A SETTLE market trader who has sold fruit and vegetables on his stall under the town hall clock for 40 years is retiring.

John Smith has travelled to the town each Tuesday from his home near Preston and was not ashamed to say there was a tear in his eye on his last day.

"I can honestly say I've loved coming to Settle. I have met such a lot of wonderful people and made hundreds of friends. I am really going to miss them," he said.

Mr Smith has battled through all weathers over the past four decades to get to market with his vegetables, flowers and fruit, much of which has been grown on his brothers' nurseries, near Preston. He has also grown his own organic vegetables at his father's farm at Garstang to sell on the stall.

"Some winters were really bad, although we usually managed to get here. On some occasions snow was up to the bottom of the stall," he said.

As well as standing on Settle market, Mr Smith has had a stall at Kirkby Lonsdale on Thursdays and done door to door fruit and vegetable deliveries for the last 38 years.

As well as vegetables and fruit - including old favourites Russets and Cox's apples - the stall has sold locally-produced cheese. He used to sell more plants and flowers, but cut back when another plant and flower stall came onto the market.

"We cut back on them to give them a chance and to concentrate on the fruit and veg side," he said.

He added that the new Booths supermarket had not had an affect on his trade, which had always been brisk.

"For the first few weeks after Booths opened we noticed a slight drop, but after that we seemed to get busier."

Mr Smith said he would particularly miss the regular chats and friendly banter with his customers, many of whom he has seen grow up from youngsters.

One presented him with a framed sketch of a busy Settle market place with his stall in its regular position near the front of the town hall.

Mr Smith, who is 63, said he would have liked to have carried on for another couple of years, but problems with his eyesight and pending treatment had forced him to take it easy.

It will also give him chance to spend more time at home with his wife Mary who works on one of the family nurseries.

And the stall is to be left in good hands as Clapham-based organic nursery Growing With Grace is taking over. It will be run by Carolyn Hall and Jane Attfield who will be selling a range of organic vegetables and fruit, much of which will be grown on the nursery.

"It is a new venture for us and we are looking forward to taking over the stall," said Carolyn.