Former market trader bids farewell to Market Hall

Linda Aston's family have had a stall in the old Market Hall for almost 100 years

For Linda Aston, when the council told her and the Market Hall's other traders that they would have to move out, it was akin to moving out of a family home.

Linda, who has now moved her jewellery business to a shop in Cheapside in Derby, said: "[The council] have taken a family home, in my mind, and stolen all the furniture. It's like, everything's gone. I've got no emotion to it.

"They've ripped the heart out of it. And once the heart's gone, there's nothing left is there?"

The city council said the reopening of the Market Hall is a "catalyst moment in Derby's ongoing regeneration efforts".

Linda's grandfather, Michael Doyle, set up the Mecca jewellery stall in the Market Hall in 1925 and the family is marking 100 years of being in business in Derby this year.

"There were four generations of the family in the Market Hall behind that stall, for all the laughter and all the tears.

"It was somewhere where you went from very early in your childhood, somewhere where you make your friends. Somewhere where you just sit and have a cup of tea with the neighbouring stalls.

"It was amazing really, it was just like one big family. And I just hope it continues to be like that for the traders that are in there now," she said.

Linda keeps a collection of family photographs in her new shop, which show her grandparents Katie and Michael Doyle (centre and top left) and her father Michael Doyle Jr (top right) running the stall in the old Market Hall

Like many other longstanding traders, Linda, who was also the chair of the Derby Market Hall Traders' Association before its closure, was moved out of the Market Hall for the renovations in 2021.

She was among a group of traders who moved into the Eagle Market in an effort to keep the spirit of their businesses alive and until the Market Hall reopened.

However, Derbion closed the market in 2023, causing many of the stalls to either move into bricks and mortar shops, other markets or to close altogether.

Whilst offered the opportunity by the council, not one of the old traders still operating have chosen to return, having spent years establishing themselves elsewhere.

Others say the new venue is not suited to their business.

Linda said: "When I looked at the areas that you could go in [in the Market Hall], there was nothing really suitable for me.

"And the other reason is, I've been in three locations now in under five years. Not a lot of businesses can stand to keep relocating like that.

"Market life is where my heart is. But I didn't have a choice."

The family business has moved to a bricks and mortar venue for the first time in its long history

When BBC Radio Derby joined her for her first visit to the new venue, entering the building, she observed that it looked "completely different".

"Very lively, vibrant. The old roof looks marvellous. It was a lot of money but it was worth saving," she said, in reference to its £13m price tag.

"They've got a variety of stalls. There's a lot of food," she said, noting the more "traditional" stalls like the butchers.

But she maintained that the new venue would not have worked for the century-old Mecca.

"The [units] at the side wouldn't have worked and the ones in the middle, definitely not because they're not secure enough.

"It's such a beautiful building. It [looks] good. Just not for me."

Linda said she hoped the new venue would succeed, despite it lacking the "heart" of the old Victorian model

Linda said: "I thought I would be emotional coming in here.

"But I hope [the new traders] can make it happen.

"It's the end of an era," she added.

Derby City Council leader Nadine Peatfield said the reopening of the venue is a "catalyst moment in Derby's ongoing regeneration efforts" and expects it will generate more than "£3.5m for the local economy every year".