As a young teenager in the early 1940s, I went to work for a greengrocer and fruitier called G Martin in Fulham.

He had market stalls in North End Road and a large warehouse in, I think, Coomber Mews. It was run by a man called Tommy Anthony.

Lorries called in at Fulham every morning, carrying fresh fruit and veg from Covent Garden. I think it was sorted at Fulham and sent to the various shops G Martin had in Slough, Acton, Fulham and of course stalls in North End Road. He also owned a big store in Covent Garden.

In those days, most of the stalls were run by families and I remember the Johnson brothers who each had a stall.

There was Jimmy, Michael and Harry and there was also the Frost brothers and the Gadds, just to name a few.

In those days the stall holders still had a horse and cart, on hire of course, and they certainly knew how to handle horses and set out their stalls.

When G Martin paid a visit to Fulham, he stood out from the rest. He had a Sunbeam Talbot car, brand new and gleaming. Everybody seemed to have a lot of respect for him.

I eventually got a letter from the Government telling me to go to an Army medical centre at Horn Lane, Acton, to see if I was fit for the forces.

Soon after I got my call up papers, telling me report to the Infantry Training Centre of the Royal West Kent Regiment at Maidstone, Kent.

Mr Martin came to see me and said don't worry about that letter, you don't have to go. The job you are doing is of national importance.

I told him I would be going, that all my mates had gone before me and I felt it was my duty to go.

I served three years in the forces, and I never kept in contact with any of my old work mates.

I would like to know if any of your older readers remember the G Martin empire and what happened to it all.

Does anyone out there know?

Cabbies son (Full name and address supplied)