The Market Place...the very heart of Hitchin - Reginald Hine

It wasn't until early in the 20th Century that a Saturday market was introduced to Hitchin, first on a Saturday morning and then, due to its success, it increased to a full day.

The market flourished and it would have been very noisy, with the hustle and bustle of the shoppers and the cries from market traders.

The most famous trader was probably James Rennies, an Australian-born preacher who sold bibles and books from his travelling van.  Other traders included the Day brothers, John Pigg who would bring along an upright piano and, to sell his song sheets, would play all the well know songs of the day.

Another market trader would sell sweets made at a factory in Bancroft.  Hard Mixed and Bulls Eyes were wrapped and laid out on large trays that attracted wasps in their droves.

Early in the 20th century the south west corner of the market was primarily for the trading of straw plait.

My late aunt, Pat Gadd-Thurstance's memories of the Market Place as a child in the late twenties, early thirties are very touching.

I recall walking along the cobbles towards the Market Place, I would have been six or seven at the time.  It was the end of the day, a time for bargains.   All would be quiet as my mother and I made our way along the darkened streets, lit only by gas lamps.  I believed I could see ghosts darting out of the dark corners of the shadowy streets.   As we approached the market a cacophony of hoarse cries from the traders, and the hustle and bustle of traffic and people would assail our ears.  The stalls set slantwise across the square from the High Street  across to Sun Street, would each have a naphtha flare hung from its canvas covered frame.  The hiss and flaring of this as each gust of wind threatened to extinguish its flame would cast yet more eerie shadows over the scene.  

In 1939 market stalls moved to St Mary's Square to make room for a static water tank which was installed for the fire brigade to use should Hitchin get bombed.  St. Mary's Square had been completed in 1930 after the demolition of the slums during the 1920s.  After the war the tank was removed and the Market Place became a car park.

Today Hitchin Market Place is attractively cobbled, and has been the venue for French markets, The Rhythms of the World celebrations, Christmas celebrations and much, much more.

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My best selling ebook Her Last Lie is available HERE  All ebook royalties go to Cancer Research UK in memory of my amazing sister. Her Last Lie is a psychological thriller, with a  chapter devoted to Hitchin, and the main character lives in Letchworth.