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Village's indoor market celebrates 50 years

Tom Jackson,Great Shelfordand
Aimee Dexter
Tom Jackson/BBC Dorothy Doel has short white hair and is wearing a white T-shirt. She is standing in a hall that has an indoor market where several items are on display across the room.Tom Jackson/BBC
Dorothy Doel has been providing the market with baked goods since 2000

An indoor market has celebrated its 50th year selling goodies in Cambridgeshire.

Great Shelford Country Market, located at the memorial hall in the village south of Cambridge, hosted an anniversary market on Wednesday to mark half a century.

Baker Dorothy Doel, 86, who has been involved with the market since 2000, said: "It has become quite a social place on Wednesday morning and on Tuesday I think I am mad doing all of this cooking.

"Wednesday, particularly over the last two or three years, has become a big social hub."

Tom Jackson/BBC A square cake is sat on a table which has a white patterned table cloth over it. The cake has GT SHELFORD COUNTRY MARKET written on it in green icing and has different items made out of icing on it, including carrots, cucumber and flowers.Tom Jackson/BBC
A cake was cut to mark the anniversary

The market is open on Wednesday mornings showcasing different items, including baked goods, crafts and gowns.

Dorothy said everything at the market was "either homemade, homegrown or handcrafted".

Members of the founding committee from 1976 went along to the celebration to cut a special commemorative cake.

Tom Jackson/BBC Christa Jostock has shoulder length grey hair and is wearing a floral patterned T-shirt and a green lanyard. She is standing in a room which has plants and other items on display.Tom Jackson/BBC
Christa Jostock said the hall was decorated gold to celebrate

Christa Jostock, 69, is the chairwoman of the market.

She said the team had decorated the hall with gold bunting and streamers to mark its golden anniversary.

"It is absolutely incredible how many people we have had today, and we created a 70s theme as the market opened in 1976," she added.

Tom Jackson/BBC Margret French has short blonde hair and is wearing a blue T-shirt. She is sitting down and is surrounded by several people.Tom Jackson/BBC
Margret French is one of the original market members

Margret French, 91, one of the original market members, said she joined the market to sell produce and her crafts.

She said the market was like a community.

"It is amazing, so many have folded in other places, so we are jolly lucky to go on as long as we have," she said.

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