BAD weather last Friday morning forced an early departure for the French market traders on Bedford Square ? but they left with a promise to return in 2005. Sebastien Bristiel, of the PB Organisation, said the Continental visitors were ?very disappointed? to be leaving Tavistock during the morning instead of at the end of the day as planned. Mr Bristiel said: ?It is a great shame, but some of the canopies have been broken because of the weather. ?The canopies of the cheese and the cashmere stall were lifted three metres into the air ? it?s very sad. ?We had very good trade on Thursday and normally, Friday is good. When we were here last time, it was very, very sunny.? Mr Bristiel said he hoped the European Village market would return to Tavistock in the spring, probably in April. Eddie Carruthers, Tavistock?s market reeve, said: ?I think three of the French market stalls completely blew apart at seven in the morning and it was pouring with rain so everything was getting very wet. ?It?s sad, but you just can?t tell what the weather is going to do when you book these things. I?m sure it did attract people into the town, whether it?s Christmas or not ? Thursday was definitely busier than normal. ?People might not buy anything on the day, but they come back again ? that?s important.? Mr Carruthers said the ?vast majority? of pannier market traders took a wide view of the visitors and were supportive of their appearance in the town centre. He said only a ?very small minority? felt they took trade away from local businesses and objected to their presence on the square. Tavistock Pannier Market will be open tomorrow (Friday), which is Christmas Eve. It will then be closed until next Friday, New Year?s Eve, when the normal charter market will be held. On that day, stallholders will be offering their customers wine and mince pies, in celebration of Hogmanay. Normal business will resume in the market on Tuesday January 4, 2005.
