BROUGH FARMERS' MARKET
LAST MONTH'S (January) MARKET
The last Farmers’ Market was on Saturday January 21st. We knew in advance that there would be difficulties because of improvements being made to the hall. In fact it wasn't too bad, our tables had been hidden in various place because their store was what was being improved, but we found all we needed. The weather had been forecast as very windy, and so it happened for the early part of the morning, only quietening after about 11am. Maybe that was why the initial visitor intake was very slow. Let's face it, we don't expect January to be brilliant, but when after the raffle draw an hour before closing, we still had not topped ninety, we were feeling worried. However in that last hour we had sufficient latecomers to score 105!
We really have to be grateful to our last minute substitute for our normal vegetable stall (who e-mailed us the day before to tell us that their van had broken down and they could not get the necessary spare till the Monday after the market) who was able to fill the gap at extremely short notice.
That morning, before we went down to the hall, our plant stall (which has to come over the Pennines from Middleton, and is usually outside) phoned to say the wind was so strong over there that she did not feel safe to come.
Also absent was the venison and dexter beef stall, but this was expected as they always have their holiday in January at about the time of our market. They also usually visit somewhere rather special with an environmental / conservation / exotic wildlife theme.
The current market management team are winding down their involvement, and the immediate market day supervision and operation will increasingly be taken over by three of the stallholders. The old phone numbers and email addresses on the publicity leaflets for 2012 will continue to be responded to, and callers will be passed on to the new team if necessary if their queries cannot be handled then and there.