AN apple a day keeps the doctor away. But but a lifetime of fruit and vegetables has certainly been a healthy recipe for former market trader Stanley Liptrott.

The sprightly 92-year-old, known as "grandad" to his family, returned to his old trading ground on Bury Market to celebrate the Liptrott stall's refurbishment.

The fruit and veg stall re-opened in its original pitch on Wednesday (April 12) after spending 11 months located on the precinct while the market underwent a £5 million revamp.

Granddaughter Jackie Liptrott, who now runs the stall located at the bottom end near the market offices, said: "We decorated the stall and provided refreshments to welcome our customers back.

And because grandad started the stall 54 years ago with his late brother, Old Lol, we thought he should be part of the celebrations."

The Liptrott stall truly is a family business. Jackie's father John took over the stall after Stanley retired and he left responsibility to Jackie when he died two years ago. Jackie added: "We have a lot of relations who are also involved in the fruit and veg trade and there are stalls on Bolton and Radcliffe markets. Grandad loves to talk about the market and until recently he would catch the train from Bolton, where he lives, to Bury once a week to buy fish from the fish market."

The journey is a significant one as it marks the pilgrimage made by Mr Liptrott when he first opened the stall.

He said: "My family had been on the markets for 100 years and I helped out as a boy. When I returned from the War I wasn't allowed to open a stall at Bolton so I packed my horse and cart with 10 boxes of windfalls - apples were rationed then - and set off for Bury."

Mr Liptrott said he used his "de-mob" money to buy a van but the radiator burst.

He added: "Everyone on the market helped me with buckets of water and I repaid them with a box of apples. By the time I'd finished there was only half the amount of stock left to sell!:"