How Stoke Market rose from ashes of tragic fire

ADORE the Potteries’ indoor markets - the sights, the sounds, the smells and the people - on both sides of the counters.

- HISTORIAN MERVYN EDWARDS

I really can’t recollect the last time I visited Stoke Market prior to a recent call, but I was reminded once again of the relaxed nature of indoor market shopping.

Attired in my signature orange tracksuit, I jogged down to Stoke from Wolstanton and after scrutinising who was selling what, made my way to the lady who was selling cheese and pork pies.

They're not foods that you would readily associate with joggers, but I’m partial to them and I love the way they display, always reminding me of the festal provender described in the novels of Charles Dickens.

Behind the counter, I found Andrea Machin of the Say Cheese stall, who has been trading for 17 years. I put it to her that the difference between indoor markets and permanent shops as a shopping experience is appreciable.

“The main difference is the customer relationships,” she offers. “I have come to know customers’ regular orders by heart, their preferences in cheeses, etc. Sometimes, I have been phoned by a colleague whilst I've been on holiday and asked what a customer normally has. I would perhaps ask, ‘Is it the fella with the flat cap?’ and then I'll advise based on the description and the day he normally calls to shop.”

Andrea is now 54, so she can easily go toe-to-toe with me about indoor market nostalgia. She smiles: “Some of my regular customers had babies - and years later, I ended up going to those babies’ weddings!”

She clearly relishes her job, and is keen to remind me of how market stalls often work differently from supermarket counters, saying: “At supermarkets, you have to buy a pack of ham, which is not ideal if you only want a few slices - or you may only want three slices of bacon or so much cheese. The customer service is so much more personal.