The scenes from the reopening of the new revamped Market Hall in Derby were ones of delight - busy crowds packed around independent vendors as families and friends gathered and had a cup of tea and a chinwag.

It was a nostalgic reminder of the buzz around our local markets that we were always told about by our parents and grandparents. And there was no doubt it was a positive sight to see - but for anyone who's recently visited Nottingham's Victoria Market, it does leave a genuine sense of longing and even somewhat envy.

Months on from the date of its planned 'closure,' some traders at the historic market remain, but the area's sense of a market that's been forgotten about is nothing new. For years, the bizarre has been in somewhat relative disrepair, with traders previously sharing concerns to me around broken lights and damp.

Yet, while the market is technically 'closed,' with all traders served a notice to shut up shop on March 31, those that remain say business is unusually booming more than ever. Stephen Taylor, who runs the general hardware store Aladdin's Cave in the Victoria Centre Market told me: "We're the busiest we've ever been - my only part-time member of staff has had to go........

© Nottingham Post