101-year-old market stall moves into Telford shop
It's been a mainstay of a Shropshire market for a century – but now a family-run stall selling clothes has upped sticks and moved into a shop for the first time.
Staff at Baker & Sons, which provides school uniforms for families in the Telford area, have spent their first two weeks in their new premises in New Street, Wellington.
It is a landmark moment in the 101-year history of the business, which has been run as a stall on Wellington's outdoor market by four generations of the Baker family – until now.
Family members say the move has gone down well with customers and has enabled them to extend opening hours to run six days a week, selling secondary school uniforms and Scout and Guide uniforms.
Matthew Baker – the fourth generation of the family to take on the reins of the business – said he was delighted the family had established a shop in Wellington where they had been based for so long and added he hoped the firm would start supplying dancewear in the future.
The Baker family's stall opened as a small haberdashery stall in 1912. The business was founded by Matthew's great grandparents Amy Baker and her husband Jack, who transported wares made at their factory in Birmingham to sell to local people. Amy initially used a motorcycle and side car to bring the goods to Shropshire before the couple bought a van.
The factory employed around 40 women and Mrs Baker became renowned throughout the Midlands as one of the few women who could attract crowds of more than 60 people to her auctions.
The couple's son Lawson joined the business in the 1930s and ran the stall at Wellington Market with his wife Maisie, while his mother continued to run the Birmingham side of the operation. Lawson would always be seen on the market wearing a bow tie and during winter a Crombie hat.
Amy died in 1967 and the factory in Birmingham closed in 1970 due to competition from the Far East. But the business continued to grow through the efforts of the family – Lawson's eldest son Derek had become a partner in the business in 1961 when he left school and expanded the business into new lines such as anoraks.
Lawson's second son Roger joined the business in 1972 and took over the market stall in 1989 when Lawson died.
The company started receiving specific requests from schools such as the Charlton, Blessed Robert Johnson and Ercall Wood schools to stock school uniforms in the 1980s – which Derek and Roger used to help the company's reputation grow. Now the shop provides uniforms for secondary schools across the borough.
The shop has a large warehouse in Halesowen which will allow the shop to stock items all year round. The move from a stall to a shop has been considered for several years by Derek and Roger, according to Roger's son Matthew.
Matthew, who grew up working on the stall and joined the business full-time three years ago, said: "We had been looking for new premises but wanted to stay in Wellington and didn't want to move away. Being nearby to the bus station, it helps parents who don't have their own transport too."
Matthew said: "Roger is still very much involved in the running of the family business. My greater involvement was to try and slow Derek down but he won't. We enjoy working together, we have a good banter."
The market stall will remain open for one more week before shutting completely and the family hope that this move is the first step of a long future with many more generations of trading to come.
Matthew said: "The move and expansion is a positive step in the right direction. We hope to have an official opening soon."
Derek said: "Matt has developed a very keen interest in the business and has confidently become involved in all aspects of buying and selling. He is becoming popular with both suppliers and customers."
Local business - TF2 Barbers, Telford
