Housewives from all over Johannesburg shopped there. Some formed buying clubs and got their fruit and vegetables, and even fish, meat and venison, at prices midway between those at the wholesale market and those at their local fruit-and-veg shop.

Everything was fine until a rocket scientist in the council persuaded his colleagues that everything should be moved to City Deep. No doubt the reasoning was — and we would like to believe that reason was involved — that the council either owned, or could acquire, all the ground it needed for the new market for a relatively small amount.

We presume similar reasoning was behind the hare-brained idea of moving the Rand Easter Show from Milner Park, where a million visitors a year only just eluded the organisers, to Nasrec, where the organisers would be happy if they could attract half that number.

In both instances, habits that had been carefully nurtured for years were ignored.

The councillors who decided on the move probably didn’t have the word "convenience" in their dictionary and presumed that a woman from Mayfair or Auckland Park, who was a regular at the old retail market, wouldn’t mind going out to City Deep to save a few rands.

Obviously, the thinking was flawed and full marks to whoever realised it.

That someone has been enlightened is suggested by the Johannesburg Development Agency’s "request for proposals JDA/02/2005: Greater Newtown Development: Market Establishment and Lease of Property".

Documents can be collected from the agency on the third floor, 90 Market Street. The tender closes at midday on October 28. Tenders must be marked "Tender Number JDA/02/2005: Newtown Market Proposal" and be placed in the tender box at 90 Market Street.