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An Extreme Sport

Blog: The Myriad Life Market Blog
Posted by: Myriad Life Sunday 2nd March 2008, 2:53pm

Market trading this week was something of an extreme sport. My first day calm and sunny, the second ended in a downpour which left me soaked and the third found me battling gusty winds

I woke up this morning feeling like I'd done a few rounds with Mike Tyson and he'd won. One thing we never get bored with in this country is the weather. The weather provides the market trader with some severe psychological and physical testing on a regular basis.

It's impossible not to talk about it. Yesterday at Sheringham I had to leave the canopy off or I'd have ended up in Cromer. As it was, every time I laid out the jewellery it shifted inches at a time across the tables. Forget putting out scarves, if I'd wanted to go kite flying I'd have brought one.

I did manage to clip up a few batiks and miraculously my display dummies managed to stay put (with three large metal clips attached to each of their bottoms), they did rock back a forth a bit but I marvelled at their determined stance in the face of 40mph gusts.

If only I'd clipped back my hair, I spent most of the day with it in my eyes or in my mouth. A pony tail however would have exposed my ears to the elements and they were frozen enough. I don't do well with hats, they invariably end up giving me a headache and besides, the scary hair effect when I finally remove the hat to drive home leaves even the seagulls screeching with fear!

Mother's day brought a few customers determined to treat the lady who'd brought them into the world. One man described the wood bracelet his partner bought for her mother as resembling a fence! I've heard some odd comments on my stall over the past few years but that once was a first.

Meanwhile the EDP printed an article on the demise of Dereham market. Myriad Life used to have a pitch at Dereham market. I stuck it out for just over a year before I realised that Dereham didn't really want me and I didn't really want Dereham. The council in their wisdom banished the market to a car park which never worked. Markets ideally should be in the centre of market towns where they belong.

However, mis-information was given in that there are 23 traders on a Friday, not 7 as reported (they belong to the Tuesday market.) I couldn't help but feel very cross about the council suddenly waking up and noticing their 52k pa income from the market had severedly dwindled. All those years of raking in the dough but no one thinking to spend it on future promotion of the market or even to use a few quid to put signage up to show visitors where and when it is.

I once asked the market inspector what promotional activity they would do for the market, it turned out to be a 'Fun Day' involving a clown handing out balloons on the market site. Pointless and somewhat insulting.

Never mind, I got out while the going was good and fled to Diss where they have a more understanding council as far as the market goes. I do feel for the guys still at Dereham but I guess it's up to them to fight for their businesses.

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