MARKET JOINS FORCES WITH STREET COBBLES` REPAIRS

 The local touch wins praise for tiny Alston

       

The tiny Cumbria  town of Alston with a population of about 1,100, has put has put its big city neighbour Carlisle to shame in organising an outdoor market. Many people agree that David won by a mile in this David versus Golliath contest.

Alston won because it relied on the people of the town. Carlisle, about 100 times the size with a population of 108,000 relied on outsiders and lots  of government cash.

 The market was a first for Alston with more  markets promised in the next few  months  as the town combines its entertaining street markets with town improvement in an unique way through re-instatement of its street cobbles.

The similar first weekend market 28 miles away in Carlisle had lots of food stalls , drinks` stalls, garden stalls and continuous highly organsed mass entertainment. It was called the Hawker Festival.

The city council organised the festival and backed it. And the government backed it with thousands of pounds from its national Welcome Back Fund.

With all that cash backing, how could  the Hawker Festival be anything but a success?

 It attracted hundreds of people and the stallholders seemed to make thousands of pounds .

But sadly, it also attacted a lot of criticism.

Critics said  the  stallholders came from miles away and there  wasn`t a local stallholder  in sight. Publicans said they had been deserted by their customers who had preferred  to drink at the Hawker Festival.

And critical politicians pointed out that all the thousands of pounds spent at the market had not stayed in Carlisle to benefit the city but had been moved away by the stall holders.

 Could any of the Carlisle critcisms be made about Alston`s street market?.The Alston stallholders were local, the Alston pubs boomed and Alston money stayed in  Alston.

The town claims to be the highest market town in England.

The quality of  Alston markets is  high too.

On this showing, that quality is also the highest in England

 PICTURED: ALSTON`S COBBLED MAIN STREET WITH, RIGHT. OLD-STYLE COVERED MARKET

  Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 52227