Markets are the life blood of any town centre, a useful antidote to clone town. They are colourful, lively and bring a bit of much needed character into soulless town centres.

Where they are a success, they are very successful. But in too many places they have been left to die or are being deliberately killed off by property developers and corrupt councillors and their officials.

Lincoln market is now a pale shadow of what it once was.

 http://www.heureka.clara.net/lincolnshire/

Farnborough market in the New Year seems to have experienced total collapse. Very few stalls compared with even a month ago, and even then a pale shadow of what it was a few years ago. The latest casualty in Farnborough to the town centre destruction policies of St Modwen the Developer from Hell and their friends in the local council the Rotten Borough of Rushmoor.

 http://www.heureka.clara.net/surrey-hants/farnboro.htm
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/413437.html
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/413817.html

Queen's Market is a thriving market, runner up in last year's Food and Farming Awards for Best Market. But for how long? It is earmarked for destruction by St Modwen the Developer from Hell.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/414047.html
 http://www.friendsofqueensmarket.org.uk/

Northampton Market is the latest casualty. Against strong local opposition, the local Lib Dem council with no consultation is trying to destroy a popular local market. The market though is fighting back and I'm sure we will all be only too willing to give them our help and support.

 http://www.northamptonmarket.biz/
 http://www.fitzynorthampton.co.uk/
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/419155.html

The local council has been a given a one million pound government grant to 'enhance' the market square. Enhance is interpreted as destroy the local market!

What is happening to the market traders in Northampton will sound all too familiar to the market traders at Queen's Market.