Swansea Market

The traders of Swansea market are some of Wales's hardest working, ambitious and humourous business owners. This brand new series explores their hectic lives over the busiest three months of their year.

The festive season has arrived in Swansea. As thousands of shoppers from across Wales descend on the city, traders try desperately to keep customers buying at their stalls. The opening of a new perfume shop is a chance for owner Edward Lewis to charm eager shoppers, whilst Swansea's only handmade organic chocolate shop tries to keep its head above water. This is the time when vital money must be made in the market and traders will do anything they can to turn customers' browsing into buying.

The Christmas food rush brings chaos to the market. Thousands of shoppers have abandoned their supermarket trolleys and headed to the market to purchase Wales's finest and freshest produce. The market's food producers are experiencing their busiest weekend of the year, and not everybody has got their orders in time. Prince Charles makes a surprise visit, adding more excitement to the market's most profitable and stressful two weeks of trading.

In the quiet of the new year, traders at Swansea market are struggling to keep their business dreams alive. The fishmongers turn their attention to the Chinese - the city's new big spenders - whilst Sandy's Lunchbox adds another string to its culinary bow by mastering the art of tagine-making. But Swansea's only handmade chocolate shop hits the skids, only to be replaced in the aisles by a dolls house shop tailored to adults. All life exists under the domed roof of Swansea market.