Judging by the number of new faces walking around Rhuthun/Ruthin on Saturday, and the number of people in general, there can be no doubt that the monthly Produce Market attracts visitors. What's as interesting is that there were more people wandering around after 3 p.m. This is contrary to the usual Saturday afternoon that, these days, seems to stall. Whereas at 4 p.m. Tesco's car park is about ¾ full and the store bulging. Perhaps there are two types of people in two locations: visitors & locals.What I don't know is whether any of those new people either (a) shopped in our stores or (b) are likely to come again. My guess is that, if nothing else, they decided to have a cuppa and snack.
The considerable effort put in by the Produce Market organisers needs acknowledging and affirming. But what next for the market? Those who go there reasonably regularly will have watched it shrink, especially during the 2010 season. Has it had its day? We sincerely hope not. Saturday's was down to 18 stalls. Of these, three didn't really count as "produce": the Air Cadets, the St Asaph Music Festival and a stall about the Cerdyn Bro & the market itself. At least the Air Cadets are regular supporters. And the Cerdyn Bro stand was to give the card its official launch.
Does the whole idea of the Produce Market need a re-think? Many visiting the Market Town of the Future exhibition commented (in writing or just by word of mouth) that the market should migrate from the Gaol to St Peter's Square (otherwise known as the Market Place!). When the Produce Market first started, people will recall it was big enough to fill the current Gaol quadrangle *and* the Square. Moving to the Square makes the Produce Market more visible and integrates it more with the town. The problem is shifting the stalls to and fro, for there's nowhere on or near the Square to keep them. Would this be worth it? Personally, I now think it would.
But something needs to be done in 2011, to gain momentum. And perhaps the organisers might consider whether they should have some sort of obvious, eye-catching presence at the Craft Centre on market days. The Centre visitor "market" may be different to that for the Produce Market but there must surely be a crossover. To visit Rhuthun simply for its crafts is such a waste when, round the corner, there's so much to see and do.
And the $64,000 question besides where best to locate the Produce Market? Did anyone spend £25 in a single transaction at the Produce Market, thereby winning not only a Rhuthun jute bag but a concert ticket?