60 summers at the market

“Sometimes, while making my morning coffee, I look out at the waking world and wonder if any of this really makes sense,” Terttu admits. “But I’ve always gone to work anyway, because I simply love this so much. Sometimes I wonder if my mother enjoyed it as much as I do.”

Market trading has run in the family for nearly a century, ever since 1931.

“My grandfather started the business, and my mother carried it on. I first came to work here during the summer of 1966. That must make it almost sixty years now. I guess it’s somehow in my blood.”

Of course, Terttu has done other things along the way. Many locals still remember the sweet shop and flower shop she ran on Pohjoistullikatu, right next to the market square. She also spent a brief period working at the newly opened Salcomp factory.

“I stayed there for exactly one pay period before the market square started calling me back. Even when I’ve had other jobs, I’ve always at least helped transport goods to the market,” she says.

Loading the van and setting up the market stall is something Terttu could probably do in her sleep. The same routine repeats every morning: products are loaded from the storage building at the old family home, driven to the market square, the stall is assembled, and everything is carefully arranged for sale.

Everything is ready by nine o’clock at the latest, although customers are naturally served throughout the setup process.

– On summer mornings, the first customers start arriving as early as seven.

Many people stop by on their way to work to pick up fresh berries or other treats for the day.”

In the afternoon, the entire stall is taken down again, and the morning routine is repeated in reverse.

“This isn’t exactly light work, and it’s probably best not to calculate the hourly wage,” Terttu says with a smile. “But for me, it has always felt easy to do.”

Being a market trader requires a certain kind of character. During the busy summer season, days off are few and far between, even though relatives are always happy to lend a hand.

And then there’s the weather, something no one can control. Naturally, working is much more enjoyable in sunshine than in pouring rain.

“You simply can’t start your day by checking what the weather looks like. In this job, it’s not really relevant,” Terttu says. “I come here every morning, rain or shine. That’s just the nature of this work. Whatever the weather, we’re here!”

The customers, of course, are what make the job special. Alongside local residents, many summer cottage owners and tourists return year after year.

– Se on kiva, kun tulevat tarkistamaan, vieläkö minä talven jälkeen olen hengissä, Terttu nauraa.

“It’s lovely when people come to check whether I’m still alive after the winter,” Terttu laughs.

As summer gradually turns towards autumn, market days become less frequent. During the busiest season, the stall operates from Tuesday to Saturday, while in autumn it is open on Fridays and Saturdays.

The market season continues until the Christmas opening celebrations and starts again around Easter.

“That’s when I finally get the days off I never have time to take during summer,” Terttu says. “But when spring comes around, I always start longing for the market again. My late husband used to say that I grew restless every spring. He was probably right.”

For Terttu Lundelin, market trading is a way of life, but there is room for much more in her life as well. She enjoys close relationships with her children, grandchildren, and extended family, and they spend plenty of time together.

There is also more time for hobbies during the winter months. She is planning to join some dance classes, provided her troublesome hip allows it.

“Even though the framework is getting a little worn with age, the cornerstones of my life have remained the same,” Terttu says. “And I intend to keep coming to the market square for as long as it feels right.”