From Laurie S

Saturday, 27 April 2013

Bob

I am totally with you on this one! I own a shop on Market St and everytime there is some sort of event on it completely detracts people from venturing down onto Market St. It's great that it attracts people to the town but unfortunately it only really benefits the out of town traders that have the stalls and not us guys that pay the high rents and rates.

I'm pretty sure it has had a negative effect on the cafes in Hebden today too.

From Lesley C

Sunday, 28 April 2013

As a cafe owner in Hebden I also agree with the last two posts. Our takings were down in excess of 60% yesterday but I still had five staff to pay. I only can hope that these events maybe good for the town overall and will bring people back on non event days, when the towns shops will benifit more.

From Andy M

Sunday, 28 April 2013

Why not have a stall promoting your own business's - like the Olive Branch?

From Laurie S

Sunday, 28 April 2013

Having a non-food related business rules us out of having a stall, but we've still been negatively impacted.

From Paul D

Sunday, 28 April 2013

But hang on there? We're told tourism is the only show in town. How dare you all complain? Next we'll have the 'wrong sort of tourist' excuse for business failure. This is the future. Wall to wall 'events' that drive people out of town. A themed future that cares little if your income is affected as it cares even less if our culture and the social fabric of the place is ruined.

Get over it. Pay sky high business rates but expect any relief for HX7 to lag HX1 by say - years? Watch your customers baulk as the streets fill with drunks with money only for the next can purchased pre-arrival. Don't expect any vision or support. That would be silly.

From Pat B

Sunday, 28 April 2013

I too am a business owner and see a significant downturn in trade when events are held. I do not look forward to the heavily loaded summer weekends. To be sure, only the same number of parking spaces are available on these days, allowing the same number of visitors that we generally expect.

No-one in my shop this weekend told me that they had come for the event, they were coming anyway but were pleasantly surprised at the market. Many commented on how quiet our shop was compared to the square.

I too feel let down by the constant addition of extra events which always seem to involve some sort of retail. All traders know that people come to town with a certain amount to spend and a certain amount of time in which to spend it. So thanks a bunch to whoever arranges these cheap retail events that support these transient traders who appear once in a blue moon to reap the benefits of what the rest of us build up day by day, year by year, through harsh winters, floods and recession.

I notice nobody ever plans these events for a Tuesday afternoon in February. You like to pick the choice dates.

And for anyone who thinks we should take a stall ourselves, I would remind you that we are already at work in our own premises, or should we give in and close up shop too?

From Andrew H

Monday, 29 April 2013

The fact that takings are down would indicate to me that you are not offering what your customers want and when there is is an alternative available they vote with their feet and money.

I thought the Street market brought some vibrancy to the town, making it much more amenable and I for one would like to see it held more often, possibly monthly as opposed to twice a year. Though I do think that there could be a bit more discretion in the positioning of some of the stalls, such as placing 'Bridestones' right outside The White Swan was wrong.

From Benny M

Monday, 29 April 2013

I to have an interest with a valley catering establishment. Could it be that there are to many of us seeking to make a living from a limited and unstable market or could it be that that the much discussed government austerity measures are now starting to bite. Coincidence or not our turnover has fallen a full 30% since the 1st of April. I just wonder!

From Sally N

Monday, 29 April 2013

Well as someone who lives here and as a punter of the food festival, I really enjoyed the vibe and atmosphere of the town over the weekend. I hope there are ways to inculde local shops somehow, but we need these events to bring some good cheer and enjoyment to the town

From Bob Leedham

Monday, 29 April 2013

As I said in my first comment, I am not totaly opossed to the market. My problem was one of the stalls was right across my door and people were struggling to get in and indeed see the shop. Strange how one comment was that we are not providing what the customer wants. we appear to for every other week of the year. Perhaps the market just needs a few tweeks to try and look after local trade and the market traders.

Oh and what about all rubbish left down Bridge Gate, are the local traders supposed to clean that up as well?

