Page 6 - Market Times February 2022
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FEATURE • BILLINGHAM
And Kym Bell simply loves the market life. Kym works full time at a call centre but during lockdown she started her own business, Kym’s Party Lite, selling perfumed candles and wax melts.
“I started the business because I love scented candles and it was costing me a fortune, so I thought I should make money from selling them instead.”
She was selling online, then went on to markets to try to develop the business. “It takes up all my spare time and I just love the face-to-face experience. It is so much nicer than talking to people on the phone.”
Finally, Billingham market may be in the shadows of some larger northern markets, but it does boast its very own Romany gypsy, Linda Crossling, who will read your palm or gaze into her crystal ball to see your future.
Linda is well known from TV appearances on Here Come the Gypsies on Channel 5.
Her beloved late mother was a clair- voyant and famous for selling paper flowers all over the country. Linda has inherited the gift and loves nothing more
 they have cash to spend.
The town’s ASDA supermarket is not
just the longest continuing to operate in the country, but is also the most profitable for its size.
Billingham market traders are a contented lot, on the whole. Many also stand Stockton Market, currently at the centre of a major investment programme, and despite the disruption and challenges of COVID-19, they are happy to stand a busy market with loyal customers.
Traders include the staples of market life. There is fruit and veg, a colourful plants and flowers stall, two watch and battery stalls which both seem to do strong trade, fashion businesses and a card stall that has been on the market for 40 years.
Chris Higgins, the card man, is the longest serving trader, having started helping on a market stall as a child.
“I have had a stall on this market since I was 17,” Chris said. He started selling ornaments with his dad, Keith, and sister, Joanne, but soon found cards were a better bet.
“People will always buy cards throughout the year,” he said.
Chris remembers the market in its heyday and worries about a number of shops in the town centre closing down.
“I have a lot of regular, loyal customers and I just love this market,” he said.
Stan Elsdon, known fondly on the mar- ket as Stan the Battery Man, has been a fixture here for 30 years.
“It used to be a lot busier but it is still a good market,” he said. “The people are very friendly. I’d say they were the best people in the world,” he added.
New traders are boosting the market offer. Shamila Mahmood has just returned to stand Billingham after the disruption of the pandemic.
Her colourful stall selling hats, scarves, Asian jewellery and hair accessories was soon catching the attention of market shoppers.
“I have been standing Stockton market since 2013 and I used to be on Billingham too. It’s a good place to trade and the people are very friendly,” she said.
  Richard Beddard (right) is markets and town centre cleansing manager for Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council with responsibility for its three markets. He is pictured with his deputy, Jon Wilmot
Chris Higgins has been trading on Billingham market for 40 years, initially selling ornaments before switching to cards and wrapping paper
   Stan Elsdon, known on the market as Stan the Battery Man,
loves Billingham market where his battery and watch strap stall has been a fixture for more than 30 years








































































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