Why go to Chesterfield Flea Market? Let's ask the traders...
Chesterfield Flea Market is a precious thing. Brimful of character, in both people and rummaged discoveries, it is always an experience.
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00:15 This is the best one in the county, Derbyshire, Yorkshire.
00:19 I do four a week and obviously this is by far the biggest and the best.
00:27 It's traditional, they've got the old-fashioned stalls and it is a nice day out out there.
00:34 You've got to use it or lose it. People have traded through Covid.
00:39 After Covid we've found it's a lot quieter. We need to get more people out and about to support local businesses.
00:45 I'm not local as such, I come from Doncaster, but it's still worth me coming and I still get a buzz from coming here.
00:51 Seeing the same people every week, getting new customers and it's just what I love to do.
00:56 Because there's lots of bargains to have. Come down here, get stuck in, buy the stuff.
01:02 You never know what you're going to find until you come down.
01:05 It might be that thing you've been looking for for years and there it is.
01:09 It's an interesting market, it's a friendly market and there's lots of bargains.
01:15 I think that's what people are looking for at the moment, the way things are out there.
01:20 It's pretty tough, so if they can find a bargain on this market, they go away happy.
01:26 That's what I think.
01:28 Well look at it, it's thriving isn't it? Look at the variety on this market.
01:33 It must be one of the biggest markets in England, because they're a dying breed, you know.
01:38 Flea markets.
01:40 But Chesterfield, every Thursday, get here. It's where the action is.
01:45 I think people should come because it's a dying trade. The market is a dying trade.
01:51 And I feel sorry for our grandchildren and their grandchildren,
01:57 that they're not going to have the pleasure of using cash to come and spend on a market.
02:02 It's also important, not just for the market traders, people in general.
02:07 It turns out to be a social event. People meet, people get together.
02:12 Mental awareness is really high, because you know when people are feeling sad, feeling down.
02:20 And they just want company and to come along.
02:23 And if you live on your own as well, it's nice to come along and meet people.
02:27 And in the process of all that, you can buy a bargain.
02:30 Now then what better way, and on a day like today, what better way than going and spending a day,
02:36 when you can't get to the seaside, coming to a market.
02:40 It's really, really good. It's lovely.
02:43 Well, Cheshfield Market, there's nothing you can't buy here. You can buy anything.
02:47 There's bargains everywhere, so there's bargains to be made here.
02:52 We need more people to come to the market really, because it is dying out a little bit.
02:58 It helps little businesses as well. So like my dad has been on this stall.
03:02 We've had this stall for 42 years, my dad.
03:05 So we're just trying to keep things alive, keep business alive.
03:09 We need people just to try and shop more than a corporate machine and do a bit of small business shopping.
03:16 I've been here myself like five odd years.
03:19 I love it. I love it. Interactions with people and you can have a laugh.
03:24 Anonymous stuff is here. It's just bric-a-brac stuff. It's nice and cheap.
03:29 But it's there and it's making a difference, I think, for people.
03:33 The cost of living price and stuff going up like that.
03:36 People are doing all right. So everyone's come here to bargain. That's what we want.
03:41 £2 that, love.
03:42 It's a good day out. Enjoyable.
03:44 We're going to get a bargain or two.
03:47 Handy for tools, crafters, collectors. We've got everything on this stall.
03:52 Come to us first and spend your money.
03:55 I think people come for actually a bargain.
04:00 Obviously we attract all different kinds of characters.
04:06 Loves. We've got lovely handbags as well to sell. Genuine quality.
04:16 Because it's probably the last one that's worth looking around.
04:21 After all them that were in the area, they've all either shut down or wasted time going to.
04:26 And this has managed to maintain a little bit of variety in size, I think.
04:32 And the chapter feels a lovely time to look around anyway.
04:36 This is the place to be.
04:39 And also it's a lovely day to come out and there's lots of stall holders who've got interesting and unusual things.
04:47 Antiques and collectibles and also a lot of boutiques and nice shops in the surrounding area.
04:56 So it's a lovely day out to come and enjoy and have a chill day.
05:01 Lovely.
05:03 Well, why they should come and look around this one at Chesterfield is because it's the best one within a 100 mile radius.
05:10 The assortment of stuff is absolutely marvellous.
05:14 The collectibles for sale, everything on a Thursday.
05:19 Rest of the week it's a bit, you know, not so big. It's only small but there's still things for sale.
05:25 Our stand's like this as well, like this is a decent day.
05:29 And it's just good. The environment's great.
05:32 Well, why not? Why not support your local markets?
05:35 I've been standing on here 11 years now and my trade is built up and up and up.
