I love the British summer, the rains warmer. It chucked it down Wednesday and I had to put a ‘rig’ up.
Some market traders have to put a stall up regardless but I am one of the lucky ones that only has to put a roof up if it rains which means that on dry days I get to work beneath an open sky.
I think it is one of the best things about my job. If I wanted a roof above me I would have got a job in an office.
No matter how tight we pull the sheet over the top, when it rains really heavily, puddles of water form in the sheet on top of the stall and if we leave these too long eventually the weight of the water causes the sheet to collapse flooding all of the gear beneath. So from time to time we have to go around pushing the water off.
Michael the towels boy Thomas was with him this week on account of the school holidays, he is young keen and eager to help. After watching us push the water off a few times he asked if he could help and we were happy to let him.
We gave him a broom and we watched as he approached the first puddles and STANDING OUTSIDE OF THE STALL pushed it with the broom.
We watched him stand there helpless as the water cascaded all over him, soaking the poor mite through.
It was the look on his face a split second before the water hit.
It was Michael who laughed the loudest. Thomas, not so much.
That’s this week’s report from Pete the Market Trader. The man on the street. Literally.
