please empty your brain below
Maybe the organisers knew NOT to send you an email about it...

Jon Allen | 18.11.12 - 3:41 a.m. | #

My mum used to teach at Roman Road school so she'll be interested in the programe when it comes out. Thanks.

CornishCockney | 18.11.12 - 11:11 a.m. | #

I think the Street Food aspect is quite a good tactic to draw people in. I have certainly wandered to several markets lured by a nice bite to eat ;-)

I am less convinced by the Mary Portas "initiative" to try to restore high streets. It feels like a gimmick and the relatively low amount of finance available to "boost" the winning High Streets reinforces this. There are loads of reasons why high streets fail and I think "drag in the middle class" is too simplistic a tactic to revive them. I have seen her telly programmes - I'd be interested to know how many are still doing well.

I sympathise about the Tesco issue. Waltham Forest is suddenly being swamped by Tesco Metro stores. We do have some competition in the form of larger Sainsburys, ASDA and Morrisons in the northern half of the borough plus ASDA at Leyton. However Tesco are filling in the gaps elsewhere at an alarming rate. The cynic in me wonders quite how they've got council approval for such a scale of expansion.

PC | 18.11.12 - 11:25 a.m. | #

They possibly get approval because a lot of people do want to have a local shop with a supermarket range and quality (be it Tesco, Sainsbury's or whatever). Yes there are a lot of good local stores (the Nisa in Rotherhithe is brilliant) but there are a lot of absolutely cruddy ones, where you fear that food saftey standards etc are absolutely ignored.

A lot of people who criticise the growth of the local supermarkets are those who have access to a car/larger store conveniently.

Messiah | 18.11.12 - 12:04 p.m. | #

I'm all for encouraging the authorities that be to have low cost, low structural impact selling locations - there will always be a need for what is now called 'pop-up' markets but I can't see how people will be encouraged to shop in the same way they used to at markets (they had to - there was no choice). Roman Road has never been a 'destination' unlike Ripley Road. Until the market transforms into something new - to meet the new realities of our lives it will not become as successful as it was in the long distant past.

B | 18.11.12 - 12:45 p.m. | #

@ Messiah - You may be right but the supermarkets are driven to keep growing to feed institutional demands for growth. They do not care if other local businesses fall by the wayside. I just think a proportion of people are only capable of using supermarkets rather than local shops or markets. They have been blinded by the "convenience" argument.

I use supermarkets (unavoidable really) but also support my local shops and the weekly farmers market where I know the traders and the price / quality equation is decent. I find Tesco to be pretty poor and rarely shop there but sometimes it is unavoidable. Oh and I walk or use the bus for my shopping - no car - so am I allowed to "criticise"?? :-)

PC | 18.11.12 - 3:46 p.m. | #

When I first moved to the Bow area this market used to be very busy and people would drive for miles to shop there on a Saturday, I have many visitors from out of London and also different Countries around the World and would always take them down there for a taste of the real East End, but over the years a great deal of the very good shop's have gone only to be replaced by a tatty type of shop with naff display's on old bits of wood projecting out across the footway, plus the fact that the stallholder's still insist on just throwing all their unwanted litter and coat hangers all over the place, its now nothing more than a dump selling cheap tat and I dont even mention to my guests that there was once a very good market just around the corner, I keep very quiet as I know that if they were to go there they would be shocked at what Sh--hole it has become.

Fishislandskin | 18.11.12 - 4:58 p.m. | #

I have 2 large Tesco stores (one open 24 hours) an Asda large store (open 24 hours) Lidl and Aldi all within walking distance. Even so several local public houses have been turned into Sainsbury's and Tesco local stores.
The existing local corner shops still stay in business.-So far.

John | 18.11.12 - 9:05 p.m. | #

Blimey, what is it with people and Tesco!? Roman Road needs a decent supermarket to bring in shoppers - the sad decline of the Roman was precipitated by the closure of the Safeway. People use to come for the weekl shop and would hen pop into the local shops. Blame should be aimed at those nimbys who have blocked new developments for years -the councillors and some locals. Why would Asda, part of the global monopoly Walmart that makes Tesco look like a corner shop operation, be any better? Tesco actually started on the nearby Wells Street market so it's technically a local business itself. But why let such facts get in the way of a good moan about an East End business that has done incredibly well!

Johnnie English | 18.11.12 - 10:27 p.m. | #

I commented on Tesco *in Waltham Forest* and their recent large scale expansion after years of showing no interest. I don't really like Tesco but, as I said, sometimes shopping there is the only viable option. I am not a hypocrite who says "I never shop there" but who then sneaks in when the situation demands it!

I do not know enough about Roman Road to be able to provide an objective comment about the rights or wrongs about a supermarket there. That's why I didn't mention it and nor did anyone else from what I can see.

PC | 19.11.12 - 12:00 a.m. | #

There are six supermarkets within a mile of my house - one Co-Op, one Iceland and four Tescos. Soon to be five Tescos. I'd just appreciate a bit of variety, that's all.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 19.11.12 - 12:08 a.m. | #

Isn't the Lidl on Burdett Rd in E3?

EskimoPie | 19.11.12 - 7:48 a.m. | #

@EskimoPie. No, the Lidl is in E14. This map shows the postcode overlay
http://www.free-postcode-maps.co.uk/postcode-maps/towns/london-postcode-map.php#.UKno4oZHqSo

IslandDweller | 19.11.12 - 8:12 a.m. | #

I suspect that Mary Portas's involvement with the market is done and dusted - her film's in the bag and we may not see much of her round here in future. Of course I could be wrong, I don't want to underestimate her commitment to the project. The Team that's trying to get something done about the market is a group of local volunteers who want to do something about the sad state the Road and the market has fallen into. We all have day jobs - inevitably it's slow going.

Sorry you didn't hear about what was happening the other weekend - our PR budget is non-existent! You can find out what's coming up by following @romanroadmarket on twitter. And if you've got any good ideas and (even better) any time to spare to help, you can contact us on [email protected]. If nothing else, if you liked the coffee and the giant macarons and the gift shop up the Road, go up to the market every so often and buy something, otherwise they won't be there for much longer!

Roman Road Town Team | Homepage | 20.11.12 - 11:23 a.m. | #

Having recently moved to Bow. And also living near to the roman road market. I must admit last Saturday did look much busier then normal. But of course it's still not a place where you can do all your shopping. But as you said is good for the Iceland fresh fruit and veg and the bakers. I did go to the artisan bakers stall though and brought one of there meranuges and as he picked it up it broke so he put that in a bag picked up another and gave me that so I had 2 for 1. Now mr tesco would never do that so I was quite impressed. Lets hope the new look gets better

Al | 21.11.12 - 10:25 p.m. | #











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