Ferring Village Market closes for the final time, after 48 years of weekly stalls

Transcript

00:30I thought we'd better come down and say a big thank you to all those that run the market.

00:36So the first market started on 14th July 1976 down at the old school and at the site where

00:44Abbeyfield is today and it was established under the WI umbrella.

00:50In those days it opened weekly from 9.30 to 11.30.

00:55In 1980 it moved to the village hall because the old school was closing and at the time

01:02there was a report in the parish magazine.

01:06It read Ferryden District Market would like to announce they are moving to Ferryden Village

01:10Hall in February 1980.

01:14Their first market was held here on 6th February 1980 from 10.00 to 11.30.

01:22We would like to take the opportunity of thanking the committee of the old school for allowing

01:27us to use the hall and its facilities for the last three years.

01:33In December 2003 it became the Ferryden Country Market moving away from the WI and in January

01:412012 became Ferryden Village Market Limited.

01:45Its ethos has always been home-baked, home-grown and home-made by local people for local people.

01:54So I've got a few statistics for you.

01:57In December 2001 there was an article in the Worthing Herald where they put down some quantities

02:04of things sold in the previous year.

02:07So they've sold 3,600 sausage rolls, 1,200 steak pies, 1,400 mince pies, 1,000 fruit cakes,

02:191,800 cheese scones and 1,370 dozen eggs.

02:27So just over 48 years and allowing time off for Christmases and Covid, I reckon that there's

02:33been about 2,350 village markets.

02:37The market has been running every Wednesday for 48 years, give or take a few.

02:42It was originally set up by the Women's Institute and although we haven't had any direct involvement

02:47in the running of the market for some years, there are still members from IWI who cook,

02:53knit and sell produce every week alongside many other volunteers from the community.

03:00The market committee haven't taken this decision lightly and they looked at many different

03:05ways first to keep it open but decided there really was no other option.

03:10It is a very sad day and it will be very strange next Wednesday when the market is no more.

03:16On behalf of Ferryndown's WI and the community you've served, I want to thank each and

03:22every one of you who have worked so hard and diligently every week for so many years.

03:28Thank you.