Statement on the Floating Market

Various views have been expressed on Chatbox, many of which seem to be saying that the reason that the Floating Market is no longer being held here is because of what people think that local businesses, including us, have done.

It is true that we contacted the Roving Canal Traders Association to ask for our name to be removed from their website, though this was probably at least two months ago.

They had said that the market was being held "in conjunction with ... Audlem Mill and Audlem Parish Council", without asking either for permission to use the names. The phrase "in conjunction with" could imply that we are involved in the event, and could confer legal liability on us if anything went wrong; that is why we were keen that our name was not used.

We are very pleased that we did ask for our name to be removed, because of subsequent events. We asked the Parish Council on the Public Meeting day last Wednesday whether the market was actually in conjunction with them, and we believe that the Parish Council also contacted RCTA, but only late last week, to ask for their name to be removed.

The RCTA had no right to use our names, but asking them to remove the names is not the same as objecting to the holding of the market.

Shortly after the Parish Council contact, the RCTA decided to relocate the market to Market Drayton. This was probably simpler than owning up that they had made a major and embarrassing error in their publicity.

The market was relocated just a few miles – it has not been cancelled, as has been claimed on Chatbox.

What we have taken exception to, however, is the very unpleasant incident described a day or two ago in Audlem Online, in which one trading boat (a member of RCTA) created a major disturbance, and they have since posted on their Facebook page a defamatory statement about an Audlem pub.

The canal trader told the pub landlady that they were "running a book" to see how quickly they could get the pub closed down, since which there has been a concerted and continued internet and social media attack on the same pub over several weeks.

Extremely serious allegations about the pub have been made quite recently, and as AudlemOnline reported, these were found to be without any foundation, and the police confirmed that there was no truth in the allegations.

We are proud to live in Audlem, and we hope that we have contributed massively to the good name of the village. We meet the great majority of visitors who come by canal, and all the local businesses know that the vibrancy of Audlem and its shops and pubs depends very significantly on the tourist trade.

We are now in the same firing line as the pub, only because we put our heads above the parapet.

The people who have created this whole non-event are some of the canal traders. People in Audlem have not created it, but are on the receiving end of what appears to be a concerted effort to discredit Audlem – and now including us at the Mill as well as the pub.

Had that trader not created a major incident a few weeks ago, and had the RCTA not made silly and unjustifiable endorsement claims, there would be no issue. But one canal trader said in the Chatbox that they were considering a boycott on Audlem.

Can we please suggest that we stop playing into the hands of people who want to have a go at Audlem, and get on with what we do best – creating and sustaining a great village.

We all work so hard at it, and we and the other businesses will continue to work to do so and continue to help to fund the events we all enjoy. We have found it exceedingly horrible to be in the firing line.

Please don't allow the village to be divided by people from outside who have decided to pull us apart. Can we now draw a line under this affair?

We genuinely hope that the floating market at Market Drayton proves successful, and we wish the traders good luck there. It's only a few miles away, close enough for anyone in Audlem to visit.

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