First Community Market in Cromarty a great success

18 May 2011

Cromarty community marketJohn Wood reports on the first community market in Cromarty . . .
 
250 people visited Victoria Hall in Cromarty on Saturday (14th) for the
town’s first Community Market.  The 20 stalls included local produce,
artwork and crafts, and a café run by Cromarty School Parent Council
offering soup and home baking.
 
The market is planned as a regular monthly event and represents the latest
success for Transition Black Isle, the community group which is developing
practical ways to tackle global issues such as climate change and peak oil
at a local level.  The group started two years ago and has already
undertaken a variety of projects worth over £100,000 in the Black Isle.  
 
Cromarty Community MarketStallholders mostly made good sales – one had to send out for extra supplies
of eggs – and all were keen to return.   Transition Black Isle's 'swap your
stuff' stall, familiar from the Culbokie and N Kessock markets proved
popular with children especially with a range of DVDs, books and other items
on offer.  The concerns of some local shopkeepers beforehand that the market
might take business away from them proved unfounded as they reported more
customers than usual for a Saturday.  With about half those visiting coming
from outside Cromarty, many people were taking advantage of local shops and
other attractions at the same time. 
 
With the first market falling into the notorious May 'hungry gap' when the
winter crops are finishing but the new season only just starting, most
stalls were selling arts and crafts, but more fresh fruit and vegetables are
promised next month.  Plants were popular however and the market also
provided an opportunity for local gardeners to sell their surplus seedlings.
 
Together with the existing Community Markets at Culbokie and N Kessock, the
Black Isle now has a market on three Saturdays every month.  Cromarty has
however decided to open slightly later and longer than the others - from
11.30am to 2.30pm - to allow people to complete Saturday morning commitments
before visiting the market and perhaps meet friends and have lunch there -
the soup quickly sold out!  The market café will be run as a fundraiser by a
variety of local groups.
 
The next Cromarty market will be on 11 June and it promises to be bigger and
busier yet.  Prospective stallholders should contact the organiser, John
Wood, for details on 01381 600491.
 

We are part of the rapidly expanding worldwide Transition Towns movement. The Black Isle is a peninsula of about 100 sq miles ENE of Inverness in Scotland, UK.

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