What was Missing?

Something fairly obvious and fundamental was missing from today's relaunch of Rhuthun/Ruthin's monthly market. What, exactly?

For one thing, though this isn't the main point, stalls. It *looked* full but in honesty there weren't too many of them.

We all remember the launch of the produce market and the number of people it attracted. At its start, stalls were at the Gaol and St Peter's. Numbers gradually dwindled, perhaps through lack of footfall, perhaps through lack of commitment on behalf of traders (some having moved to the market hall, others back to their own shops) but never through lack of enthusiasm from the produce market team. It ended as something rather hollow and even embarrassing.

Valiant efforts to move the lot to the Square met with traffic and safety objections. It's so easy to blame the council for being killjoys and there's no doubt that this caused some bitterness. But let's be honest, had someone been injured, the implications would've been grave. If the council isn't there to ensure public safety then what is it for, exactly?

In trying to accommodate everyone and everything, the market moved to Market Street car park. This was a somewhat half-hearted affair that lasted but a few occasions and attracted very few visitors. In any case, it had to work around the barriers erected to segregate market customers from motorists wishing to park and that gave a look of something transient, muddled and ragged.

The upshot of all this was that since March there's been no market whatsoever. Not till today. New publicity and new thinking. The organisers had run tape around the bollards as a barrier to prevent pedestrians crossing the road to the market. This was much better than ugly barriers. The entrance was at the memorial and this acted as a throat through which customers were channelled. Instead of facing outwards, stalls looked inwards. This concentrated visitors, as they had to walk in and out the same way. It made the place look lively and thronged. Add the civic party who launched the new market and things seemed bustling.

So, what was missing? Children. And with children come parents. Ok, there was competition from the Open Doors event in Dinbych (not especially busy) and the Mold food festival, neither of which would be of particular interest to families. The issue is that visitors there may be but ordinary Rhuthun families there were not. The only youngsters I say were what seemed to be the children of our assembly member.

Each monthly market this year seems to be themed. October's is Hallowe'en. Perhaps that will attract younger people (and their parents) though I for one avoid anything with the tag "Hallowe'en" very much like the plague. It's a festival that should be alien to our culture and one that has been cynically exploited for pure profit, giving some of our youngsters an excuse to misbehave and transgress.

I think what the market now needs—apart from children—is more space to breath. Not till we manage to pedestrianise the Square permanently will it get that freedom.