In today's Gazette: Christmas market axed (From Gazette)
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In today's Gazette: Christmas market axed
8:25am Tuesday 18th December 2012 in News
In today's Gazette: Colchester's grand Christmas market has been axed after only five days.
Stallholders quit the market, based at the former bus station off Queen Street, due to a lack of visitors.
* Burglars stole a baby's savings when they raided a house in Colchester.
The raiders struck while Paulina Wojtkowska and her family were asleep upstairs.
* The owner of a luxury penthouse on Colchester's Hythe Quay has criticised developers for what he claims is a catalogue of building blunders.
Anthony Benfield paid £289,000 for hisproperty but he said the walls creak, the windows leak and the car park and stairwell flood.
* Braintree Council leader Graham Butland has paid back £71 after discovering Lord Hanningfield spent taxpayers money buying him lunch.
For more on these and other great stories, see today's Gazette. There is always more in the paper than there is online.
Comments(30)
romantic
says...
10:19am Tue 18 Dec 12
However, I understand it was not run by CBC but by another party.
TheCaptain
says...
10:34am Tue 18 Dec 12
romantic wrote:Yes organised by Snake in the Grass
I spoke to some of the traders and they were paying a lot of cash for those pitches, for something which did not seem to be that well publicised. They were not happy bunnies! The run-up to Xmas is a busy time for any market trader, and they have lost doubly by also not trading at another place.
However, I understand it was not run by CBC but by another party.
hughie-s
says...
10:39am Tue 18 Dec 12
"The Fair will be slap bang in the town centre on what was the Colchester Bus Park. It is alongside a public car park and a matter of a few yards from another major car park and Colchester Town Railway Station. "
Doubt they were expecting the alongside car park to be on a different level with no connection nor the "few yards" to be a few hundred.
super waluigi
says...
12:08pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Bert_Stimpson wrote:You are fast tracking yourself into most ridiculous blogger of the year.
The market traders should have talked to firsts*ite next door. They are the experts at carrying on despite a lack of visitors.
Oh no, wait a minute, market traders are running a business where they have to make money to survive and cover the costs. Whereas the firsts*ite wasters get a shedload of public money for doing nothing...
Funny old world isn't it. Happy Xmas Colchester.
I am not pro first site, I am not a man of art. But I do know that the building showcases local film makers works who may not get such opportunities to establish themselves with out first site. Can you name me any local film directors?
It also encourages school children from all over the borough to learn in an establishment away from their schools about other interesting subjects such as history and art.
Something's in life offer more than just a return of money. But if money is whats important then you should see that first site gain £395,000 for its award. Education is what first site offers, I suggest you go there.
As for the traders, I feel for them. In cities like London, trendy stalls selling worldwide foods and items are making a real progression in this so called recession. I doubt they will be the only traders in colchester to walk away in the next 2 months.
Bert_Stimpson
says...
12:28pm Tue 18 Dec 12
super waluigi wrote:"You are fast tracking yourself into most ridiculous blogger of the year."
Bert_Stimpson wrote:You are fast tracking yourself into most ridiculous blogger of the year.
The market traders should have talked to firsts*ite next door. They are the experts at carrying on despite a lack of visitors.
Oh no, wait a minute, market traders are running a business where they have to make money to survive and cover the costs. Whereas the firsts*ite wasters get a shedload of public money for doing nothing...
Funny old world isn't it. Happy Xmas Colchester.
I am not pro first site, I am not a man of art. But I do know that the building showcases local film makers works who may not get such opportunities to establish themselves with out first site. Can you name me any local film directors?
It also encourages school children from all over the borough to learn in an establishment away from their schools about other interesting subjects such as history and art.
Something's in life offer more than just a return of money. But if money is whats important then you should see that first site gain £395,000 for its award. Education is what first site offers, I suggest you go there.
As for the traders, I feel for them. In cities like London, trendy stalls selling worldwide foods and items are making a real progression in this so called recession. I doubt they will be the only traders in colchester to walk away in the next 2 months.
I wish. You've had that award sewn up for months.
You're probably also in the running for worst plumber of the year too based on your comments elsewhere.
I agree though, you are not a man of art. You do seem to like wasteful public spending though.
Happy Xmas.
icecoolmark
says...
12:48pm Tue 18 Dec 12
romantic
says...
1:21pm Tue 18 Dec 12
icecoolmark wrote:I think people not knowing it was there was a major part of the problem! There already is a market, but it has been spread out all around the town.
'Grand' market? I live in Colchester, shop in town, and I didn't even know it was there!!! What we need is a proper, regular market. And by 'proper', I don't mean one selling fake Adidas and Nike tracksuits. Someone is already doing that in greenstead. (Probably)
The market in the High Street worked because that is part of the central zone that a lot of people tend to stick to.
