Celebrating markets Love Your Local Market is a celebration of market culture for a fortnight every May. Started in 2012, last year 700 markets took part across the UK. www.nabma.com/your-local-market Chrisp Street On Air Chrisp Street Market has been On Air with loads of events and the chance for residents to have their say. see pages 18 & 19 Feature No other London borough offers such a choice of vibrant and contrasting markets as Tower Hamlets. And as spring arrives, with hotter weather just around the corner, the borough’s markets are buzzing, as Poppy Turner reports. Join the buzz of market life for £10 NEXT month, the council will call on new traders and budding entrepreneurs to try out a market stall for just £10 per day as part of the Love Your Local Market fortnight, which runs from May 14-28. Led by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA), approximately 700 local markets all over the country are getting involved in celebrations to attract shoppers, help new start-ups and boost enterprise. Trevor Kennett, head of markets at the council, said: “If you would like to try running a market stall, or have a great business idea and want to find out if there is demand for your product, then this is your opportunity to get involved. “We hope this fantastic opportunity will encourage budding entrepreneurs and new traders to try their hand at operating a low-cost business at the market. As part of the scheme, the markets team is offering new traders the opportunity to try out a market stall for just £10 per day.” The markets offering the scheme are: Bethnal Green Road, Chrisp Street Roman Road Square and Watney Street – Monday to Saturday Roman Road – Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday Petticoat Lane – Monday to Friday and Sunday Brick Lane, Cheshire Street and Sclater Street – Sunday. The council manages ten street market areas operating seven days a week, and is seeking new traders for limited spaces Pat Thorpe, Bethnal Green Road market How long have you been a market trader? About 30 years. What made you want to be a market trader? I liked the idea of being my own boss and the independence it would give me. This was especially important to me as I had two little children at the time. What do you sell on your stall? All the top fragrances – nothing but the best. All my stock comes from the States. I sell 400 to 500 different fragrances and it would be hard to pick a best one. What are the good aspects of being a market trader? Definitely being your own boss and the independence it gives you. Also, companionship – I’ve got a lot of love and respect for the boys and girls I work with – we all try to help each other. What are the downsides? There are lots of thieves about, and when you sell something high value like I do, you can be an easy target, so you have to guard against that. Also it can be quite a hard physical job for women, what with all the loading and unloading What advice would you give to people considering becoming market traders? You need to have sufficient stock to make the stall look proper. If it looks paltry and shabby it’s not going to work. Also you should try to find a niche product that no-one else is selling. across the majority of them. People interested in becoming permanent market traders in the borough outside of the Love Your Local Market scheme can access spaces at Whitechapel Road market as well as those mentioned above. Contact the markets team on streetmarkets@tower hamlets.gov.uk or call 7364 1717/1707/1708. For more information, visit www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/ markettraders or www.loveyourlocalmarket.org.uk Abdul Alim, Watney Street market How long have you been a market trader? Nearly five years. What do you sell on your stall? I started off selling fruit and vegetables, but after six months I decided to change to selling long dresses and scarves. Muslim ladies like the scarves I sell. What are the good things about being a trader? The best thing is that my customers like the clothes I’m selling. And I’m looking forward to the summertime, when more people will come to the market and it will be full of customers. What are the downsides? The rain and wind in the winter months, which mean no customers come, and that can be boring too. But when it’s like that I try to think about what it’s like when the weather is good – the summer months get you through the winter months. What advice would you give to people considering becoming market traders? Make sure you have lots of stock and you display it in an attractive way. It’s really important if you are going to attract customers. Mark Gevaux, Wentworth Street market. Brick Lane on Sundays How long have you been a market trader? Eight years. What made you want to be a market trader? I grew up around markets. I’m a butcher by trade, but in my thirties I lost my leg in a car crash, which meant I couldn’t work as a butcher anymore. I love what I’m doing, and the brand’s getting quite big now. What do you sell on your stall? Slow-cooked baby back ribs. We cook them overnight until the meat’s falling off the bone – then serve the meat up in bread rolls with our own BBQ and spicy sauces. Our sauce recipes are really successful, and we’re making them up and sending them all over the world through www.theribman.co.uk What are the good things about being a trader? Being outside. I could never work in an office. I get to earn my money while socialising with different people from all over the world – I love being able to do that. What are the downsides? When it’s snowing, windy, rainy and no-one’s around you can actually lose money. But you make up for it on sunny days, when you have a constant queue of people. What advice would you give to people considering becoming market traders? Keep it simple. Don’t get nervous and think you have to cater for everyone. Choose one thing to sell, make sure it’s something you’re passionate about, and do it well. Become a market trader in Tower Hamlets The markets team is seeking new traders to join markets in Brick Lane, Petticoat Lane, Whitechapel Road, Bethnal Green Road, Chrisp Street, Roman Road, Roman Road Square and Watney Street. They are particularly looking for farmers market and vintage clothing stalls, flower sellers, and coffee and cake stalls, as well as people to sell baby clothes, gifts, cards and balloons, men’s fashionwear, bikes, and arts and crafts. Judy’s affordable vintage market will be moving to Brick Lane on May 25, initially with 40 stalls. Founded in 2005 by celebrity stylist Judy Berger, the formula for the fair is a simple one – source exciting vintage traders from all over the UK, check they are affordable, make sure they have eclectic vintage stock and gather them together for a day. Find Judy’s Vintage Fair on Facebook or Twitter. 4 NEWS FROM TOWER HAMLETS COUNCIL AND YOUR COMMUNITY 28 APRIL – 4 MAY 2014
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