Costal Kent traders scorn wet season for drop in festive footfall

Bosses at the Harbour Arm in Folkestone are urging locals to come out and support local business this Christmas.  Bartholomew Hall reports.

Transcript

00:00Cheers and beers. It might feel like a lifetime ago but this summer's sporting

00:05action plus some enjoyable weather meant a bumper season for the Harbour Arm in

00:09Folkestone but as the temperatures have dropped and the rain has started to fall

00:13so has the footfall. This is the first time in our festive markets history

00:19this is the fourth year now where we've had this much disruption because of

00:24named storms basically the weather has really really put a downer on on some of

00:30our traders. The business hub has taken to social media to urge locals to still

00:35come out this December describing the Christmas trading period as a lifeline

00:39for the independent businesses that make up the site. The support that's been

00:43shown for our traders has been really overwhelming and we feel that you know

00:49the festive market only runs for six weeks so people need to come out and

00:52make the most of it. It follows a turbulent start to the festive season

00:56with Storm Dara forcing the cancellation of Christmas events across Kent. A yellow

01:01weather warning brought strong winds heavy rain and fears of damage to

01:05property. Even after four named storms have passed it's safe to say that the

01:09weather this Christmas just hasn't been very Christmassy especially down here in

01:14Folkestone where the fury of Kent's coastal winds just aren't giving way but

01:18some of the traders inside the Harbour Arm say that they're actually quite

01:21optimistic of things looking up as we get closer to the big day. Well we had to

01:26shut one weekend one Sunday that was Storm Burt so that was a shame but

01:32that's for safety reasons and you can totally understand that. The weather

01:35looks all right for next weekend so I'm hoping this weekend is the one where

01:39people say I'll have that. Helen Sharp runs a jewellery business and says it's

01:43not just the weather dampening spirits with the cost-of-living crisis adding to

01:48the challenges traders face. I think my most expensive thing is something like

01:51a hundred and sixty so that doesn't fly off the shelves very quickly but there

01:56is something there which it can be a special present especially if you've met

02:00the maker and that's another thing about being down here is quite a lot of the

02:03huts you are buying straight from the person who made or created the item.

02:08It is not easy being a small independent producer and the more we can all do to

02:15support those is amazing. As the countdown to Christmas continues

02:19traders are hoping out for calmer skies and busy markets as for these small

02:24businesses every shopper could be the silver lining in a stormy season.

02:28Bartholomew Hall for KMTV