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Flower stall has had the same pitch on Grantham Market for 40 years




A flower and plant stall has had the same pitch on the market for 40 years.

Lucy Buckberry’s flower stall on Grantham Market has been passed through her family for the last four decades.

The 46-year-old’s business is being showcased as part of a Journal campaign to support the market.

Lucy Buckberry on Grantham Market.
Lucy Buckberry on Grantham Market.

Lucy has been a part of the stall for much of her life, and took over in July 2020.

“The stall has been in my family for about 40 years,” she said. “My uncle had it first. He passed away.

“My auntie remarried and her husband took it over. I took it over three years ago in the height of Covid.

Lucy's selection of bouquets.
Lucy's selection of bouquets.

“It was really tough, but I was doing pretty well online and with deliveries, because people couldn’t get out.

“I was able to still trade on the market because I did plants as well as flowers.”

Lucy explained that when she took over, her uncle wanted to retire, but wanted the business to remain in the family.

Lucy's selection of plants.
Lucy's selection of plants.

His children both had jobs in London, and Lucy had more than enough experience of how the stall was run.

Lucy continued: “I’ve always worked behind the scenes, getting the flowers ready for market when my uncle was running things.

“I would work back home at the sheds and he was out doing the markets.

“From a really young age I was doing the really big days for markets, like Mother’s Day, Christmas and Valentines, so I’d get roped in on those days for the market.

“When I took over, it was a given for me. Customers knew me from before.”

Lucy comes from Boston to trade in Grantham, which is the only market that she sells on.

She added: “People know they can come to me and get a special gift for a tenner.

“A lot of my stock is based around mixed bouquets but I do things for order for special occasions.”

When asked what she loves most about being on the market, Lucy said: “I love socialising. I love Grantham people, even if they don’t want to buy flowers and just want a chat.

“I seem to thrive in the social side of things and I enjoy working with flowers. It’s a lovely job.

“I don’t really see my Saturday market because I enjoy it so much.

“I’ve really come to rely on regulars. Those people that come out in all weathers.

“I do let them know that I really appreciate them.”

In terms of how she thinks Grantham Market could be improved, Lucy wants to see more incentives given for new traders to set up a stall.

She said: “I think it would benefit from giving new traders free rent for a couple of months to get people in to try it.

“It’s an incentive for them to stay. Just try it, see what you think. It’s not always about the money, sometimes it’s about the longevity of it.”

You can find Lucy on Grantham Market every Saturday.



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