Clerk’s Corner by Mark Saccoccio, town clerk, Leighton-Linslade Town Council :
As a local resident, I look forward to Saturdays for two reasons. Firstly, it is an opportunity to catch up with friends and family and secondly, it affords me the time to visit our historic High Street and market in search of fresh items for that all important Saturday lunches.
To have a table adorned with fresh bread, unusual cheeses, olives, prawns and salmon lifts the hearts and spirits even on the most dreary of days. For me, a visit to the market is an experience which challenges the senses and offers escapism from the daily routine of the supermarket lifestyle we inevitably lead.
The ability to get up close and personal with the produce, to engage in conversation with fellow shoppers and stall holders and experience its hustle and bustle takes us back to a time when microwaves and frozen food had not even been dreamt of.
As a core High Street activity, I want to continue to see it flourish and see more local residents shop locally and enjoy the same experience many of us all ready do. Over the coming months, the town council intends to strengthen its offer by introducing live entertainment and themed markets to the High Street.
Working in collaboration with local agent Dan Taylor, the town council will be introducing Acoustic Afternoons which will provide local groups the opportunity to perform live. The first session will take place on August 31 between 12noon and 2pm.
To add further variety to my Saturday lunch, we look forward to welcoming back the French Market that is returning on Friday, October 11 and Saturday 12th to coincide with our Continental Event and an Italian Market will be visiting us on Friday, October 18. Beyond food, we are working hard on creating an antique and collectable market which we hope will visit in November.
In order to support and encourage budding entrepreneurs, the Pop-Up Shop principle we launched earlier this summer is gathering further momentum. By offering a market stall at a competitive rate, we provide businesses with exposure they may not otherwise have. In doing so, we hope they will have the confidence to grow their business either on the market or by taking up business premises within the town.
For those businesses who may wish to consider taking a market stall, we are offering market bursaries (see town council website more information) and will be running a Become a Market Trader Seminar on September 27. This will provide attendees with an opportunity to talk to a few of our permanent stall holders and understand more about the profession.
Whilst there is much more we can do to encourage and improve our market, I feel we are in a good place. With the continuing support of residents and businesses alike, I can look forward to even more variety on my Saturday table.