A FOOD market will celebrate an important milestone by welcoming regular traders who have been involved from the very beginning.

Reading Farmers' Market turns 18 on October 21 and Reading Rock Choir will be performing on Great Knollys Street to mark the occasion.

The market gives customers the opportunity to buy high quality local produce directly, on the first and third Saturday of every month from 8.30am to 12pm.

Jane Bowler, of Dews Meadow Farm, one of the longest-standing traders at the market, has been involved from the start.

She said: “The atmosphere at the first market was so good that I did not feel like going home at the end and18 years later, the market still has a lovely family feeling about it.

“The traders are really supportive of each other and we have lots of loyal customers and always enjoy chatting with new ones.”