At Vintage Mary's stall in the The Shambles market

I needed to buy more organic oats, sunflower and pumpkin seeds as well as the shops own blend of muesli, which I intermittently alternate with porridge. Sunshine is a long standing local shop supplying what used to be termed 'whole foods’, as well as ‘alternative therapy’ products including traditional herbs, and vitamin and mineral supplements. 

I’ve been a purchaser of such products since 1968 when I first became a vegetarian, a time when supplies and the suppliers were extremely limited. I went to a meeting of the five wholefood shops in England in 1970 when they were contemplating forming a cooperative to buy in bulk to keep costs down and maintain their supplies. I had previously worked in two of those shops, in Cambridge and Barnet, although briefly. It was possible that I could have been one of the founding members of what became ‘Community Supplies’, long before the market became a relatively mass movement, but I was in a hurry to explore many other things too. A four month trip to Mexico was a high priority.

Visiting ‘Sunshine’ these days often reminds me of my ‘olden days’ but I do think I would have been stifled by becoming a merchant at the age of twenty. But I’m delighted that this family business has survived and prospered and deliver fine quality goods for those if us who want quality, even if it comes at a quite a price.

‘Sunshine’ Is just a few yards away from here, through an archway to the right of my picture, which this couple are about to pass through. The building is the Old Town Hall dating from medieval times at the heart of Stroud town. My second reason for this visit was to get news from Abi, who co-owns and runs this market place business called ‘Vintage Mary’, selling pre-owned goods of all sorts. We are both on the committee of the Shambles Market which includes both this traditional outdoor space as well as the Indoor Market, in the St Lawrence church hall, where I have my occasional stall selling my photo products. 

The blue door in the background is one of five ancient store rooms which market stall holders have been able to use for centuries, as this is the site of the traditional town market, where even livestock would have been available. Unfortunately the District Council which owns the Old Town Hall wants to dispose of the lease to make money. The future of the store rooms is thus in peril and I’ve been involved in trying to facilitate discussions about the future use of these spaces by stallholders. They feel that if rents rise the future of the market is definitely in doubt.

I waited for a suitable moment to have a catch up with Abi, whose business is probably the most vulnerable, prior to next week’s committee meeting. I rather liked the figure of the woman looking at the book section. Abi later told me that several people told her they'd come more than fifty miles today to visit ‘Vintage Mary’, which Abi publicises to great effect on social media, a lesson I’ve learnt well from her. There is an onsite meeting here later next week with the head officer of Stroud District Council, who is tasked with disposal of properties as well as looking after all their other ‘Assets’. Tricky times.