The Return Of the Farmers Market

This August Bank Holiday saw the welcome return of the Hampshire Farmers Market to Odiham and although the sunshine wasn’t at it’s brightest the rain stayed away and the High Street was buzzing.

The day started a little earlier for me than perhaps it would normally have done on a day off as I donned the bright yellow jacket of an Odiham Marshall. I spent a couple of hours directing the traffic around the High Street and safely away from the crowds. As usual there were the odd one or two that were unhappy about the minor detour but all in all the time flew past aided, I have to say, by the sound of the Caribbean All Stars Steel Band which almost had me dancing in the street (I resisted in the end – it’s not a pretty sight!).

After my stint at traffic control I had a wander around the market and ended up spending far more money than I’d intended but had some lovely food to show for it. The bottle of Elderflower wine from Fonthill Glebe went down particularly well!

These events bring welcome footfall into the village and speaking as an ex retailer we always used to welcome the extra business we gained by opening up for the few hours that events like the Farmers Markets and The Christmas Extravaganza were on for. However it’s getting harder and harder for the Odiham Town Manager Group, in particular Peter Fountain the Town Manager, to organise days like this due to a desperate shortage of volunteers to Marshall.

There are about ten of us that regularly offer to help out at village events but with holidays, sickness and other commitments we can’t all be available all of the time. It’s not a hard job, and the only real skills required are a little bit of patience, diplomacy and tact and the ability to stand for an hour or so. The more people we have the less time each person has to do so you might even get away with less than an hour, in exchange for a couple of drinks on the OTMG tab in the George later. It’s not a bad way to spend your time and it’s a great help to the organisation of these events and ultimately to Odiham, both residents and retailers alike.

If you’re interested in volunteering some time in the future give Peter Fountain a call on 01256 702128 or drop him an email on PtrFount@aol.com