Robert's family has been involved with the local market for almost a hundred years.

His great grandmother on his mother's side began it all when she moved with her new husband to Coventry to start a fresh life. They set up a shop in Butchers Row selling antiques and second hand goods. They lived in Silver Street in the city centre.

Butchers Row has long since disappeared but Silver Street still exists off the Burges.

The move from shop to market began in around 1911 when Rupert's maternal grandfather, a former bare fist prizefighter, established William Southall's Fishmongers in the Smithfield Market opposite the old Hippodrome Market.

William's wife Alice Southall was a school teacher at the Ragged School. She bought up a large family and ran the farm at Brownshill Green which the couple had bought after they got married.

After the Smithfield Market was closed for redevelopment the family fish stall was moved to the new market hall in the West Orchard area.