Shoptalk

It has more butchers under one roof than you'll find in most high streets. The fruit and veg stalls are nearly always much cheaper than the supermarkets and there are plenty of other bargains to be had, from bras and books to batteries and biscuits.

And when every town centre in Britain looks the same and sells the same things, it has those rare commodities - individuality and character. It even has real people.

What it hasn't got, anymore, is parking right outside. The deserted Market Place might look very nice, but that's not much consolation as you're staggering to the further car parks with your heavy carrier bags cutting little grooves in your fingers. Do planners never go shopping?

As Darlington town centre undergoes its next series of changes, stallholders - and customers - hope that planners might actually make it easier to shop in the market, so it can once again be the real heart of the town. For as we begin to have doubts about the way supermarkets run their businesses and our lives, the time could be right for markets to flourish again.

"There's still a magic to markets," says Robin Blair, whose family has been running their fruit and veg stall for 128 years. "It's a different way of shopping, as well as being cheaper. There's time for a chat and a laugh. We get to know our customers, know what they like."

He still gets up at 4.30 every morning, six days a week, to go to the wholesale market in Middlesbrough, likes being able to look after his customers and likes continuing the long tradition of people bringing their goods to market. A tradition he thinks is due for a revival.

"Most of our customers here are older, yes, but with the farmers' markets and the French markets we've had in the town, it's brought a lot of young people in. They've only ever known supermarket shopping but they like what they see in markets. It's different, more individual."

In America - where the current farmers' market trend first started - markets are undergoing a revival as shoppers rebel against the power of the big supermarket chains and their stranglehold on suppliers. They are also increasingly fed up of the sameness of supermarket shopping.

Carol Irvine, daughter of Don Manson, who runs Harrisons, "the oldest butcher in the market", knows markets have to move with the times.

"Working women don't have the time to shop and cook the way they did. Everything has to be quick and easy," she says.

That's why much of the stall's meat is prepared for quick and easy cooking, a matter of minutes in an oven or on a barbecue with a minimum of fuss.

But, as with the other butchers' stalls, the meat is on display, not pre-packed. You can see just what you're getting and get just what you want - and save money too.

What makes Darlington special is that is still mainly a food market - butchers, greengrocers and fishmongers selling things like pies, bread, cheese and bacon. All are fresh food specialists that in many towns, are gradually being squeezed out by the might of the supermarkets. And with so many different stall holders, there's plenty of choice too.

But apart from food, there are other bargains to be had, such as clothes, toys, household goods, books, cards. After 14 years helping her daughter Anne run a stall on the outdoor market, Mary Robinson came in from the cold to run The Bra Bar some years ago.

"I love it. You get to meet so many people, a real cross section. And the shopping here's so much cheaper. I get a lot of regular customers, which is good because then I can buy things with them in mind. Yes, they're mainly older, but I get a lot of things now to appeal to youngsters and they're starting to come too," she says.

"And we get a lot of visitors, too. It's a real tourist attraction. People love to see a proper market and such a good one. Reps who come up from Leeds all do their shopping here before they go home. They think it's wonderful. It's a real asset to the town."

Market facts

l An open market has been running in Darlington since 1003

* The covered market opened in 1864

* There are 35 traders running 73 stalls

* Until the 19th century, the market was governed by a bailiff appointed by the Bishop of Durham but in 1854, the local authority bought the market rights for £7,854 19s 4d.

* There used to be fire engines in the basement, drawn by a team of horses. There were tracks laid into East Row to guide the wheels in a straight direction.

* A bell would ring at 9pm to signal the start of the meat auction.

l Until 1977, the clock was wound three times a week by hand.

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