Market forces
SEPTEMBER is a busy month for markets in Sheffield. The Continental Market starts tomorrow and runs until Sunday then the following week Fargate goes North African.
The Tunisian Souk returns from September 8-12 - more crockery and clothes than food although you can buy olives and oil.
The Italians come next, with a two-day market on September 24 and 25.
That follows Sheffield's very own farmers' market in Barkers Pool on the Thursday, September 23.
By contrast October will be quiet until it all hots up again in November when the German Christmas Market opens in the Peace Gardens on November 19 and runs until Christmas Eve.
Markets bring in visitors to the city centre, says markets boss Andy Ward. "The Continental Market, which I brought in eight years ago, brings an extra 40-50,000 people over the period the market is held."
For him, markets "add to the sense of animation in the city" and have a spin-off because people also spend with other traders and shops.
He's constantly on the look-out for ideas. He spotted the Italian market in Milton Keynes, thought the products good, and invited them to Sheffield. "I suppose I am a bit sad, wanting to visit markets on my weeks off. My wife can't understand it," he says, half-deprecatingly.
One idea is to revive the Asian market which proved popular in Fargate about five years ago.
Traders like Sheffield.
"When the Continental Market started they'd heard about this grim, northern steel town and stocked accordingly.
"They soon sold out.
"They could not believe how well received they were and relatively affluent Sheffield was," he says.
The market is now a regular visitor but the operator promises to change one-fifth of stalls so things don't look too samey.
There's a waiting list for traders to come to Sheffield.
One thing to be done in the new year is tackle the problem of the ailing farmers' market in Barkers Pool, now once instead of twice a month. While traders have turned out on the fourth Thursday of the month, numbers were poor for the second Thursday. On one occasion there was not a single trader.
Andy says that if and when the Sheffield Wheel goes the market will take its place at the top of Fargate and numbers will rocket.
Got a view? Leave a comment below.
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Weather for Sheffield
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
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Wind direction: North east
