Broken Biscuits

Well it's been a while since I put my fingers to the keyboard and gave my tuppence worth.

To be honest it's been a bloody awful year so far, the weather has been ridiculous, we've had winds that should have stayed in the Arctic where they belonged and rain like stair rods, it's hard enough to run a market when the weather is fine, but when you have stalls being blown around like kites its gets a tadge troublesome.

I'm more than happy to chat with customers who remember the 'old days' when stalls could take £4000 before breakfast (I'm pretty sure that this may be an exaggeration), but I'm surprised at the number of people who advise me that that what the Market needs to bring back the hoards of customers that descended upon Sneinton Market like a plague of locusts every Saturday is broken biscuits.

The world has changed, customer habits have changed, and despite the last 5 years, most people are better off, Would you travel 5 miles to Sneinton Market for a couple of packets of broken ginger biscuits or digestives? I agree that what the market needs are products that are either cheaper or superior quality or that you cannot get in your local Tesco.

So that is what we are doing, I guarantee that you cannot get fresher cheaper veg in any supermarket than we supply down at the market - AND you don't have to send half a ton of packaging down to the local landfill site when you get home.

We sell Artisan bread, made locally from flour from Sneinton Windmill, and you can't get that at your local Sainsburys. We sell locally produced Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Kombucha and Ginger Beer, you can't get that at the nearest Morrisons.

We have a new stall selling fantastic Chilli sauces and Dips, yes you guessed it, all made locally. Do you sense a theme here? We believe in local, it runs through our ethic like a stick of Blackpool rock.

So here's a message.

If you produce or sell a product that is fairly 'local' and you want to sell it or you love the community that we live it, get your backside down to Sneinton Market. Here's another thing that we believe in, its called 'Social Shopping', meet your friends, meet new friends, sit, talk, have a cuppa down at the Market Cafe stall. Spend some quality time, and if you see something you like, buy it, and then have another cuppa!

This Market is your market, its a community market, run by the community, if you want a stall to advertise a local event, just ask. If you have a new business venture and what to see if it can take off, get in touch, several of our old stall holders have now got 'permanent' premises and thriving businesses! The more the market is used by the Community the better it will be for everyone else.

Market Unit developments

Things are looking up, and progress is being made,  the actual units will start to be refurbished starting in August, and when completed should give the entire area a major lift and remove that feeling of neglect, I do hope that when complete they will get rid of the tumble weed that has been blowing around for the past 10 years!

Well that's my lot.

Hope to see you all down at the Market - down Hockley!

Cheers

Market Toby

Fresh New Year down at the Market

Looking back at 2013 I'd say although some individual Saturdays were a washout (quite literally - and I mean that in its true sense, not how it's used frequently) taken as a whole it has been a very good year for the Market, trading has increased by 60%, and before you naysayers get on your bandwagon, We all know the Market isn't what it used to be, in some ways its better because its run by the traders and the Community. We are all in this together, and if we want to have a 'social' community space we all need to start using it!

The best thing to come out of 2013 was the numbers of like minded people who want this social space to work for the Community and are willing to help, we've got Phil Campbell who is driving the WiFi on the Market Project, CJ who is working with Wendy and Colin on the Market Heritage Project, and jointly on the Rummage lounge, we have Craig who has a stall on the Market but has been working behind the scenes advertising and passing on great ideas. Becky who ran the Global Kitchen on the Market but also provided an immense amount of work on our social media side. Kathy Mcardle from the Creative Quarter who has achieved great things in the art of herding cats, Shona and Penny Poyser from Notts Nosh who have put on some great events and raised the profile of Sneinton Market,  we've now got Ange Barker from Earth Tree Healing who with great enthusiasm is whipping up a storm for the Nottingham Light Night on the 28th February, Nottingham Fixers who will be back on the Market soon with the great aim of reducing the things that go to Landfill,Paula Daley from FfTF who helped so much I could go on and on, this is what the Market space is about, not just a Market where goods are sold, but a Community Space where people come to meet, to talk, to eat, drink, to socialise, this is what we aim to achieve ' SOCIAL SHOPPING'.

We are now at the start of a New Year where I believe the Market will continue to grow, we are expanding the board and reviewing its governance we have a group of many market activists that are working closely with us to build on last years successes, together we have an impetus that will produce results.

Having said all that we need the Market to be sustainable, and for that we do need Customers, as many as possible, the Market is in an ideal position and this why in past years in has been so successful, we now need to remember old shopping habits, buy local food, buy local crafts, support the local economy, reduce your food mileage, Markets don't triple pack your bananas, save on landfill, repair your goods, reuse your goods, sell them on the Market, and if you can't find it on the Market then go to a local shop!

