If the Lib-Dems have stopped poking us about for now, perhaps we can get on with reviving the market and bringing back the shoppers. 18 months of market square events have failed to do that, as a recent survey has made clear.
Then there's Richard the Lion; I successfully bid for him the other week, sixteen hundred he cost me in charitable donations, but now he's mine. I hope to be bringing him back to Northampton Market now and then, as an interesting feature. He would look nice on my stalls dolled up for Christmas, don't you think?
Another high is that I was really thrilled to see my film 'Fitzy Wrapper' take third place in the Film Northants 2010 Festival, thanks to the splendid efforts of my producer Kevin Stoney and Ceasar the Rapper. There were some excellent short films in the finals, so I felt real proud to see mine up there in the first three. Many thanks to everyone out there who voted for me.(Link to Film).
Talking of films, I've always been a keen fan of Robin Hood in his many guises. We need some Robin Hood spirit in the government at the present time; they need to come down with heavy taxes on the banks and credit card companies, who have been coining it in in bonuses recently, despite the fact that they owe us the taxpayers umpteen millions. They should also come down heavily on the casinos and gambling joints that the last government encouraged to sprout like toadstools everywhere. Then there's the price-fixing supermarkets, and their pretence of competition, which are really concerted price hikes, particularly on food. These supermarkets and particularly their mini-versions are spreading everywhere, putting small shopkeepers out of business. Their price cartel activities should be the subject of a legal review.
The recent news that Tesco will be opening a new store on the old Woolworths site in Abington Street is not good news for the market, particularly for those of us who sell fresh produce. Sometimes these boys will sell fresh produce at a loss just to get the punters in, at prices less than we have to buy at wholesale. Unlike the supermarkets, we on the open market will be at the mercy of the weather for the next seven months. I don't think the new Tesco will attract people into the town centre particularly, just take a slice of what is already here away from everyone else.
Like most people I don't like to see a great deal of unnecessary regulation - we get more than our fair share of it on the market, believe me - but if anything is to be regulated, the price of basic foods should be top of the list. If we cannot have wage rises in this age of austerity, then the government should regulate the price of basic foods so that everyone is able to buy what they need. It really annoys me to see supermarkets hike up their food prices monthly or even weekly, while hard-up people are struggling to feed their families on a fixed income.
It always amazes me that more people don't cotton on to the fact that market produce is generally cheaper than in supermarkets overall; particularly fresh produce. Check my prices anytime, then have a look in the town-centre Sainsburys. Noah Mean?