From Rev Tony Buglass

Monday, 29 April 2013

"The fact that takings are down would indicate to me that you are not offering what your customers want and when there is is an alternative available they vote with their feet and money."

A little harsh, and almost certainly unfair. I think it's appealing to a different market and clientelle, and obscuring the usual providers to the extent they feel left out. People who come for a fair or street market often come looking for something which isn't usual or everyday. It would be a pity if the offering of the unusual or exotic so obscured the provision of the normal that we became a town completely dependent on tourism.

From M M Davis

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

My husband and I are not from Hebden Bridge, and we made an extra trip to your community for the Food and Drink Festival. We were pleasantly surprised by the number of vendors and at the quality of products offered at this event. We went to the "International Curry Festival" in Bradford last time and Hebden Bridge out-did that event by a mile.

We arrived later in the afternoon and some of your shops were already closing. Just to let you know, we enjoyed it thoroughly and I returned on Monday and went to several of the shops we saw in Hebden Bridge but did not have an opportunity to explore. Thank you Hebden Bridge. We will be going to your next F&D Festival, and we will tell our friends.

From Andrew H

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

With all due respect...

"A little harsh, and almost certainly unfair."

A harsh reality maybe, but not unfair. The key word is 'market'. If you cannot offer what the buying public wants, even more so when there is less disposable income about, then you will not succeed.

It makes a welcoming change to have such diversity on the doorstep, as opposed to the mundanity of 20 coffee shops to choose from, (I'm a tea drinker myself), rather than having to travel miles to purchase 'exotic or unusual' provisions.

Also, to pretend that Hebden does not rely greatly on tourism already, is almost absurd.

We need events like this to bring some well needed life and disposable income, from outside the area, into the town, especially after the washout that was last year.

I'd rather have this kind of event on a regular basis, than have another supermarket built!

From Emma M

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

I went to the market, I was excited about it too, some of the stalls were great, Ispice, Real Cider Co, Bridestones Brewery.

Then I found myself at the smoothie stand and thought 'oooh yum... hold on, I could get these from Organic House, a local cafe, surely that's treading on their toes' and I took a step back.

It's the same with the cake stands, not necessary, Copa house sell delectable cake, many other cafes too.

After the floods last year we should be celebrating what we have and highlighting that, not obscuring the shops with stalls and stealing the custom of local businesses. I do think the festival is a good idea, there is just a lot that can be learnt from this and improved.

From Elleigh W

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

I live here. I shop here frequently. I like to eat food. I was happy to eat food that was not the usual cake, pies and pasties for a change. I was happy to enjoy this as a resident.

My friends from Chorlton came, they had a paella, looked in some shops and went for a pint in a pub. The pub was full BTW of people eating. I will be back eating and shopping again in local places.

The market could be looked at in an hour, I am astonished that people do not then take a little walk round whilst they are here. They really come and eat a burger and then leave? If so, that is sad.

Can local food and non food related places creatively manage events such as these? They have these sorts of events in Manchester very often and traders have friends or some help in giving out flyers to punters at the events making them aware of their shops.

From Paul D

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Without wishing to stray too far from issue being discussed, Andrew's assertion that: "to pretend that Hebden does not rely greatly on tourism already, is almost absurd" requires some scrutiny.

The evidence is very clear, at least 92% of regional GDP is not derived from tourism. Locally it could be more or it could be less, I doubt we compete with York for overnight stays for example, or Scarborough for family breaks. A sub-section of the local retail sector does rely on tourism, but even here very few business are totally dependent on it.

Tourism is also something of a bit player in terms of providing local employment (not that its contribution should be derided). We are very fortunate to have a quite mixed economy, world leading manufacturers such as Calrec have stuck with us through thick and thin. We have light engineering, clothing, manufacturing, agriculture, services, a thriving creative sector - we have a highly educated population and by regional standards a quite wealthy population, with of course pockets of deprivation.

