THIS month is the 60th anniversary of Cleckheaton Market and here we look back on it over the years.

The indoor market is a big part of the retail life of the busy town and many people from the Spen Valley and beyond have happy memories of shopping or working there over the decades.

Market traders often used to entertain customers by serving them in fancy dress at certain times of the year, such as Easter or Christmas.

Thanks to Michael Asquith, who was a well known greengrocer in Cleckheaton Market, for the photograph (above) of traders celebrating their £15,600 win on the football pools back in 1984. The win was shared by 25 of them, who each got around £625. Happy days!

Louise Clayton recalls: “My mum had the card and joke shop, Greetings, for most of the 80s. She and a lady who ran the deli were massive Wimbledon fans and they used to rig up a little portable TV for the entire Wimbledon fortnight.

"Many a time a customer had to wait to be served if there was a tense serve about to be played.”

Rod Wood says: “I went to the opening of the market. It was said Sir Len Hutton, the great cricketer, was going to perform the opening ceremony but did not appear.”

Jane Broadhead recalls: “I worked as an apprentice hairdresser at Hilda McLaughlin’s in 1968. The salon was where the shoe repairers is now. I left there when I’d finished my five years’ training.

“Happy memories of friends I made who had stalls in the market. I still shop there now.”

Says Ian Simper: “I worked for Roy Asquith greengrocer 1963 to 65 after school and Saturdays. Good place to work. Colleagues from Whitcliffe Mount were Jennifer Hubbard and Riz North.”

Thanks to Michael Asquith and Matthew Crowther for these photos.