PORTOBELLO MARKET RETURNS - Saturday 1st February

[Portobello Market]

Did you miss us?

It’s been a quick month, and on the 1st of February the Portobello Market returns. It’s Groundhog weekend too, which is appropriate, as that Saturday is the first of our regular fun days repeating on the first Saturday of every month for the rest of the year.

We kick off with two exciting new suppliers this month: one provides hand made knitted goods, including Morino wool, and the other is a fresh fish stall which we have worked hard to get.

Of course we have all your regular favourites too with everything from bread, cheese and oils to organic meats, vegetables, soaps and crafts. We’ll have out tables and chairs out for you to sit a while with a fresh coffee and listen to the live music from Scotts Music Band. Check out the full list of stallholders here: http://bit.ly/LEVF2d

So, see you at 9.30am in Brighton Park, Brighton Place, Portobello. We’ll be trading away until 1.30pm and look forward to welcoming you.

[Mark Cameron]

Hi I wanted to ask whether siting the market either in Straiton place park or on the pavement on the high street outside Favers has been considered? It seems both these locations would improve footfall as a higher number of people passing those ways.

There may be blockers to these options but thought I'd ask.

[blackbird]

I absolutely agree that Straiton Place park would have greater number of passerbys. Stallholders would also benefit from more non-Porty residents wandering along prom. Though it might mean those stallholders selling food and drink could have too much competition along that stretch.
I don't think the High Street location idea would fit the relaxed atmosphere of the market and those who take part.
Brighton Park does have a special chilled out vibe!

[Grunk]

Alternatively there is always the Prom itself.

[Bob Jefferson]

Or Abercorn Park. My preference would be for the High Street. Markets are supposed to be busy, bustling places and it would feel like more of a natural extension of the existing shopping centre, rather than an alternative to it. I think it would also encourage some of the existing traders to participate, extending their shopfront onto the pavement, as happens in other open-air markets in Europe.

[Chas]

My preference would be for the High Street… it would feel like more of a natural extension of the existing shopping centre

Here, here.

[Portobello Market]

All of these options, and more, were considered when the market was first proposed. It was visited again recently. It was felt by both the organisers AND the City of Edinburgh Council, who grant the licence, that safety came first on the tick list. The market is attended by a large number of our children, and siting the market next to a busy road was out of the question and so ruled out the High Street. Not just that but it seems it would be unfair to block the front of existing traders in the High Street whilst the market is on. It takes up quite a bit of space and there is not enough free pavement space outside Favers, as one of the examples. It is very stringent in how much space is required around each stall for ease of movement etc, and the market would not meet these requirements on that pavement. The safety of the enclosed park is also ideal to allow our children to run about playing in a great green space.

It would seem that you all agree that the market must remain in a central location, but the prom and Straiton Park would remove it from the natural shopping hub. Local traders, for example Joe Findlay's Butchers (arguably one of the most successful independent traders in Portobello) says that the market day is his most busiest day of every month and he welcomes it's occurrence and agrees that it's current location is definitely beneficial. Because it is only once per month it is viewed as a special event. In that sense it is right that it does not upset or interfere with the High Street traders, but supports them by attracting new people on an ongoing basis, which it does successfully. Our local traders are kept well informed of the market and are encouraged to visit and promote their own businesses, as Scotmid did at the February market, Earthy do on a regular basis, and so on. tis is what the market is designed to do. It is not a stand alone "business" (it is volunteers that organise it after all), but a sustainable, profile raiser for Portobello.

Environmental Health and Health & Safety are next on the list. A complex part of this is wind management. The stalls are such that high winds or gusts could be dangerous and it was felt that the promenade and Straiton Park posed too much of a risk from onshore winds. Though this is not constant we don't want even one occurrence of anyone being hurt. Not to mention sand in your burgers!

Traffic impact was a consideration as well, and because of its current location, a survey revealed less people take their cars specifically to the market and instead arrive on foot. The prom and Straiton Park would adversely affect the public amenity in this manner as more people would drive down and there's also the matter of traders supply vehicles (you can see the ongoing struggle for parking in surrounding streets as it is). The traders vehicles access at the start and end of the day would prove difficult and would cause obstruction and delays as they would have to park on the road at the street entrance whilst loading and unloading.

A lot of publicity is done for the market by myself throughout the month, and it does attract a good number of out of Portobello people. At the market this month, on 5th April, for example, The Edinburgh International Science Festival were so impressed with the venue (the open space of the park) that they are bringing the street science arm to the market as an official venue! That's quite a success for Portobello, and will see large numbers, weather dependent of course. No other proposed site would have given us this opportunity. Once people are here the joy that is Portobello awaits them afterwards.

We also attract the attention of the Evening News and local radio on a regular basis, and with 11 markets a year it really helps to promote our great wee town. It is an opportunity for people to meet and mingle from Portobello and outside, and for our kids to have safe space to roam and, well, be kids.

It has taken some time, but the market is definitely beneficial to Portobello, and I'm pleased that you take a good interest in it's success. It is important for Portobello that all events of a positive nature such as this are well supported and encouraged, and I thank you for your continued interest and support. Graham Kitchener

[Chas]

Environmental Health and Health & Safety are next on the list.

If this were true then, at what is predominantly a food market, dogs would be banned. They are not. I would say that is a bigger H&S issue than the wind.

[Portobello Market]

As for dogs at the market: it's a public space so impossible to prevent dogs. Pets in a food shop or environment is not really a H&S subject, but Environmental Health. Wind management though is H&S, as you rightly pointed out.

Dogs, not just dogs for the blind, but anyones dog, are actually allowed in places that serve food. I found this out recently from a local coffee shop owner. Prompted by this and your post over dogs at the market I contacted Environmental health at the City of Edinburgh Council and raised the point.
The coffee shop owner is correct.
I raised your point about dogs at the market and was told, quote, "there is no ruling on dogs at markets held outdoors in public places, and dogs are permitted in premises that serve food/ It is more of a social matter than an Environmental Health matter". That is from Environmental Health.

I hope this answers your concern.

I know we have had issues locally on the beach and our streets in Portobello with dog owners not cleaning up their pets mess (though this seems to be on the decrease) but we've never had a single issue like that at the market.