More than 120 years of tradition has come to an end in Newton Abbot with the retirement of the Sclater family and with it the closure of their popular flower and plant stall. The Exeter family has been in the business for 250 years, growing blooms at their nursery in the heart of the city. With the coming of the railways in the 1880s, they decided to venture out and trade at markets around the West Country. On Tuesday, the family served their last customers in Newton Abbot, where they received a warm send off. 'We've had a whip round to present the Sclaters with this silver plate, because after more than 100 years we didn't think they should leave without some acknowledgement,' said chairman of the Newton Abbot Market Traders, Ron Southcombe. The business' matriarch, Doreen Sclater, said that after the death of her husband, and her son, Gerald, suffering two heart attacks, it was time to move on. Gerald Sclater said the family would miss their customers, many of whom they had known for generations. 'One old lady came to the nursery last year aged 101 as she wanted to bring her great great great granddaughter to us because her mother had taken her to my grandfather to buy a plant,' he said. Asked what the biggest changes were during two-and-a-half centuries of business he said: 'It's the big supermarkets.' His mother added: 'People can go in with their plastic cards and think, well everything's here under one roof, I'll get it all while I'm here.' But Mr Sclater was a little more upbeat and said the traditional market still had its unique appeal. 'It's where people come for a bit of cheek and fun,' he said.