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Sean Scanlon, Adrienne Renton, Sylvia Scanlon, Jean Archer, Phyllis Caras, David Tobin outside the Hamsptead Community Centre |
Arts and crafts axed to make way for food
Instead of a makeover, trustees ‘kick out’ traders
EXCITEMENT over a £50,000 refurbishment has turned to shock for Hampstead Community Market’s arts and crafts traders.
Regular traders had been anticipating a spruce up at the community centre in Hampstead High Street but last week they were handed a letter announcing the trustees’ decision to replace the Saturday bric-a-brac, clothes and accessories fair with a food market.
Jean Archer, who has been buying and selling porcelain and silver bric-a-brac for 32 years, said: “I’ve been here since the beginning so naturally I’m devastated. It’s a lovely atmosphere here. It’s almost a social occupation for people.”
Sylvia Scanlon, who sells clothes at the market, added: “We have been waiting for years to have a little bit of refurbishment.
“Now they kick us out with three weeks’ notice.”
Adrienne Renton, who lives in Bracknell Gardens, has been selling 3D cards, jewellery and leather goods as a hobby at the market for the past 12 years.
“The way they told us was so unsympathetic, and so sudden,” she said.
Centre co-ordinator, Richard Weaver, said the 10-strong management committee, who make sure Camden Council is paid £46,000 a year in rent, said: “The (arts and crafts) market has pretty much come to an end to be honest. Four regulars –some of them coming only once a month – is not really very regular at all.”
Mr Weaver added that the committee were taking measures to make sure the food market complied with health and safety measures.
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