Your Market Needs You
Local author Pete Chambers has been commissioned to write a book about Coventry Market, and is looking for stories from Traders, shoppers and indeed anyone who has a story about this iconic Coventry landmark.
"I'm not looking to write a long narrative about the history of the market, for me it's the people that make the place tick, and it's them I want to hear from it's their stories I am eager to include. I'm looking for sad stories, happy stories, local characters, off the wall stuff, anything. We want you to visit us in our 1950's Market Parlour in Coventry Market, and tell us all about it".
Already we have heard some great stories, like one of a man who tried selling his wife at the Market, or another one about an extremely irate trader who threw his cash register down the refuse chute. The one thing everybody seems to have a story about is the famous roundabout, most of them are lovely nostalgic glimpses, unlike the woman who told me that she used to leave her children on the roundabout while she went and did her shopping. That's the kind of stuff we want to fill this book with"! Pete Chambers
Why a Book?
When asked why a book? Market Manager, Brian Sexton, said "In November 2008, Coventry Market celebrated 50 years in its famous Round Building; and we now have the exciting prospect of an new City Centre and perhaps the Market relocating to a new site within the development, so now is the right time for us to make a permanent record of the many wonderful people and events that we have known during that 50 years. We as trader's management, staff and customers of Coventry Market have lots of stories and tales to tell about the Market and we feel these should be recorded before we move to a new location."
"To write this book we needed somebody who knows Coventry and in particular our Market, and we think that we have just the right person in Pete Chambers, we want Pete to meet and talk to as many of our customers and traders as is possible so that their stories, memories and pictures of Coventry Market can be recorded for the future, and perhaps in 50 years he may be writing the story of our New Market."
Chairman of the Market Traders Pete Donerly
Pete and his wife Julie will be in residence at their 1958 Market Parlour (complete with flying ducks and Bakelite telephone, a great photo opportunity), every Tuesday from 11.00am to 2.00pm (14th 21st & 28th April and 5th & 12th May). Come along for a chat, and you can be in Pete's next book. Or if you prefer you can send your stories via e-mail to tencton@hotmail.com or hand them in to the Market Office.
The Market Parlour is located at the old BBC stall (13) close to Sherbourne Mall on the inner wall of the Market it's been decked out in 1958 style being the same year the Market opened; already it's attracted a lot of interest with shoppers and traders alike.
The books working title is '50 Years and A Good Buy'