05:40 People are very passionate about markets. They really are.
05:44 And look at it today, how lovely and busy it is. It's lovely. You meet some lovely people.
05:48 Support your local market because the supermarkets won't support you.
05:53 And hopefully it'll still be good when they start deciding to change it all, which is very sad in a way.
06:03 Because it's a traditional market on cobbles and it really shouldn't be changed.
06:10 But this is the way of the world these days so we're all going to be compacted further over there with new stalls and everything.
06:18 But let's just hope it doesn't lose its atmosphere and its good vibes and its good feeling, you know.
06:26 It's traditional and that's what we want.
06:29 Some of it's sort of, you know, car boots sort of stuff.
06:34 But my stall here, we've got some original paintings on there, most of which I did during lockdown actually.
06:42 You can't get them anywhere else so I'm hoping to attract people to this stall here.
06:47 Looking around there seems to be a good cross-section of stuff to suit most needs really.
06:53 Flea markets have a varied selection of everything, you know. You never know what you might find.
06:59 There's not that many markets about anymore.
07:02 Well, because they never know what they're going to find. There's something new every week.
07:08 The stallholders work hard to make sure that there's something new to see every week.
07:13 We go around auctions and tumble sales, places people don't think to go and find things and put them out for other people to find.
07:22 You can be looking for a specific thing that you can only find on a flea market.
07:28 You can't find them in charity shops or you can't buy them in shops or online anymore even.
07:34 It's all set out. You can pick things up, you can touch them, you can feel the quality, you can see what value you're getting for your money.
07:43 Plus everything's quite cheap as well.
07:46 And you can get people down. Say they're asking £10, people like to do a bit of bargaining or
07:55 "I've got one of these, can I swap you for this for that?"
07:58 Stallholders actually do that. We do it between us. They'll say "I've got one of these and I want that one."
08:04 Well, various reasons really.
08:08 One is they can find stuff that they perhaps haven't seen for years, which you can't buy anymore.
08:18 And also the stuff you can still buy, good branded stuff, is a lot cheaper.
08:27 And it's not, they all think it's a set down market, which it is a set down market.
08:34 But a lot of the stuff is still new, never been used.
08:40 Granny's had it in the drawer for 20 years.
08:43 Well, it's got a good range of shops, interesting things, people to look around, interesting people, very friendly.
08:54 And every stall's different. Every stall, they see something different, whether they want it or not.
09:02 But they have a good walk around.
09:06 And also they can come here three or four hours, have an hour, two hours walk around, nice leisurely.
09:15 Plenty of places to eat, have snacks, lunch, coffee, what have you.
09:20 And then they can have another walk around.
09:22 They can spend a good day, you know, ten till about three.
09:28 And it's a good, doesn't cost them anything to have a walk around.
09:35 And there's always that chance to see something which they like or will buy.
09:41 Well, it maintains a tradition.
09:46 Because this is quite, it's getting to be quite unique now, markets like this.
09:53 They're a dying breed, so if they're like this every day here, it would be brilliant.
10:02 It's a big contrast between the days. Thursday is the most busy anyway.
10:08 And also, this one is one of the biggest one-day ones in the country now, this class market.
10:19 They've sold everything, they've changed everything, tried to modernise places, and it doesn't work.
10:30 They want it like this.
10:33 Especially this time of the year, we get people coming from far south, far north.
10:38 They come to Derbyshiredale, Yorkshiredale, I don't know where they've been.
10:42 This is on the list of places to go on Thursday.
10:46 First thing to say to you, well I wish we'd got something like this in our town.
10:51 And you meet in makers as well, craft people.
10:55 I make my own earrings, I make jewellery.
10:58 And people come to me to talk about the projects they're doing.
11:02 Whether it be sewing, beading, anything, woodworking, something.
11:08 And you just enjoy it, it's just good to talk to like-minded people.
11:13 And with the traders as well, it's like a little community.
11:17 We'll sort of work together to bring the nice market to the public.
11:22 And it's lovely to see it thriving the way it is today.
11:25 You've come at the busiest time, really.
11:30 Busiest time of the day.
11:32 To see it like this, it was like this every day, all day.
11:35 Which would be wonderful, to see people coming and going.
11:39 Everybody's looking, everybody picks things up and has a look.
11:42 And you can't do that, you can't do it in some shops.
11:45 But you definitely can't do it ordering things online.
11:48 And you can only see a photo of it.
11:51 Photos can be deceiving, can't they?
11:54 So...
11:56 Okay!
11:58 Roll 'em, come on, get your bargains now!
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