Thank you Greenwich Hospital

I don't often offer thanks here, but in only a couple of months the scaffolding (see "Market? What market?") is coming down. The core of the holiday season may have been blighted by the unintentional concealment of the market, but the newly patched and painted buildings do look the business.

Could this be taken as a sign that GH is leaning towards the preservation of what we have over the "redevelopment"?

No Ben

Another post prompted by a commenter:

Is Ben yesterday's news now?

Certainly not. I have good news and bad news. First the good news:

• Alex is back! HOORAAAAAAY!!

And the bad news:

• Ben isn't.

Please carry on commenting on the original post at "Ben" about his shafting.

Tumbleweed

I do worry about this market. I'm sure everyone, from traders to local visitors, will have observed how much quieter it is now. Is there a recession? No, but there may be one on the way. Traders need to encourage customers to patronise them however they can. GSM needs to promote the market and encourage their customers - traders - to take stalls and pay rents.

It I were GSM I'd be worried indeed. Last Sunday there were twelve spreads (a trader taking an extra table that would otherwise be empty), the Sunday before thirteen, the Sunday before that ten (including one over three tables). This is at the peak of the tourist season.

I make that a loss to GSM of £1,800 over three days. Some spreads may have been permanent traders taking a day off, mitigating the loss somewhat with their half rent, but still...

A candidate for promotion

I've had a little email from a trader. There are some good points and I'm happy to reproduce it verbatim:-

Further to your email from a FoW
Shouldn't the management/GSM be keeping an eye on where the market is mentioned & where it is not.What is said & what is not.
This especially applies to their own web sites & signage.
To make sure the truth is out there; no misleading falsehoods, deceptions & sloppy thinking.
Surely it's in their brief :- to advertise & promote the market for the benefit of all: Visitors ,Traders & Management alike?
Does GSM / USM have a publicist to handle this ? One who'll also monitor Government & Council sites,plus other publications, so that we get a fair crack of the whip ?
And before someone comes up with, " But no market management does that & I've worked on 25 markets around the country blah -blah -blah," none of that stops it from being a good idea.
Come on GSM/USM, you must be keeping an eye on this, talk to us & let us know what you will do, to right the things that are wrong on your websites & signs etc..
A Trader.

I'll be posting some thoughts of my own on this topic soon. As a taster, would it surprise you to know that GSM had a budget of £30,000 for promotion last year?

Market? What market?

I had to give directions to a couple of tourists the other day (an increasingly common task for locals). They were looking for Greenwich market. They were standing outside the Spanish Galleon. I wonder if their bafflement may have had something to do with the tarting up that's currently under way. And under wraps.

Here are some examples of what a visitor to Joseph Kay's splendid erection finds these days:




I'd like to pose a couple of questions to Greenwich Hospital. Given that you plan to start redevelopment in a year or so, couldn't this wait? If it had to be done, who thought the peak of the tourist season was good timing?

Ben

I have decided not to comment here on individuals any more, but there is one person who has attracted more positive comments than any other. As his plight has attracted so much attention, I believe it would be wrong of me to ignore the comments mentioning Ben in various places on this blog.

I am making no fresh comment of my own, just bringing together your many comments in one place.

Anonymous said...
...It was so bad this Sunday that even Ben was portering.
09 JUNE 2008 19:29

Greenwich Whistler said...
...Thursday and Friday markets, run perfectly well up to now by Ben alone. Not surprisingly Ben was less than pleased at having his market days screwed up and made as miserable as the weekends.
...I've been told how much better things were done by Ben.
10 JUNE 2008 18:52

Anonymous said...
Talking of things disappearing, where's our Assistant Manager Ben gone. The market misses him.
15 JUNE 2008 07:14

Anonymous said...
The Cry was heard through out the market.
Bring back Ben,we want Ben. Bring back Ben,we want Ben. Bring back Ben,we want Ben. Bring back Ben,we want Ben. Bring back Ben,we want Ben.
16 JUNE 2008 05:55

Anonymous said...
BRING BACK BEN AND ALEX!!!!!!!!
Ben is such a lovely, great guy who will allways help someone in need. The market without Ben is like Cake with no egg. You can try using a "substitute" but its just not as good! He will be missed dearly if he nay returns and market life wont be the same without him.
I sense a real struggle through the next month or so for the market 'Staff' as alot of the workload that would normally be covered by either Alex or Ben ( Like Beining in the market ALL the day. (now some are too quick too leave or hide away in the office with the door locked.) Things WILL be forgotten, problems WILL occur! The somewhat 'jolly' atmosphere of the market is flipside and general moral is down! Its having effect!!!
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THIS LOVELY PLACE!!!
21 JUNE 2008 11:28

Anonymous said...
We wholeheartedly agree with the above comment regarding Ben, he is a very lovely, helpful,compassionate guy who would help anyone if he could. We don't know the reason why we have not seen him for a few weeks but whatever it is I hope he realises that he has a lot of support in the Market due to his integrity over the years.
22 JUNE 2008 20:34

desperate stallholder said...
I didn't know where to leave this comment but just wanted to say.... this weekend has been horrible. Alex has been suspended. Ben is nowhere to be seen. A trader has been asked to leave the market by the management. I feel totally worn out and tired. The atmosphere is awful. I feel like we are working under a dictatorship in a different country. Yet nobody seems to be listening to us. WHAT MORE DO WE HAVE TO DO GREENWICH HOSPITAL BEFORE YOU HEAR US!!!!!!!!!!!!!It's quite unbelievable.
22 JUNE 2008 21:32

Anonymous said...
So does anyone know what's happened to Ben?
23 JUNE 2008 13:50

peacemaker said...
Options to explain Ben's disappearance.
Abducted by aliens
Joined a travelling circus
Gone on to bigger and better things
Let's hope it's option three, he deserves it.
Miss you Ben.
23 JUNE 2008 14:04

Anonymous said...
I'm sure if Ben and Alex had been running the market on Sunday, the car park would've been open before traders formed a queue out onto Church Street, the porters would've been able to get to the storage, the traders wouldn't have sat around waiting to stall out quite so long and John wouldn't have been sh*t on.
23 JUNE 2008 14:54

heyoka hannah said...
I quite agree with some of my fellow traders. Let us not give each other a hard time. One trader at the weekend noticed how a porter and stallholder lost their livelihoods and that the fantastic Ben is nowhere to be seen...
23 JUNE 2008 15:16

Anonymous said...
I still really want to know what has happened to Ben. If GSM have got rid of him then they really have gone mental. He is their most professional and hardworking member of staff. He should be the Manager. Have you noticed the chaos since he has been gone? No offence to the others - Ben is just better at the job than they are.
06 JULY 2008 07:05

Anonymous said...
I think his failing was people really liked him. He mucked in on all level's he was easy to approach and you got a straight answer in a couple of minutes . Not the most creative of people which I'm sure he would admit but a fantastic people person. Great for a market team I would of thought!I think there has been a major error of judgement if he has been sacked but what do I know I.m just a stall holder!!!
06 JULY 2008 07:24

Perhaps I can invite GSM to explain Ben's sudden departure?

Here be dragons

Whistler had an email from an FoW:-

Hi Whistler

Have a look at the following

www.streetsensation.co.uk/markets.htm

You may notice something missing.

The area shown doesn't extend to Greenwich, but you'd think there'd be a mention. This is supposed to be a map of markets that are all within easy reach of Central London. According to TfL, it takes between 37 and 50 minutes to get from Charing Cross to Shepherds Bush Market (which is shown), but only between 23 to 28 minutes to get to Greenwich Market. Ho hum.