So we shouldn't see the world, let alone the town, through the prism of a shop windows. But it is important that as local employers, our retail sector is well supported and not undermined by these events. My concern is that if we over-egg tourism we could lose what makes the town so interesting to live in.

From Bob Leedham

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Handmade parade, Duck Race Day, Vintage Car Weekend to name a few all bring in extra people into the town without having an adverse affect on the town's traders. But lets be honest, we all live or work in a great little town. Let's keep it that way.

From Dave R

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

I think Mrs Davis sums it up nicely. She came to the food festival, liked HB and came back for a browse another day.

The food festival showcased our little town well.I too enjoyed seeing, smelling and tasting 'different' things.

Whilst I have every sympathy with traders who felt they lost out because of it. Maybe if in future, event managers consulted existing traders about such events a solution to please all could be found?

From Phil M

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

I think the markets are great and add a vibrancy to the town to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike..

Paul - Interesting figures! Maybe tourism does not equate to a large percentage of the GDP but its still very important to the shops in Hebden, which is the crux of this discussion . . . maybe if we had a good hotel we would get alot more stay-overs? [shame that will never be allowed to happen..].

I completely agree more thought and consideration needs to be given to the shops we all enjoy. Not obstructing or hiding them behind stalls. Can such markets use a closed off Old Gate perhaps?

From Alice Mill

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Perhaps this a great opportunity to plan for the next food fest in October...

a food trail, tasters in each food shop, make your pizzas for baking, food fandango stickers?

From Hebden Bridge Food and Drink Festival

Thursday, 2 May 2013

Perhaps we should mention that all 66 businesses with a food or drink connection and a physical presence in Hebden Bridge were hand delivered letters inviting their participation (with one exception, who was emailed.)

They also had a very wide variety of suggestions about how they could participate outlined to them, other than just taking a market stall.

Some took part, some didn't.

Those who took part did well commercially, as well as appreciating the marketing opportunity that this event gave them. It cost them £20 per day, paid directly to Calderdale Markets.

More than half of the traders came from with 5 miles of Hebden Bridge, but hopefully this level of local participation will increase during the main October event.

We appreciate that the type and positioning of the stalls needs constant review and are working with Calderdale Markets to ensure that this is handled in the best possible way.

From Andy M

Thursday, 2 May 2013

I seem to remember there were similar complaints from some traders when the streets were pedestrianised . . . presumably unfounded?

From Paul D

Saturday, 4 May 2013

The 'main' October event?

Is there a date for this so I can book a holiday?

The breathtaking arrogance always gets me. Lets just impose another fake foody label on a money making event on the stupid populace of Hebden Bridge and at the same time point out the huge £20 per pavement blocking stall contribution to er . . . Calderdale markets.

Oh that's fine. I'll shop in Tod. Don't mind the people who live here who don't actually want to buy overpriced 'saw you coming' tourist fare and find all this slightly like listening to some recently arrived Jeremy telling us to dig our old clogs out and stuff a ferret down our kecks to play the part of extras in their latest wheeze.

From Phil M

Wednesday, 8 May 2013

I think 'Hebden Bridge Food and Drink just succinctly answered all outstanding points with absolutely no arrogance at all?

All food based retailers were offered a spot.
It was successful..
Positioning of stalls will continue to me reviewed..

An excellent addition to our town, roll on October!!

From A.Addison

Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Also as a business owner along the back end of Market Street I did feel the footfall through our door and along Market street was greater that Saturday because of the food festival. I spoke to regulars / locals who had eaten on the market (pork sandwiches) and visitors who had too.

Our takings were not up as not all spent which I do not have any problems with. Ialways think if people come through the door this is a bonus as they may pass the word on or return.

Also to receive great footfall down the back end of market street is a massive bonus due to the vacant properties along there.

I too get downhearted when all the events are held in and around the pedestrian area but Market Street does not really have any open space. I do not know what the solution is for the market stalls maybe positioning, the marina.

But I do feel the last thing any of the HB businesses need is for anything to be held in a car park.