Special feature: Landmark date for Shrewsbury market

It replaced a large Victorian market hall of similar proportions that was in a poor state of repair and was condemned as unhygienic, dingy and "no longer fit for purpose".

Today efforts would be made to preserve an old building of merit, but back in the 1960s, in post-war Britain, the country was looking to a new age.

Developed by the Second Covent Garden Property Company, the new Market Hall cost £1 million to build and was designed by a respected architect of his day, David du Rieu Aberdeen.

He designed major buildings in London and made his name when he won a national competition to design Congress House for the TUC in Bloomsbury. Today Congress House is described as a 'Modernist masterpiece'.

Fruit and veg, flowers, eggs, meat, jewellery and cafes all compete for space inside Shrewsbury's market hall.

Pulling in crowds of shoppers every week the market has a firm place in most people's hearts.

Over the years the fortunes of the market have fluctuated. In the 1980s it struggled, but now the overwhelming sentiment for the future is optimism.

Shoppers can get their hair cut, pick up a pack of puy lentils in Snapdragon Wholefoods and buy a bouquet from Lin's the florist. If fresh meat is your bag there are four butchers to chose from, while Barkworth's fishmongers brings in its fresh fish everyday. Fruit and veg can be snapped up from four greengrocers and Cook and Carve are able to turn out some tasty delicatessen treats.

Many have said the exterior of the building is ugly but inside it is a hive of atmospheric activity.

Every pitch is taken with stalls selling items as diverse as antiques to pet food and bath bombs to singing birthday cards. And the market also boasts five cafes from a fresh fish bar to a Chinese dumplings stall, a Thai restaurant, a Spanish cafe selling tapas to the hip and trendy Bird's Nest Cafe.

Louise Penney, 45, sells bags, candles, jewellery, scarves and toiletries from her stall Thoughts. She has been in the market for three years, and said: "There is a real community spirit here.

"That is what makes it so different to others. There is a really nice mix of stalls and there is a great atmosphere.

"We have a lot of local customers and since I came here three years ago I have seen it grow and develop."

A new addition to the market is Carrie Rutter, 35, who opened her stall Retro Light this week. Selling bags, wallets, key rings and lamps she did her research before opting for a stall in the market hall.

"I travel from Wolverhampton every day," she said. "I did look in to other markets in the area but this was the one I wanted as it has such a nice vibe. The variety of the market is good. There is a big community here."

Florist Lin Tisdale, 68, has been in the market for more than 25 years. She added: "The market is relevant because people like to have the personal touch. The traders know their customers and everyone likes that.

"People can go to a supermarket and pick up everything in one go but no one will know them. Come to the market and the traders know what people want. Recently it is like a breath of fresh air has been blown in. It is quirky and different and because of the various cafes and restaurants we have we are getting a younger customer come in now who want to shop in a proper market."

Butcher Steve Towers has also been associated with the market for more than 25 years. From his stall Corbetts, which supplies between 30 to 40 of the best restaurants in Shropshire, he sells poultry, game and handmade sausages as well as eggs. The 50-year-old said: "The market is so important nowadays because people want fresh food.

"The market has very high quality food stuffs. Whether it is from the meat stalls or from the fruit and veg, there is so much here for people to chose from."

But it isn't just food that shoppers can pick up in the market. A new bike? Then head on down to Urban Bikes UK which has been in the market for four years. Phil Roe said: "

People like a bit of variety and that is what makes Shrewsbury stand out."

Jayne Clayton, 54, of JP Fruits, remembers the market from the 1980s and is amazed at how much it has changed: "I remember when there was nothing upstairs in the market and now there are loads of stalls up there. It just goes to show how the market has taken off."

Another newcomer to the market is Frances O'Shea, who runs Cafe AleOli.

Other buildings he designed included the former Swiss Centre in Leicester Square, the City offices of the Swiss Bank, the redevelopment of Paddington General Hospital and the City headquarters of the First National City Bank of New York.

Despite the credentials of its architect the Market Hall's design was controversial from the start. Its contemporary critics were opposed to the demolition of the old Victorian market hall and predicted the new building would be a 'white elephant'.

