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Norwich market from dawn to dusk in all weathers, with commentary by the market traders comparing the market now with their memories. The market has traded for over 900 years.

Amateur film 1973 11 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for East Anglian Film Archive

Overview

Norwich market stallholders talk about their daily work, their pride in their stalls and the colourful characters buying and selling. Under the striped tarpaulins, it’s a mixed market with food stalls, fresh fish, meat and vegetables, and also clothing, fabric and flowers, with stories of old traders who could sell anything. They talk of small profits, the changes in calling out and displaying their wares, and independent resistance to forming a traders association

Renovations were carried out in 1976 including hot and cold running water and refrigeration for food sellers, and many stalls converted into lockable units. New electrical mains cables were laid, and the site resurfaced. Visually, the main change was the addition of corrugated plastic covers over the walkways between the stalls. The fresh fish stall looks exceptional, and on a food stall there’s Joyce Yallop who caught a 500lb mako shark with rod and line in May 1971, setting a British record and celebrated in the Hardy Hall of Fame