Chelmsford Market

A Memory of Chelmsford.

I was born in Chelmsford in 1937 and can remember going to the market every week and seeing all the farm animals such as cows, bulls, pigs, sheep, chickens, rabbits, etc. all there for sale. My favourite part, though, was where they sold dogs and puppies and my parents always said no to my plea to buy one every week. About 20 years later in the early 1960's I had two sons of my own and history repeated itself as I took them both in their pram to the market every Friday. It was the best day of the week and they loved to go around the pens up close to all the animals. We had walked from Westlands Estate and if the weather was fine we would have a picnic in the Rec (central park) next to the market. While I was growing up, my great-uncle Len Gifford was the Market Inspector, a tall upright man and well known around town, usually to be seen on his bicycle. He was also the Mayoral Mace Bearer.