Skip to content or view screen version

No more farmers markets in Farnborough

Keith Parkins | 22.10.2007 15:33 | Climate Chaos | Ecology | Social Struggles | South Coast

Thanks to the lack of support and bloody-minded obstruction by the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor, there will be no more farmers markets in Farnborough.

If you missed the farmers market last Saturday in Farnborough, then make the most of the market scheduled for December, as there will be no more farmers markets in Farnborough.

There are many reasons for this.

The market was a very infrequent market, for 2007 only June, October and December.

For a market to be successful, it has to be held on a regular basis. For example, the Guildford market is held on the first Tuesday of the month.

The market was held at the wrong time of day, or at least closed too early. The market is held Saturday morning, finishes on the dot of 2pm. The market should have been held mid-morning to mid-afternoon. It was crazy to strike down the market when the number of people on the street was at its maximum.

In Guildford, the market runs from mid-morning until 3-30pm in the afternoon.

Very poor signage and publicity for the market.

Insufficient stalls to make a trip to the market worthwhile.

The main reason though for the market pulling out of Farnborough, was the lack of support and bloody-minded obstruction from the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor.

The market was restricted to a very small area. It was not sufficient for the number of stallholders who would have liked to have come to Farnborough. The market was too small, never able to achieve critical mass.

No support from the local council either in terms of publicity or signage.

The town centre is being demolished. No one bothered to inform Hampshire Farmers' Market of the problems of gaining access to the site, now that roads had been blocked off.

Guildford, Milford, Farnham, Alton, all have highly successful farmers markets. Alton even now has a successful annual food festival.

The difference between these towns and Farnborough, is that the successful markets get backing from the local councils. In Guildford, a lady is on hand from the council to answer questions, provide support. The Milford and Farnham markets were started with help from the council.

Farnborough is not the only place where there is no support. This is also true of Southampton. The council there is so anti the farmers market that they even threatened prosecution if posters were stuck up publicising the market.

The net result is that next year, Farnborough and Southampton will lack farmers markets.

No one is surprised by the activities of the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor. They seem to hate small businesses. There used to be a farmers market in Aldershot, but it pulled out a couple of years ago due to the lack of support from the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor. The town centres of both Farnborough and Aldershot are run down and semi-derelict.

Almost ten years ago, KPI (a front company for property developer St Modwen) bought Farnborough town centre, they then, with the collusion of the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor, laid waste to the town centre, driving out most of the small and independent retailers. With the exception of Book Boyz (one of the few remaining independent bookshops) and Classic Cleaners, there is little reason for anyone to visit Farnborough.

St Modwen are also trying to destroy the century old Queen's Market at Upton Park in East London, one of the few remaining traditional East End street markets.

Since May, Farnborough town centre has been undergoing demolition. Three people have almost lost their lives during the demolition. HSE is aware, but turns a convenient blind eye.

It is not only in the town centre that retailers experience problems. The Rotten Borough of Rushmoor has done everything it can to shut down an excellent deli that opened last year.

In the future if the people of Aldershot and Farnborough want a farmers market they will have to travel to Guildford, Milford, Farnham or Alton. The alternative is a trip to The Deli in North Camp which stocks local produce.

websites

 http://www.heureka.clara.net/surrey-hants/
 http://www.hampshirefarmersmarkets.co.uk/
 http://www.thetruthinrushmoor.gov.uk/

reference and further reading

Keith Parkins, Alton Food Festival 2006, Indymedia UK, 7 July 2006
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/07/344419.html

Keith Parkins, Town centres – a tale of two councils, Indymedia UK, 12 January 2007
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/01/359825.html?c=on

Keith Parkins, Town centre demolition danger, Indymedia UK, 8 June 2007
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/06/373015.html?c=on

Keith Parkins, Town centre demolition hits more problems, Indymedia UK, 16 July 2007
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/07/376266.html?c=on

Keith Parkins
- Homepage: http://www.heureka.clara.net/surrey-hants/

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Bloody Good Riddance

22.10.2007 19:24

Who cares about the farmers, after all they are the ones killing animals to sell their meat at this farmers market.

Meat is Murder

Solidarity to the veg growers though.

Cows


I kinda like Farmer markets - sure I'd prefer it if everything were being...

23.10.2007 05:59

...shared rather than sold. I though that even more though at an Lambert and Fosters agricultural tat auction the other week - must remember not to bother to attend any more of those events - the stuff is not worth selling, (lots such a few (6 or so) pices of taty second hand timber) and it would be nice to have a forum where it could be given away. The Farmers market in Tunbridge Wells is very nice - fresh organic bread, wonderful displays of organic vegetables. Even some guy that I initially took to be an embarrasing street skitzo, (not me), but I think was actually a climate change protestor (it was just before the climate camp at Heathrow). Anyway what I really wanted to say was that the farmers market in Bangor, North Wales has similarly collapsed - it was on a Sunday (wrong day I think, reduced public transport), and had no council backing. The obvious day is Saturday, at town centre location, and lots and lots of marketing/promotion!!! People are waking up to organics/food miles etc right now - so why let Tescos etc blag all this new organics business? The problem is that very often these local councillers are worthless corrupt headcases who are more interested in visiting child brothels (at least in spirit) etc than righteous works - in other words they are very often, corrupt, evil, game playing scum.

So in permacultural terms, what are some 'solutions'. Difficult one. I would say an asteroid to the pelvis and that be an end to the fucking peverts.

Jah Bless.

King Amdo


Seeing as we have the presence of the animal rights loonies here....

23.10.2007 06:02

...both the first commenter and the ethic of Indymedia - perhaps I mite take this oppourtunity to request that you bunch of pathetic racsist headcases GET OFF THE CASE OF THE MAKAH PEOPLE.

Thank you,

Blessings.

King Amdo