Row over Floating Market in August

Readers of Chatbox will have seen posts appearing about the 'cancelled' Floating Market that water-born businesses were planning to hold in Audlem over the August Bank Holiday period later this year.

AudlemOnline also received a flood of emails late on Friday night and Saturday which all appear to come from supporters of the canal boat traders – many of the posts arrived within minutes of each other.

We have replied to each of them saying we would investigate why the Floating Market was no longer to be held in Audlem. We have heard subsequently it will now be in Market Drayton.

There was, we are told, concern that the The Roving Canal Traders Association's (RCTA) website claimed that the Floating Market was being held in conjunction with the Canal & River Trust, Audlem Parish Council and Audlem Mill. Neither the Parish Council nor Audlem Mill were involved and both, we are told, had asked for their reference to be removed.

Incident

Unfortunately, an incident occurred about four weeks ago resulting from one of the water-born businesses, Tea Junction, mooring in Audlem below Lock 13 and putting a sign up near to a well-known canal side hostelry advertising its teas and refreshments. Notices like this are against Canal & River Trust rules and the trader was asked to take the sign down.

A verbal spat resulted and, when the sign was removed, the police were called by the canal trader claiming that their cup hook (the sign was hanging from it) had been damaged. Remarkably, three police cars arrived, one with blues flashing, to settle this heinous case of damage to a hook which must have a value approaching 10p.

The result, unfortunately, has seen a number of social media posts on Facebook criticising the Audlem pub.

Rumours

Coincidentally, some very unpleasant rumours, which many locally may have heard, have also been spread involving incidents and police visits. These have been checked out by a concerned resident and the police have confirmed they have no substance.

AudlemOnline has heard much more about this but does not want to exacerbate the situation. What we do know, is that many were concerned that, with a dozen or so roving canal traders moored close to the village, visiting canal boats coming to the village for the August Bank Holiday Beer Festival, would find moorings hard to come by.

As far as we can ascertain, however, no local organisation or business has asked for the Floating Market in Audlem to be cancelled. The decision to move to Market Drayton has, therefore, been a decision taken by the roving traders themselves.

Statement from RCTA

Indeed, we have received a statement confirming that from RCTA.. They say:

"The RCTA August Bank Holiday floating Market has been moved from Audlem to Market Drayton due to the local land based business and Audlem Council's lack of support for a Market.

"The RCTA has made the decision because the whole idea of the Markets is to help promote Roving Traders, the Canals and to bring a benefit to the local area.

"We feel that with such a negative response from Audlem that it's best that we move to another location which we are organising with CRT. It will hopefully be Market Drayton on the same weekend (August Bank Holiday).

"The issue of Canal Roving Traders trading in Audlem is a long standing one. The last consultation was in 2012 on the Coventry. We estimate we attracted 1000+ people to the Market and the canal. The Owner of The Samuel Barlow did a roaring trade and was so pleased that before the Market had ended he had booked us for May Day 2015.

"We have been contacted by the Council and the Mill both asking to remove any mention of Audlem Council, and Audlem Mill from our advertising. We are concerned that if we proceed without the support of the local Council and fellow land based businesses that the Market will have a negative atmosphere.

"Therefore we have made the decision to move to Market Drayton 22nd-25th August."

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