HALF a century ago, the Telegraph told the story of how a little piece of Blackburn which was 116 years old had been lost forever.

But the news today was that Blackburn’s old market was opening for the last time and a chill, wintry sunshine shone to the sounds of clicking shutters and the whirr of cine cameras.

For the event attracted legions of people who arrived to take a last picture for posterity, before the building was knocked down.

The following week the town’s ultra modern market was set to open.

Apart from the unusually high numbers of both amateur and professional photographers who hurried around trying to capture the atmosphere and nostalgia that more than a century of trading had left, it was business as usual.

Before the sun had risen fully above the chimney tops, the traders were arriving — from all over Lancashire came grocers and fishmongers, butchers and clothiers. setting up their stalls, displaying their produce on their last day.

There was the man from Southport, who had travelled to Blackburn three times a week for 17 years, to set up his fish stall. William Atkinson was pulling the last trays of prawns from his van.

“The new market will be better, I know, but I think I will miss this old place,” he commented.

The new market on Ainsworth Street promised to be warmer for both traders and customers, but customers reckoned it, too, would have be stand for 116 years to capture any of the atmosphere that was the hallmark of its predecessor.

Butcher Cliff Howarth of Whalley Banks had run his stall in the market for 10 years, while Edith Domley, of Ramsgreave Drive, Blackburn, had been selling lace curtains for 17 years - she said she would greatly miss the old tradition.

l In other news Burnley Horticultural Society’s two -day show in St Peter’s schoolroom, was hit by illness, but judges still praised the high quality of blooms.

It was also reported that Burnley Corporation were still looking to fill the post of children’s officer. Despite the salary of almost £1,500, only one application for the post had been received.