IT was with sadness that I heard of the recent death of Keith Spiers, who, for many years, was market reeve at Tavistock Pannier Market.
I was fortunate to be part of the management team that took on responsibility for the market when Keith retired and what a legacy he left for us to build on.
Keith, with his enthusiastic assistant, Colin, had shaped the market into the thriving five-day attraction we all know today, from one which operated only on Fridays for the Charter Market and Tuesdays for antiques.
His strong minded management was ideal to bond the very diverse mix of traders into one thriving retail attraction, which, over the last decade became the very heart of Tavistock.
After his retirement I rang him on more that one occasion and he was always generous in his advice and help, and very straightforward in his views on difficult individuals I had to contend with.
I had both affection and respect for Keith Spiers and I still miss him. I offer my deep condolences to Dawn, his partner, who also gave me much help when I worked in the pannier market.
M Souttar