End of an era for Darlington’s Covered Market
Darlington is preparing to say farewell to one of its best-known market characters. The funeral of Robin Blair, aged 80, takes place at 11.30am on Wednesday 5 August at St Andrew’s Church in Haughton. Robin is recognised locally as the last of the town’s traditional market stallholders, continuing a family presence in the market that began in the 19th century.
The Blair family’s association with the Covered Market stretches back to 1875, when Robin’s grandfather, JJ Blair, first stood a stall there. Robin himself grew up in the trade: the story goes that, as a small child, he would sleep tucked under the counter while his mother served customers. He left school at 15 to work full time on the stall and later spoke fondly to locals and to the Memories column about the old market routines.
- Funeral: 11.30am, Wednesday 5 August, St Andrew’s Church, Haughton
- Age: 80
- Family firm founded: 1875 (JJ Blair)
Those who remember the Covered Market in earlier decades will recall trades carried out in different rhythms to today’s town centre. Robin described auction bells sounding late into the evening when produce unsold earlier would be moved on at reduced prices; at times business continued until midnight. He also related scenes from life on the road: the market garden on the lane between Haughton and Barmpton, horse-drawn carts and family members who ran other parts of the business.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stall in Darlington Covered Market | Family run since 1875 |
| Robin’s brother, Keith | Ran that side of the business for 50 years; died 2013 |
“to fall heavily and physically while dead drunk and to fall asleep at the same time”
The quotation above — a word Robin used in telling stories of his uncle Tot and other market figures — captures the earthy humour and oral history that long-time customers and neighbours will miss. For many, Robin was more than a trader: he was a repository of local memory, always ready with a tale about the market’s past.
As the town’s retail landscape has evolved, the presence of long-established stallholders has dwindled. Robin’s passing therefore marks a cultural as well as a personal loss: a final link to an older way of trading in Darlington’s Covered Market. Local people wanting to pay respects can attend the service in Haughton on Wednesday.
Further details about the funeral and any collection or tributes are expected to be provided by the family via local notices.
