sold on at auction for £500.00. "It doesn't happen very often, but it does happen."

Shirley believes traders provide for the public beyond the obvious. For example, they lend an ear to elderly who may not have much contact with anyone else.

So she is adamant to carry on at the market for as long as she has her health, not just for the money but for the people.

"We have every creed, every colour, every nationality, and they've all got their own stories, they've all got their own ways of going on and they're all nice in their own way.

"It's very rare that we get a bad customer. Very, very rare."

Alison: Cheese and cold meats

Shermen's Cheese has held a stall at the market for the past 30 years. Alison took on the stall after her parents retired.

"With it being a family business it was just so nice to carry it on"

"I came into it just to help out but I enjoyed it so much, and with it being a family business it was just so nice to carry it on rather than it just be sold, and I do really enjoy it."

Recently they have extended the business and added tripe to their already plentiful list of stock, after the gentleman on the next stall retired.

Alison loves the market and the strong bond she has formed with the local community.

"I have to say, the other traders are really nice and the customers that come are really, really lovely. Some of them have been coming to us for 20 years.

"We have regular customers each week and it's just so nice to seem them, they're like our friends really."

Dawn: Lingerie and underwear

Dawn Alfonsofirst started trading on the market after she had her children and "decided to give it a whirl" - she's never looked back and has since got her husband on board.

"My favourite time in the market is very early in the morning"

When he was younger her husband was a little unsure about selling women's underwear, but now female customers are more than happy to discuss their smalls with him.

"My favourite time in the market, it's a funny time really, it's very early in the morning.

"It's like an awakening and you can see the market, it's still in darkness but there's a slight activity around.

"It's like something just coming awake for the day. And as it goes on you begin to hear more of a buzz, more sound and I think it's a lovely time, it's like the beginning of the new day."

Dawn's children are not so enamoured with the market as their parents, so as she draws towards retirement it will eventually be the end of her stall.