DARLINGTON Covered Market is celebrating its 150th anniversary in a fortnight's time, and Joan Bell can remember the first time she ever visited it more than 70 years ago.

She was coming up seven in early 1939 when she caught scarlet fever and was taken to the Hundens Lane fever hospital in a Black Maria ambulance. Her mother was heavily pregnant, so Joan went to recuperate with her grandparents in Louisa Street.

Grandad Parkes was a character. He had a milk and egg round in Hurworth.

Unfortunately, his horse refused to go forwards over Croft bridge - so he had to back it over into Yorkshire.

Grandma Parkes, says Joan, was "a right Tartar", but she liked an afternoon nap on her black horsehair sofa.

"As soon as she was asleep, grandad would put a finger to his lips, we would put on our coats and slip out of the house, " says Joan. "After a long walk, we were in the market, wandering among the crowds between the rows of stalls.

"The day was damp and misty, and the naphtha lamps were hissing beneath the canopies of the stalls, which were stacked with all manner of goods.

"There was wool and colourful material for clothes and curtains - women were rifling through remnants to make children's clothes.

"I remember distant male voices shouting out their wares, but one stall caught my attention. A man was sitting on it with bare feet which were covered with awful corns. They looked dreadful: every toe had corn and there were corns around the side of his feet. How he walked, I do not know. The stallholder covered the corns with black ointment which he guaranteed would remove the corns. I wanted to stay with the spectators to see if it worked, but grandad hurried me on.

"We continued to meander between the stalls, passing homemade toffee and cough sweets till we reached the pet stall.

"As well as pet food, there were budgerigars and canaries in cages, but best of all were the large cardboard cartons or crates that contained baby rabbits, kittens and puppies. I spent a long time bent over them, stroking the little creatures, trying to make up my mind which I liked best, although I knew I couldn't have one.

"When at last grandad prised me away, we walked past a man who was roasting potatoes and chestnuts. At the centre of the Covered Market was an octagonal shaped stall arranged round a stone that grandad said was the market cross. The stall was composed of incubators holding eggs and little chicks that cheeped as they endlessly scurried around. I walked round and round the stall looking for cracked eggs, and stopping to watch the chicks hatch.

"Then grandad said it was time to walk back home for tea. . ."

DARLINGTON'S Covered Market is celebrating its anniversary with a Victorian festival on June 7 and 8. We'd love to hear your memories - please send them to the addresses at the top of the page.

As part of the festival, Chris Lloyd is giving an illustrated talk about the market's history in Central Hall, on June 8, at 2pm. It is free, but tickets need to be booked on 01325-388207 during office hours.

There will be more on the market next week.