SIR – May I respond to a letter by Mr [Kevin] Hurdman ‘We market the town’ which appeared in the Worcester News’ sister paper the Evesham Journal (May 19).

Like him I was a market trader for many years. I operated in the central market in Evesham when it was run by Mick Moran.

I have also traded at markets up and down the country for many years, from Yorkshire to Wales.

I stand by what I said in my original letter (Evesham Journal, may 12), the stalls in Evesham High Street are a blight on the town – the new High Street was laid out to be a pedestrian walkway.

As for the claim that the market stalls sell goods of quality and at a reasonable price – once more I have to differ.

Lots of goods being sold on stalls can be bought a lot cheaper from the supermarkets.

As for the market bringing in trade, again I disagree.

It takes trade away from the shop owners who have to pay vast amounts of rent and rates.

Also, he seems to forget that on top of this shop owners have to pay for electricity and staff wages.

He says he doesn’t work the markets in Evesham; could this be that he can’t make a living from the market in town?

And no, I was not criticising the traders, I was criticising the lay-out of stalls and asking why they were allowed onto a pedestrian walkway.

I also queried why cars use this pedestrian walkway between 10.30am and 4.30pm when no vehicles are allowed.

JOHN WHITE
Evesham