But the old general market had drawbacks. It had little refrigeration and didn't meet modern standards of hygiene. The supporters of Aberdeen's design believed the new building, measuring 74,000sq ft, stood for progress and was a marked improvement on the 'Victorian monstrosity' that had stood on the site for 96 years.

The 'old ugly Victorian building' was 'dirty and dingy', according to contemporary newspaper reports. It was hoped that a 'new clean and airy' market hall would see trade flourishing again. The design was submitted to and approved by the Royal Art Commission.

The Pevsner Architectural Guide pronounced the new Market Hall 'a good example of modern architecture'.

"Hence its clean lines and simple forms. But the town's timber-framed tradition is also evoked. The upper storey is jettied out on a reinforced concrete structure and faced with vertical fins in an echo of close studding," it stated.

"The tall slender red brick clock tower mingles effectively in distant views with the town's medieval steeples." Shrewsbury is a market town and markets have been an important part of its history for 1,000 years. The first Market House in the town was built in 1567. The structure was replaced by a stone-built market hall in The Square in 1595. Today it is known as The Old Market Hall and houses a small cinema and coffee house.

The Victorian General Market opened in 1869. The Victorians didn't worry about demolishing a large number of Georgian and timber-framed buildings to make way for it.

Aberdeen's market hall took over two years to build with construction taking place in two parts to allow the market to continue trading. The Mardol end, known as Mardol House, was built first so that traders and shopkeepers could move in there until the remainder of the Market Hall was finished. The new building housed not only the new market, but the town's highest clock tower, 23 shops at street level, a furniture store and office suites. The original plans had also included a roof restaurant and garden, but these never came off.

A 100-ton crane with a jib reaching 240ft was needed to complete the 200ft clock tower. With adjoining streets closed to traffic, the crane lifted into position the coping stones and 37ft high aluminium finial. The topping off ceremony was held on April 7 1965.

A great deal of excitement and anticipation surrounded the official opening of the new Market Hall, on September 16 1965, according to newspaper reports. On the day bad weather caused a delay because a 24-seater helicopter, bringing officials from the Second Covent Garden Property Company, was held up en route from Birmingham. The building was officially opened by the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire Viscount Bridgeman with a multitude of borough and council officials and townspeople in attendance. One hundred and twenty special guests in all were invited. In a speech Shrewsbury's Mayor paid tribute to traders who had put up with a great deal of inconvenience and disruption during the rebuild.

"We have erected something I think we can all be proud of," he said.

To mark the occasion the Shropshire Star ran an eight-page pull-out supplement, hailing New Hall is a Striking Town Feature.

The following day the Shrewsbury Chronicle ran the front page headline: Market is Big Asset to Town, and described the Market Hall as 'the newest and most modern building in the county.' The demolition of the old market and the building of the new had been a painful process for the town. Some traders chose to retire.

The new market was a two-tier design comprising of 68 permanent stalls around the perimeter and over a 100 movable benches in a traditional pannier market in the centre. The perimeter stalls were to be privately managed for the property company while the municipal corporation would run the pannier market in the middle.

During the design negotiations members of the corporation had visited other market towns and decided the old method of trading on benches, as had been the tradition in the Victorian market, was best.

This method of trading continued for well over two decades. Many of the bench traders were farmers wives, countrywomen and small producers renting stalls by the foot to sell their eggs, butter, cheese, vegetables and other goods.

"It was first come first serve. Those who got there first had the prime positions and they used to fall out about it," recalls Noreen Maddox, of The Market Buffet café. Around 25 years ago the current canopied stalls replaced the benches and more permanent market businesses took their place.

When it opened The Mardol House section of the Market Hall housed three floors of Wades furniture store. The Guardian Royal Exchange insurance company took a floor, the court service occupied a floor and the Employment Service, the Medical Advisory Service and the Land Registry also inhabited the building. But leasing large office suites in a town centre with no on-site parking was a challenge and for the past 20 years the upper floors of Mardol House have been largely unoccupied.

All that is about to change. Earlier this year Shropshire Council took over the interests of the building's previous owner, Scottish Widows Pension Fund.

The council now jointly manages the market with Shrewsbury Town Council and it has overseen a major urban regeneration project to transform the upper floors of Mardol House into a student hall of residence for the new University Centre Shrewsbury. The first students will move into the building from September 25 – almost 50 years to the day that the Market Hall officially opened.