Northampton market trader says 'it's good to be back' as lockdown restrictions ease

Northampton's open air market was allowed to start trading again on Monday (June 1).

Today there have been eight stalls open again to the public.

Customers have been pictured perusing round them in the sunshine.

One of the stallholders who has started selling his wares again, following Government guidelines, is Les Brannan.

Les has been the stallholder at LJB Rutherfords, which repairs watch batteries and cuts keys, for 38 years. The stall itself has been on Northampton’s Market Square since 1965.

Les shut his stall on March 21 for ten weeks, which has been the longest LJB Rutherfords has closed down in it's 55 year history.

"It's good to be back, I was a bit bored sitting at home, it's good to have a bit of normality, " Les said.

"It was very nerve wracking when we went into lockdown - for the first three weeks I didn't know what we were doing. I was most worried but we survived."

Les said the weather has been kind to him and his customers in the past two days.

"A lot of people will be happy to see me today, their watch batteries ran out three or four weeks ago and they haven't been able to get one done anywhere so they are glad to see me back," he said.

"A lot of people said 'they will be back to see me in a week' as they didn't know we would be opening this soon.

"It's been a lot better than I thought it was going to be and it's been great weather wise.

"I think we all came to test the waters to see if customers still wanted to come to the market and they do so that's good."

It comes as Eamon Fitzpatrick, affectionately known as Fitzy, reopened his fruit and vegetable stall two weeks ago and said his trading was down by 40 per cent prompting him to ask the council for a rent break.

Today, the market trader of 59 years, said his staff and him are socially distancing while wearing gloves and face masks.

He added: "It was very tough yesterday and today was too. It was slow but it's what we expected so nobody was disappointed.

"Hopefully when all the shops open [it will get better] then.

"Customers are really pleased to see us, they said 'it's nice to see us back', and I love to hear that too. They have honestly missed us, which is nice to hear, music to my ears.”