Alan Marriott's article (CP 30-12-22) and scenes of Newport Market in former times brought back memories of my time with Way's (Way Riddett & Co.) Auctioneers and Estate Agents.
They took me on, aged 22, in 1957, following my redundancy at Saunders Roe.
My job on market day (Tuesday) was to organise the produce side of the business (called "Covent Garden"!) in the building opposite in South Street, (now a greeting card and gift shop).
On Monday afternoons and early next morning I would catalogue and number the entries until the wooden racks and tables were laden with a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, plants, etc., ready for an auctioneer to arrive and do the selling.
This would take as little as half an hour up to two hours depending on the season.
Next day I would complete the accounts and a summary of the prices fetched for the County Press market reports.
I recall old colleagues such as Ivor Hawkins, Tim Smith, Alan Gurling, Keith Rogers, Jimmy Hughes (head porter) and auctioneers Sam Watson, Tom Glenny and Mr Holloway.
I remember, too, our "rival" Pittis employees Ray Cheverton and George Giddens as well as many of our customers in the farming community.
On one occasion I ventured over to the main market side to try my luck (and zero knowledge) at the "guess-the-weight-of-the-pig annual competition and to the amazement of everyone — but mostly to me — I won!
(Not the pig but, for those days, a handy fiver!)
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