I've been a Preston Market trader for 48 years - but this is the last straw and I'm leaving
One of Preston’s longest-standing market traders has announced he’s leaving his pitch - 48 years after he began, and 72 years after his dad first set up.
Derek Walsh of Derek’s Books, announced on social media that his decision was triggered by a letter from Preston City Council, informing him that contractors will be starting work in mid October to redevelop the adjacent Amounderness House building into offices -the latest in a long line of disruptions to his stall.
He said: “This will mean the loss of parking and the loading bays along Earl Street and the council has decided that all outdoor stalls should temporarily be relocated to the old fish market/small cover/box market for approximately 18 months while the work is completed. This will cause considerable disruption, in what is an already fragile trading environment.
“So after nearly a decade of putting up with constant building work and being moved backwards and forwards while the market/cinema redevelopment was taking place, I’ve decided with a heavy heart that I will stop trading at Preston market after nearly 48 years service.”
Chorley and Garstang
Derek’s last day in Preston will be October 1, but he will continue trading as normal at Chorley and Garstang Markets.
He told the Post that he wasn’t bitter, but the letter had given him the ‘shove’ to start a new chapter. He said: “My dad started the business in ‘53 and I took over in ‘78, and you have to accept change happens. The business has done well for us - I’ve had a good living - but it’s time now to leave Preston.
“The last day I’m sure will be emotional, but I’m hopeful that my loyal customers will still come to see me in Chorley and Garstang. I would really like to thank everyone who has given us custom and support over the years.”
Preston City Council has been approached for comment.
Derek’s story
Derek followed in his father Fred’s footsteps, whom he had helped with the running of The Book Exchange for years. When Derek was but a baby, Fred would take him to the market each week, placing him in a box under the stall and giving him a handful of toys to keep him occupied as he went to work slaking the city’s literary thirst. As Derek got older, the market naturally became his second home.
He said: “From an early age, I’d do the odd job on my dad’s stall. The traders would give me a few coins to get them a pack of fags, a brew, or a paper, so I was absorbed into the daily life of the work. When I left school, I wanted to be a joiner or a carpenter, because that was my passion, but there was a downturn in the building trade and I couldn’t get a job.
“My dad still tried to persuade me to get what everyone there classed as a ‘proper 9-5 job’, because he knew what it was like on the market,” he adds. “It was a way of life. But it was what I knew best, so I started my own stall from scratch in ‘78 because my dad had finished by then. It was just short of my 18th birthday.”
In March 2023 Derek celebrated 45 years as a trader on Preston Market. He received a visit from the Mayor of Preston Neil Darby and Councillor Carol Henshaw, who presented him with a bouquet of flowers, to thank him for his long service.