John Yeoman, Flower Market

John Yeoman is a florist at Manchester Flower Market. He has been selling bedding plants, bouquets, cacti and garden plants on the market for six years

“I took over this stall from a friend of mine. It’s been good. Cactus, they sell quite well….but predominantly its bouquets and roses. Men only buy flowers when they know they’ve done something wrong. Usually it’s roses.

“I grow quite a lot of bedding myself, and I get the flowers from all over. I try and source my flowers locally where possible, but there are very few English growers. Predominantly they come from Holland.

“We get a huge cross-section of customers here. It covers the whole spectrum. If I haven’t got it on, I can get it. In winter we tend to have bedding plants, and in summer we have hanging baskets. I keep my costs really low. And I try and compete with the big stores. Always.

“I offer people a personal service. And I get to know people. Usually by the time they have come back a few times, you get to know them personally; you get to know their first names. It’s funny, the first time they come on and chat to you, they tell you their life story. I know lots and lots of people's life stories on this market!

“Out of all that’s out there in this universe, this is only this place that has flowers. It’s amazing. People just take it for granted, but I look at them everyday and I say, ‘Wow, look at that’. They are unique. I’m a flower aficionado. I love them.

“If I was going to give somebody a bouquet, it would definitely be freesia, and maybe some blue aster as well. I love them because they are pretty – but don’t tell my friends! I’ve always liked flowers since being a child.”