Banbury Market Place. Cornhill. The centre of the town centre. Let’s talk about the market since it seems to obsess so many nay sayers.
The Market’s Past
Yes, 50 years ago the market was ENORMOUS, and people came from miles around to do their weekly shopping there.
That’s lovely. It’s also the past and not coming back. We all know why – even the naysayers. Shops have changed and shoppers have changed. Even if the market of 50 years ago suddenly re-appeared, I dare say even the nay sayers would be at Tesco, Sainsburys or on Amazon. They’d then switch their whinge to ‘well, we want free parking’ or demand to know why they cannot also have an ASDA.
An aside: it never fails to stagger me how someone can complain that the town has nothing in it and also demand an ASDA. Like, an ASDA is going to help boost anything else. ASDA sucks the retail oxygen out of the room, people.
The Market’s Present
Is there anything to the nay sayers naying? Sure. The market dwindled over time. And the decision to make half that areas into a parking lot was probably not the best long-term decision ever made. But it is what it is – and unless the political will exists to reverse that position (and I would be shocked if it did), we deal with the hand we are dealt. So, yes, it dwindled and damned near seemed to need life support as recently as 3 years ago. But that’s been changing – management was taken back, there are more stalls than there have been in several years, Special rates or free spaces are offered to community organisations, etc.
If you haven’t seen that or don’t acknowledge that, you need to accept that nothing that ever happens in Banbury will ever match the version in your memory. And I can’t do anything about that, but I don’t have to let your clouded version of Banbury stand unchallenged.
The Market’s Future
Could the market be better – SURE. The Deddington Farmers’ Market is superb and should stand as an example of what could be. Warwick’s is quite impressive as well. So, there are nearby examples to aspire to. But if people don’t support what is there – and there’s more than there was even relatively recently and some of it is outstanding – no new vendors will see the value in coming on.
If you want a thriving, varied, buzzing market – get out and support it. By a brownie from Tess’s or some cheese from Curds & Whey (the black truffle Comte – I think it was a Comte – is OUT OF THIS WORLD). Get a coffee and take a seat over with The Coffee Guys. Or just spend a few pounds at one of the other ever-growing selection of stalls.
They showed up. Now it’s your turn.