AS a slip of a lass, Joan Woodhall started on the business adventure which has seen her grow into an institution as the fruit and veg lady of the dale.

Single-minded, dogged, discerning and, above all, hard working, she has watched her business blossom, while others have crumbled.

Now, with a lot of pride, and no little prejudice directed at those who criticise her beloved Weardale, she is celebrating 50 years as a shopkeeper.

It was on Thursday, September 12, 1952, that Joan opened her shop in Front Street, Stanhope. It has changed very little over the years.

She had been working previously as an assistant in a fruit and veg shop further down the dale at Wolsingham.

But she fell out with its owners when they refused to give her a day off to attend Stanhope show.

"I had just developed a taste for selling fruit and veg. I fell in love with the business," said Joan, who by now had her eye on renting an old bicycle shop in Stanhope.

"But in those days it was nearly unheard of a 16-year-old girl starting up in business on her own. If I had made a mess of it, I would never have heard the end of it."

With the princely sum of £7, given to her by her father Joe, a local builder, she went off to Bishop Auckland to stock up her shop. She paid 30 shillings for the shop rent and putting down a £5 deposit on a set of Avery scales.

She got her first fruit and veg and the bags to put them in on tick.

"I gave the ten shillings change back to my dad, and he accepted it," she said.

All day on the Wednesday before the grand opening, Joan and her mother, Mary, worked on stocking the shop and putting on a window display. Stanhope show was due to take place at the weekend and Front Street was alive with the annual fair.

"I can remember the next day when we opened. The show people, who in those days slept behind their swings and roundabouts, woke up to find what had been a bike shop was now full of fruit and veg," said Joan.

From that day Joan and her fruit and veg business have never looked back.

Together with husband Gordon and daughter Diane, they now own a baker's shop next door and a large caravan park in Stanhope.

Until three years ago Gordon had operated a mobile shop to serve customers all over

Weardale. Before that Joan's dad, Joe, had been taken on the payroll as the van driver.

Joan and Gordon still make four journeys a week to the fruit and vegetable market at Team Valley, in Gateshead, getting up at 4.30am, leaving Stanhope at 5am, arriving at the market at 6am, leaving the market at 7am and returning to Stanhope at 8am in time to open the shop.

"Things are a bit tougher these days," said Joan. "When I first opened up, the fruit and veg used to be brought up the dale by wagon. Front Street was a very friendly place, where everybody was for each other."

During those 50 years as the fruit and veg lady, Joan confesses never to having a holiday.

"Maybe Gordon and I will take one now, maybe take our three grandchildren to Blackpool," she said