There was a small amount of publicity for this market, which I think came with the free paper, but lots of people just throw the enclosed bumf into the bin (recycling, I hope!). The traders who came for this (and they came from hundreds of miles away in some cases) relied on the assurances given them that this would be a big market, but it does show that just a couple of hundred yards can make all the difference. The regular market had the same issue when it was moved into Vineyard St car park: not enough people go there.
I thought the idea of a Xmas market was a good one, and it´s a shame that it didn´t work out. Publicity and location are everything in these things.
mirokou
says...
1:22pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Reginald47
says...
2:07pm Tue 18 Dec 12
wormshero
says...
3:05pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Main problem with this was lack of advertising, I think. I actually walked past it the other day and, while I was curious, I actually thought it was a fairground, so carried on past.
Douglas Park
says...
3:33pm Tue 18 Dec 12
I didn't get up to the Xmas market on the High St on the Sunday, but when I visited the so-called Grand Market at the weekend I was deeply disappointed. It was anything but Grand and there was nothing of the advertised Christmas stalls. The cheese stall was excellent as was the butcher, but a lot of the other stalls were selling a lot of over-priced tut you could get cheaper in local shops.
I had the idea that it would have been a showcase for artisan and local traders, but there was little to suggest that and I feel sorry for any trader who has lost money on this venture, although I doubt the organisers have.
The towns been very bus of late and the market traders in town seem to be doing a lot of business, so maybe it was a case of location, location, location.
lawfordhomeowner
says...
4:03pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Mr Honest
says...
4:07pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Im_Like_HELLO
says...
6:26pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Barside1
says...
8:07pm Tue 18 Dec 12
We walked through on Sunday and I'm not sure if it was open or closed, the traders outnumbered the public.
Something else if I may.
In the Gazette today there is an article of page 14 that relates to a fight between mods and rockers at the Weeley Pop Festival in 1982.
Two things here.
There were no mods and rockers around in 1982, both species were well and truly extinct.
And secondly, The Weeley Pop Festival
took place in 1971, and the fight was actually between the security and Hell's Angels, I can verify this as I was within yards of it.
I was caught in the blast of heat when the Angel's bikes were set on fire.
It was a great weekend all round, especially for the couple who found a hidden carrier bag crammed with cash while they had a thrash around in a ditch.
If anyone from Clacton Round Table wonders where all the money went the ditch is a clue.
Happy Days!
turnstone
says...
8:08pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Taj
says...
8:54pm Tue 18 Dec 12
mirokou wrote:Poorly advertised opening at 11.00 by
it looked cheap and uninviting, poor signage ,most children are still at school which hasn't helped . Having spent Christmases in France and Germany perhaps we should look across to our european neighbours to see how to do a Christmas Market correctly. This is by no means a reflection on the stall holders far from it, but just the usual lazy way we present things, the council could have helped with a more festive approach to the market and better signage. The location was abysmal and unwelcoming, the Upper Park would have been far nicer and more appropriate for this time of year
which time all the car parks were full and most early bird shoppers had already done their shopping and headed home.
As quoted the site was abysmal, such a shame that it was not held somewhere more central and not in the depressingly empty run down ex bus park.
Barside1
says...
9:44pm Tue 18 Dec 12
One of the most innovative uses of space I have seen anywhere in the entire country was in The Old Tram Sheds in Magdalen Street, Colchester a couple of years ago when The Mercury ( Gari Jones, Director ) put on the production 'DEPOT'.
It's not the town and it's spaces that are the problem, it's the lack of visionary projects that could excite the public.
And **** knows how some campaigners wish to make Colchester a city when we
are failing to make much impact as a town.
I am in no doubt that exciting events could happen here, even under Vinoly's roofspace - what we need are the people to do it.
The so called 'Cultural Quarter' has had millions of pounds pumped into it already but has failed to deliver.
The area would be pretty much stone dead but for the skateboarders and mountain bikers.
There must be some people around who can shake this place up and deliver!
jim_bo
says...
10:09pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Putting events on in Colchester is very hard work. Everyone expects the earth for nothing, including our beloved Council who are keen to have their money yet do nothing for it but put obstacles in your way.
I'm sorry for Don and Terry's hard work to go down the drain. I suspect they were put up to it by CBC who wanted to use the space for good publicity and to mask the bus station closure.
Traders are a tough bunch to work with and hopefully this hasn't sullied Colchester's reputation and hey will be back for the successful fayre and high st festive market.
Barside1
says...
11:10pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Just for the record, I have put £250,000 of my own money into film projects and television production over the last 10 years, and I could prove it too.
For instance, £54,000 on 138 minute DVD production of 'Made in Colchester', £36,000 into documentaries on Channel 4, that's 90K for starters - as yet I've not come across anyone else in town who has made this kind of financial commitment.