Many thanks to all our Traders who have traded throughout the year, and I'd like to welcome the many traders who are about to come on-board.

See ya all down at the Market down Hockley!

Progress down at the Market

It's been a while since I put pen to paper, or fingers to keys maybe, so I thought I'd provide my ramblings for your perusal.

Firstly this summer, although weather wise a tadge changeable has been brilliant, we've had the Crafty Cats Markets which have gone from strength to strength, We've had the celebration of local food, organised by Notts Nosh (and a further one this Saturday, so get your backsides down there!). Our latest venture is the Fixers Market and Rummage lounge, run by Greg Hewitt and the Fixers and CJ (Caron Lyon)  and Phil 'dm' Campbell respectively.

So we now have good size markets on three Saturdays each month, now to look for a new themed market for the final week, who knows? Retro week perhaps? Any ideas welcome!

So what has changed to create this improvement? Over the last 4 years we've worked very hard to move things along, but really all we've managed to do is keep it from closing, so pure hard work isn't the answer.

The answer is Community, not just community as in the people who live in a specific place, but a community of like minded people, those that want something to happen, people with fresh idea's, creative people. That's a community.

Now with creatives you will always get sparks, sometimes these sparks will ignite great idea's, sometimes they will fizzle away, because no one is listening (I call this the parable of the grinding wheel). Everyone has great idea's how to get the market going, some think Covent Garden, some Borough Market, but before you laugh, If you only reach head height all you get is a mouthful of dust and grime from the book shelf, reach for the sky and see how far your vision will see.

With projects like the market which are non-funded and hopefully self sufficient we have to use whatever help we can, it's not always the quickest or smoothest path, but hopefully we will get there in the end. To use another analogy, its like using a chisel to take the lid of a paint tin, you shouldn't but if its the nearest tool to you, you use it! 

Now my only real gripe at the moment, is with the City Council. When are you going to sign the extension to our charter? Don't get me wrong, they are helping us in many ways, but there is always that niggling feeling, that unless they sign it, they will come in, just as we get a thriving market and take it back! We've already lost partners because of this issue and I don't want to lose others! So come on Jon, you've agreed it, so why haven't we got it yet!

Lastly its good to see some movement on the market units, hopefully the units will start to be refurbished or developed soon, the market and the units have a symbiotic relationship, if the City Council breathes life into the  area, the market will also start to thrive, its in our DNA, the double helix, both market and units will both start to climb to success.

Once again many thanks to all our Community Partners.

Bullfrog aka Market Toby

1st Market of Summer

Just typical British weather, yes the summer solstice arrived, and the heavens opened!

I was disappointed that some of our traders went elsewhere this weekend, holidays and the like, but we got quality not quantity of traders, and then came the rain! For a while I fully expected to see a large boat with giraffe's sticking out over the gunnels floating down Bath Street!

 It was great to see our flower stall Avant Garden return after a few weeks away, we had Charlie's Jackets - Great Caribbean inspired food and does a mean English breakfast! Lings' Thai vegan food (hot, hot!) and some beautifully decorated cupcakes! Pick's Organic meat arrived for their monthly stall, Baz the Baker (Bake Off and Pie) with some fantastic Organic bread using flour from Green's Windmill - now that's what I call local produce!!

The rain kept a lot of the customers away but they missed some quality food!!

Here's my personal top three tastes of the day.


3. Pick's Organic Bacon and Sausage Cob - Top draw!
2. Charlie's Jackets Mutton and Rice - Simply delicious.
1. Baz the Baker's Chilly Bread. Incredible. The best bread I've ever tasted!!!

A honourable mention goes to LIngs cakes, didn't have one today but from past experience - very good! 

This weekend down at the Market

This weekend we have the start of a new venture by the Crafty Cats Collective, and we are all purring with excitement.

http://craftycatcollective.wordpress.com/

On the 13th of April Sneinton Market will host an eclective collection of local arts, crafts, food and vintage treasures. The Crafty Cat Collective is a new local Arts and Crafts Market aiming to showcase and help local crafty businesses in Nottingham, running alongside the craft fair will be the Traditional Sneinton market and Notts Nosh, selling a range of locally produced and fresh food.

So get down to the market and support your local Crafters! 

Brian

This weekend

Tomorrow we have organic meat from Pick's, the Post Office Garden (preserves and organic veg), Beccy's Global Kitchen (Greek this week), household, clothes, fruit and veg, the return of Rita with a new cosmetic range, crafts from the Jewellery Box, Kitapilla, CraftyCats and others. 
The Robin Hood well people will be there with a new exhibition and launching a petition to excavate the well.
The weather's improving too though still cold; but we all knew that anyway. Easter shopping the local way - Sneinton Market