Northampton market trader couple bring curtain down on stall after 40 years

Christine and Ewhin Domansky (pictured above in 1996) began selling in 1974 and, despite visiting markets in Leamington Spa, Rugby and Kings Lynn, always maintained Northampton was the best of the bunch.

Christine said: “It was the biggest and the best and was always very, very busy.

“The traders are very, very nice and the customers became like friends. They’d ring us up to wish us happy Christmas, they’d tell us about an illness in teh family.

“They’d come and have a chat even if they weren’t buying.

“Over the years, they would bring their children to the stall, then those children would bring their own kids. “We’ve served three generations of some families.”

Christine puts their continuing business down to the fact they are specialists and give a personal service.

“In many mays it’s because your selling not just your own merchandise but both the product and yourself.

“You want the customer to be happy.”

Ewhin is 69 and Christine 66 and the 15-hours-a-day is taking a greater toll.

But the decision to bring down the curtain on their careers was in fact down to their trusty van.

Christine said: “The van was getting older and needed replacing and in the end it makes you take a decision - can we justify getting a new one.

“If the van had still been in good condition, we may well have carried on.”

The business itself will carry on, however, and their son Ivan will continue the Nottingham-based firm online at www.netcurtain2curtains.co.uk

Christine said: “We’ve loved the market, it’s been good to us.”