New initiative

Seeing the sad state of our Market in town, I've resolved to do what I can to bring the management of our market back into the hands of local people. At the same time I hope to buy back the right to manage the Stockbridge Lane car park.

Both these two facilities are being poorly managed by SLDC.

I'm hoping that they will want to surrender their control.

I'm in touch with a large group of stall holders that would be willing to attend our market if the prices were lower. A full market is worth striving for.

David Gardiner - the guy at the plant stall says that the towns where they have control of their own market stalls are surviving reasonably well, the stall holders here are feeling pretty dispirited.

We can do a lot better.

With the approval of the rest of our committee, I plan to brighten the Market Square up with a few of our flags each Thursday until the Flag Festival starts.

Everything is on track for their being an impressive display of 50 new flags in The Gill. This is the part of The Festival that we're responsible for; the rest is being run the Better Towns Team chaired by Ralph Spours (Jane Kendall has resigned), Jean Povey, Cllr Judy Pickthall and Peter Winston (who took the project back in mid February having given it to us in early January). We are continuing what we had started having been officially been given the job in January.

James Airey, County, District and Town Councillor has agreed to meet me soon to review the present situation regarding the work on the cobbles on Market Street

I put it to him that:

"The main question is :

Will the work down Market Street be completed by Friday April 29th when the Flags go up for the Flag Festival, The Royal Wedding and the influx of people visiting the town for the 10th Anniversary of Printfest ?

The work down Market Street is having a devastating effect on the numbers of people coming to the Market which in turn effects the takings of the local shops.

The relaxed easy going attitude of the I.T. Shaw workers is upsetting to the traders who work hard to earn a living."

Let me know if you think this is a good idea and whether you want to get involved.