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Preston to host Lancashire-only food market
A market selling Lancashire-only food is to take over Preston city centre three times a year from this summer.
The first event will see the city's Friargate high street taken over by market traders for a day in August.
That will be followed by another market on the Flag Market at Christmas and a third event in Easter 2011.
Babs Murphy, of organisers the Preston Business Improvement District (BID), said she expected the first event to attract thousands of visitors to the city.
She said: "It is an opportunity to showcase the very finest quality produce that Lancashire has to offer and everything on show will come from the county.
"The ambition is that people will associate the Lancashire Market with Preston and come here from across Europe rather than us sending bus loads of people to continental markets all over the world. We would anticipate this would not only bring people to Preston but get them buying the very best that Lancashire has to offer."
The North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce chief executive added the event would initially be a one-day event but, if it proves popular, it could be extended into two days.
It would "straddle" the junction between Friargate and the Ringway for the opening event.
Babs Murphy said: "For a long time a lot of traders on Friargate have felt cut off from the city centre due to the ring road. This is an opportunity to reconnect it with the rest of Preston."
Today, traders on Friargate welcomed news of the market's arrival this summer and said they hoped it could become a regular feature.
Margaret Mason, who has run a florist's shop on the street for 49 years, said: "Without a doubt, the ring road does cut off our half of Friargate from the rest of the city and anything which brings people here is to be welcomed."
Dog and Patridge pub landlord Ronnie Fitzpatrick said he hoped the Christmas market could come to the high street one year - and promising to hand out glasses of mulled wine.
He said: "Perhaps if the weather is good when people are here in August, people will want to stop in here for a shandy, it is all about attracting people who have not been here before onto Friargate.
David Halewood, who runs Halewood and Sons book shop, said: "You see the traditional markets in places like Kendal and Keswick and they look great, people come from miles around to see them and it would be great to get that here."
Vicky Kok, a partner at Andrew Kok Lighting, said: "Anything which brings more people to Friargate and Preston is good for the city and we are in favour of the market."
There are already more than 30 farmer's markets across Lancashire selling everything from ostrich meat and speciality cheese to fish and puddings.
Ella Trickett, of the Made in Lancashire programme based which champions local produce, said: "I am told there is something to cater for every taste in the county.
"Our experience is that people come from outside the county to attend."
Babs Murphy said the BID has no plans to stage a second music event this summer despite the success of last year's Rock in the Park event which brought thousands of pop fans flocking to the city to see acts including JLS and Peter Andre.
Ongoing improvements to Avenham Park, where last year's event was staged, have ruled that out as a venue, meaning there is no major city centre venue to stage such an attraction.
The Chamber chief said it would continue to stage the lights switch-on event at Christmas, but would focus cash for events on the Lancashire Market.
The BID budget comes from a 1% levy placed on business rates bills of city centre traders, bringing in around 500,000 every year.
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Weather for Preston
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -6 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: -2 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
