Exclusive:How this Leeds Kirkgate Market fishmongers bounced back after losing everything in 1975 fire

But the extent of the fire wasn’t fully known by the market traders - until many made their way to check on their establishments later that evening.

“They were fighting the fire with hose pipes, but it was on the ground,” David Ramsden told the Yorkshire Evening Post. He’s the current manager of family-owned Ramsden Fish, still situated in the market today, and recounts how his father, Arthur, explained the severity of the situation.

“They were fighting it, and they hadn't realised that it had climbed the walls in front of them and at the sides of them. It was coming over the ceiling above them. So my dad got a hold of them and was like: ‘Get out! Everyone out. Leave it to the fire brigade. The fire’s spreading everywhere.’

“Up until that point, he just heard on the phone that there had been a small fire in one of the shops.”

Many of those family-run businesses that shared the space with the Ramsdens were not as lucky as the family, who would open up again “on little trestle tables with bits of heating and tarp over [our] heads.”

“Whoever was in that area that burned down, some of them never came back,” David explained. “Some of them never recovered. Some of them just called it a day."

It wouldn’t just be the fire that Ramsden’s would have to contend with either, as they then had to compete with supermarkets opening their own fish counters - challenging their longstanding trade.

Even their return to the market was a logistical nightmare: the shops they got were “only two units side by side with no access to the outside”, David said.

“It was all central and made no sense in terms of logistics”.

But despite being in the thick of winter, with Arthur “wearing a bin bag that he cut holes in to keep dry”, the family persevered, becoming what David now proudly calls “very much an institution” in the market.

And it’s a business that newer generations of city locals are once again starting to frequent at the market - and it’s not just Ramsden’s experiencing this renewed interest in shopping locally.

“The younger generation now is more like their grandparents,” David remarks, suggesting that they are starting to eschew online delivery in favour of shopping in person.

“And now it's their children that are helping us out again,” David said. “And their grandchildren that are helping us out again by coming back."

For those who may question if Ramsden’s Fish is truly an institution in Leeds, David explains that some of his customers have been visiting the shop since long before he was born.

He added: “We still get so many West Indian customers, for example, because when their families first came to England and were looking for places to shop, Ramsden’s was here before and after the fire serving them.

“We now see the older generation sending their daughters and their sons to do their shopping for them because they can’t get out of the house as much.

“But, they’re still coming!”

The future looks bright for Ramsden’s, thanks to the family’s resilience. But as an admitted “cynic,” David is cautious about what the future holds for the family business.

"I think we're going to just keep going and try and always be there and go from strength to strength, if we can,” he said.

“The market’s certainly on the up now. And I'd like to think that the future is bright."

The Yorkshire Evening Post is teaming up with partners across the city -led by Leeds-based heritage consultancy Wafer Hadley - to help shape and develop a new heritage framework for Leeds.

And today, we’re launching a special series of reports shining the spotlight on our city’s very own Heritage Heroes. We’re showcasing those people in the heart of our communities across the city who preserve, champion and inspire others to ensure each place’s story continues to be known, understood and cherished.

To nominate a group or individual to feature in this series, email [email protected] to feature.