Luton History: Market stall fruiters celebrate golden wedding with mystery card from old customer

Celebrating their Golden Wedding, but one card arrived unsigned expressing esteemed wishes from an old customer.

They were both delighted to receive the card but left wondering who the sender could be - and well they might wonder!

For over 50 years, William and Emily traded as Market Stall Fruiters, starting in Park Square then later moving to the indoor Plait Hall around 1925.

William said, "We have served thousands of customers; who sent the mystery card will probably remain unsolved."

William and Emily married at Park Street Baptist Church in 1886. At that time, Luton's Street Market was centred around the Corn Exchange; however, Mr Morley led the way in opening a new shopping venue on Park Square in early 1887. He continued to occupy the same pitch for 38 years; many stall holders followed suit, eventually the market spread nearly the length of Park Street.

Some days could be dull and quiet. To boost the shoppers' spirits, the stall holders welcomed the Ashton Street Band (later to become the Luton Band).

The stall toll in Park Street was Sixpence a day, but moving to the covered Market in later years, it had increased to 6 Shillings.

Mr Morley agreed the eventual abolition of the Park Street Market and moving to the Plait Hall was a good idea. "The weather conditions we experienced outside in Park Street were very tough," he said.

He spoke of trying to keep the Naptha flares alight, protect the fruit displays from wind and rain, and in extreme conditions prevent the stalls from collapsing and completely blowing away.

Moving undercover to the Plait market, conditions improved immediately; it also encouraged regular "honest" tradesmen.

The former market in Park Street attracted many rogue sellers off-loading faulty or stolen goods, the perpetrators never to be seen again.

Mr Morley, now turning seventy years, continues working the stall assisting his son William Morley junior. Mrs Morley admits she enjoys retirement.

Another popular character who served the markets was "Joe King."

Everyone knew Old Joe King, they say; he was the man who managed the Markets.

Joe King started working for the local authority in 1865 on a "Temporary basis." Speaking at his retirement celebration in 1910 aged Seventy-five, he said, "The local authority had never officiated his position; he just assumed after 45 years, He'd got the job!"

Alderman Wilkinson paid tribute saying, "Joe King had been a long and Faithful employee - over the 45 years he had worked impeccably under 8 Surveyors - however he has never answered to a Master in his life."

Joe recalled the Old Corn Market House, the site now occupied by the Corn Exchange; he remembered the Old Stocks and the Pond in Park Square.

Joe King's day began at 6 a.m. organising and preparing the stalls at the Plait Hall, then fulfilling his role as Caretaker for the Union Chapel, and at night he was one of the 4 lamplighters responsible for over 200 lamps in the town.

"Everyone knew Old Joe King."