Overheard yesterday!!! Gossip between a market representative and trader.

"Shepton market is a waste of time and money but don't worry because it will be moving to Tesco's car park soon. They (Tesco's) are being really helpful and are very keen for us to move it there? Please can anyone verify if there is any truth in the gossip.

By robjaw at 08:49 on 12/02/11

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"Come into my cave, said the bear. Lie down for a while"....of course, we all know the bear will eat the little animal and all the little friends who come looking for it. In this case, maybe the market stallholders will all get clamped after 2 hours and shortly after one great big greedy belch, our market will be no more? Lets hope not, the market is amazing when its good and brings a lot of life to the town. I actually wish it was on a Saturday or Sunday (neither is probably practical for some reason my pretty little head wouldn't understand). This is simply because like a majority of people who work, getting into the middle of town on a Friday is rarely possible, but Saturday is barely the peak day it should be - some shops even close early, which doesn't help.

By Ed_2010 at 12:30 on 12/02/11
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Lets push for a Saturday market. Why not??? Would be far better and Wells have one on Saturday. We have at least three market reps working for Mendip I'm sure they could cope.

Some shops close for half days on Wednesday too. How outdated is that?

By robjaw at 17:52 on 12/02/11
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It is outdated, but they might not see it as a customer. Its a royal pain when you go in on your day off and find the shop is shut, and wednesday afternoons are just dead.

By Bilko_87 at 13:38 on 13/02/11
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Saturday market would most definitely be more accessible to people - I think that's where Glastonbury Market suffers as well, being on a Tuesday. People don't necessarily want to go shopping BEFORE work, but by the time they get their lunch breaks the whole thing has packed up and left.

So it's relying on those out of work, the self-employed, and those that don't work for its trade... which is never going to be as many as if it were at a weekend.

The problem is, of course, that Saturday is Wells and some of the traders go there too. But what about Sunday?!?! Wouldn't that be an option?

By nsbmiller at 09:59 on 20/02/11
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The Godfearing folk of Shepton would all be at church on a Sunday.

By VictorMildew at 12:12 on 21/02/11
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Mr VictorMildew - Im sorry, but I don't belieeeeeve it.

By Miry42 at 13:19 on 22/02/11
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Well done Myri, it needed saying!:) Sunday would be great - the victorian market was really well supported and it felt very special in town that day. I just cant make it in on Fridays however much Id like to suport it. Sunday please!!!

By Karma_Police at 13:30 on 22/02/11
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got to say saturday or sunday market would be good then those residents of shepton who work might actually get to use the town and put some of their hard earned cash back into the pockets of the traders trying to keep this place alive. I would certainly would support it. I try to use the shops and apart from Co-op, the discount £ shop place, Dredge & Male & the Cobblers (which I am glad to see has expanded!!!) there is little that I have need of. I seem to give more to the charity shops than there is suitable for me to buy however I did get a good 1970's wardrobe from the YMCA when I moved last year!

By froggie77 at 16:59 on 12/04/11
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It sounds strange but possible. It all depends what the town is thinking to achive as moving the market to Tesco carpark will again shift the focus from the shops in the centre of town to the retail centre. I agree on the fact that a market on a Sunday would probaly attract more people than on a Friday even if shops are closed on a Sunday :)

By sarcastic_me at 09:09 on 19/04/11
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Having discussed this rumour with the staff at Mendip I can assure you that there are no plans to move the market from the Market Place to anywhere else. In fact the market forms an integral part of the strategy for the town centre, and moving it elsewhere would have a very negative impact. Changing the day of the market is also not without its problems. We don't have market traders that only come to Shepton, they go to all of the other markets in the area as well, and they will always go where the biggest footfall occurs. There would be little point moving to a Saturday as it would clash with Wells, I think Sunday is a possibility but the whole town centre would have to be persuaded as most of the shops close on a Sunday at the moment. We have competition from markets in Frome, and Glastonbury in addition to Wells, and quite a number of traders go to car boot sales on a Sunday. Changing things may not be very easy to say the least.

By johnp2010 at 10:43 on 19/04/11
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