Going back a bit further in time I put many thousands into Colchester United - not loans, straight cash.
I do feel as though I've done my bit thanks.
How about yourself?
TheCaptain
says...
9:05am Wed 19 Dec 12
Have you noticed the market is still being advertised on this site???
Hamiltonandy
says...
9:55am Wed 19 Dec 12
.
Perhaps Colchester Council would welcome temporary uses for the derelict site near the VAF. One option would be a transport interface. Buses could use part of the site with passenger access from one side only for safety. Taxis could have a defined zone. There would even be room for cars to drop off travellers and a mobility scooter service.
.
If a transport interface proved popular they could put in shops above the vehicles as was done at Liverpool Street train station.
.
Just a dream! Unfortunately it is incompatible with the architect designed "culture quarter" where only the art elite are wanted.
Red Tape 2
says...
2:32pm Wed 19 Dec 12
On a side note - does anyone know if the Christmas Fun Fair has been cancelled too?
Valid comment
says...
9:59am Thu 20 Dec 12
The regular market in Colchester has always been a joke, (and if you think otherwise...please just go to almost ANY other town and see what a market should really be like) and the Christmas market is no exception.
Comments have been made about the weather putting people off....rubbish. I was at Lincoln Christmas market and it rained all day and night, but it was packed with happy shoppers. I was at Bury St Edmunds Christmas market where it was freezing cold and snowed all day, but that also was packed. Why? Because they had a proper market!
When will our traders learn that they cannot just put up some Holly or mistletoe and expect to convince us they are part of a Christmas market?
Positioning and weather have nothing to do with the viability of a Xmas market...it's all down to regulating the type of stalls so that they are appropriate for Christmas, decent marketing and reduce the overpriced parking charges.
Not something the Colchester Council could ever get right!
jut1972
says...
11:05pm Thu 20 Dec 12
By having it on every day you just dilute the footfall. Every saturday leading up to xmas would have made more sense and been less of a financial commitment for the traders.
Boris
says...
12:26am Fri 21 Dec 12
jut1972 wrote:Absolutely right. Such markets are not for every day. I'm surprised Don and Terry didn't work that out for themselves before over-reaching themselves. Occasional one-day events are ideal, except for people selling ordinary stuff like parsnips and tomatoes.
I think the mistake was having it on every day. The one off in the high street was heaving but who is going to go back more than once?
By having it on every day you just dilute the footfall. Every saturday leading up to xmas would have made more sense and been less of a financial commitment for the traders.
Boris
says...
12:29am Fri 21 Dec 12
Hamiltonandy wrote:Andy, there is hope. It is widely rumoured that CBC is keeping the bus station in reserve as its plan B in case the Osborne Street abortion does not work.
I remember talking to market traders in Culver Street and they preferred it to the High Street. They reckoned more people went down that street than the High Street. Unfortunately they had to use generators as Colchester Council apparently refused to allow a temporary armoured cable connection to electrical supply at the unused church near the library.
.
Perhaps Colchester Council would welcome temporary uses for the derelict site near the VAF. One option would be a transport interface. Buses could use part of the site with passenger access from one side only for safety. Taxis could have a defined zone. There would even be room for cars to drop off travellers and a mobility scooter service.
.
If a transport interface proved popular they could put in shops above the vehicles as was done at Liverpool Street train station.
.
Just a dream! Unfortunately it is incompatible with the architect designed "culture quarter" where only the art elite are wanted.
romantic
says...
9:43am Fri 21 Dec 12
jut1972 wrote:Fully agree. The Xmas market in the High Street worked to some extent because it is a one-off each year. I´m sure Don and Terry will learn from this. Mistakes happen, it´s not the end of the world.
I think the mistake was having it on every day. The one off in the high street was heaving but who is going to go back more than once?
By having it on every day you just dilute the footfall. Every saturday leading up to xmas would have made more sense and been less of a financial commitment for the traders.
There are some great Xmas markets around Europe, but they have all developed over many years. It takes some setbacks to learn what works and what doesn´t.
PROOFREADER
says...
12:29pm Mon 24 Dec 12
icecoolmark wrote:Why pick on Greenstead? We don't have anyone here in Greenstead selling fake goods. Might be happening where you live icecoolmark though!
'Grand' market? I live in Colchester, shop in town, and I didn't even know it was there!!! What we need is a proper, regular market. And by 'proper', I don't mean one selling fake Adidas and Nike tracksuits. Someone is already doing that in greenstead. (Probably)
Bert_Stimpson says...
9:48am Tue 18 Dec 12
Oh no, wait a minute, market traders are running a business where they have to make money to survive and cover the costs. Whereas the firsts*ite wasters get a shedload of public money for doing nothing...
Funny old world isn't it. Happy Xmas Colchester.