On Sunday thousands enjoyed the first Glebe Market featuring Prom Art which took place at the tennis courts by the piers in Bowness-on-Windermere.
The event was so successful that traders have requested an extra date on Easter Sunday which organisers are considering. The event was orchestrated by Bowness & Windermere Forward and Better Leisure with the stalls themselves organised by Prom Art and Geraud Markets who also run the Keswick Markets alongside many others. All those involved have hailed the Glebe Market as a great success.
Helen Moriarty Project Manager for Bowness and Windermere Forward said: “We truly were delighted by the response from local people and visitors. Better Leisure have already been approached for an extra day by the traders so there are talks surrounding this taking place at the minute.
“The turnout was fantastic there was a real sense of excitement, and importantly lots of people buying both at the markets and in town. In total there were 60 stalls, with a strong Windermere and Bowness contingent, which is extremely encouraging for future events as we hope to see this element grow further.
“As an organisation we exist to enhance this area for the people who live and visit here and the markets are a great way to enrich the offering, we are looking forward to future events.”
One example of the many Windermere and Bowness businesses who traded at the markets was Joanna Ireland owner of Bowness based fashion retail shop The Hen House. Joanna said;
“The atmosphere was fantastic and we did good business too. As a shop owner from further ‘up the hill’ it made sense for us to have a double presence in town for the day and I am glad we did. Anyone in retail will be aware that the traditional high-street is changing so it’s more important than ever to embrace new opportunities like this. We saw an increase in trade in the shop rather than a decrease and I would encourage other local retailers and establishments to get involved too.”
The markets are made possible with support from SLDC, Windermere Town Council, Better Leisure, Geraud Markets and Prom Art. Future Glebe Markets featuring Prom Art will take place on the second Sunday of the month between now and September. For more information on these and other events see www.facebook.com/bownessandwindermereforward/ or www.bwforward.org.uk
