the metropolitan meat market company continued to operate the market until june 1974, a total of ninety four years. the managing director of the company in its final years was j.m. (malcolm) howlett, who was the son of james m. howlett, who with his brother john t. howlett commenced work with william reynolds in the 1880s. malcolm howlett has remained keenly interested in the market since it became a craft centre and has in his writings about it, given us a clear picture of what it was like.