Veteran of market scene to retire

Press, 6 August 1987, Page 23

Veteran of market scene to retire

When the manager of Market Gardeners, Ltd, Mr Ron Bainbridge, came Onto the market scene in 195 Q as a storeman, one of his jobs was to assist retailers in manoeuvring their horses and drays around a yard. Thirty-seven years later, when both buyers and staff must keep a watchful eye for big transport trucks, he is leaving fruit and vegetables behind for good.

There used to be four markets in Christchurch. Mr Bainbridge first worked for the Macfarlane Trading Company.

He recalled that bananas, then in 701 b cases, all had to be stacked by hand. Potatoes, leaving Canterbury in 1601 b sacks, had to be hand-loaded onto trains. “Towards the end of the day when you got tired, you had to get somebody else to do the grunting,” he said.

The bulk of the potatoes were grown in the South Island and had to be shipped north. Today the situation was almost reversed.

Mr Bainbridge, aged 66, said that before the advent of large supermarkets, there were a lot of Chinese greengrocers, probably because this was an industry in which they were successful in their home country. The total number of retailers buying from the market had dropped considerably during the last 30 years, because of supermarkets and commission buyers.

After a brief break from the industry, Mr Bainbridge became a storeman for Market Gardeners in 1959. Since then he has held the positions of salesman, auctioneer, assistant manager, and manager. He was first appointed manager in 1973. “By that time the number of markets had been reduced to two, but the competition is just as great as it was when the four existed.”

He said that the markets were much more clean and hygienic now, with more natural and artificial light. The variety of produce had also expanded. Capsicums, courgettes and broccoli were almost unheard of and kiwanos and pepinos were definitely out of reach. Mr Bainbridge retired from the company in 1977, but continued buying for the market on a part-time basis.

He returned as manager in 1984 at the request of the company, which felt the market needed some reorganisation. “Having completed this project it is probably time to retire once more,” he said.

Mr Bainbridge said that there was “never a dull moment” working for a market and he enjoyed the challenge and competition it offered. He said that it required a team effort to make a market run efficiently. He appreciated the support given to him by the staff, and his wife, Nona.