Kingston Market traders have been left counting the cost of a fire that destroyed several stalls and badly damaged nearby businesses.
Tim Meads, 62, has worked at the Webster’s Fishmonger’s stall for his whole adult life.
He said: “I was 18 when I started. I’m 62 now, and my whole life, my whole business has gone up in flames. It’s the complete destruction, the complete demolition of that market. Everything is gone.
“I’m waiting to hear from the council but they won’t even let us go to the stall at the moment and salvage any stuff until they find out what the cause of the fire was.
“And the market is the main hub of Kingston. It’s the oldest market in the country. The damage that the fire has caused is unbelievable.”
Four fire engines and 25 firefighters arrived at Market Place, Kingston upon Thames, after a call about a fire was made at 4.33am on Tuesday morning. The fire was extinguished shortly after 6am, no one was injured.
Meads said: “It’s really quiet around here now because all the shops have been affected as well. And they can’t let us set up replacement stalls anywhere near.”
“To walk past and see the damage, it breaks my heart honestly.”
Kingston’s Ancient Market has existed for centuries, with the oldest surviving records dating back to the early 1200s.
Now, several of the stands have been stand cordoned off and the market has been closed.
Michael Stokes, 31, is curate at All Saints Kingston, a church next to the market place.
He said: “We’re deeply shocked and saddened, especially for our friends whose livelihoods are on the market. I think I’ve probably bought something from every stall over the past year or so that I’ve been here in Kingston.
“The impact it will have on all the people here is huge.”
Pensioner and former hospital worker Sally Grave said she enjoyed the wide variety of food at the market, which she has visited every week for 40 years.
She said Webster’s fish stall had been one of her favourite places and she hoped the council would make the repairs a priority.
She said: “It’s a very sad day for Kingston because it’s such a community place”.
Leader of Kingston Council Andreas Kirsch said he was “shocked and saddened” by the fire.
Kirsch said: “The Ancient Market sits at the heart of the community and my thoughts are with the traders, business owners and residents who have been impacted by this incident.”
The Metropolitan Police has said the cause of the fire is not being treated as suspicious.
Featured Image: Charlotte Ambrose
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