Chester Markets Web Site is sponsored by Button's Electrical/Button's Emporium, specialists in PAT Testing, Dyson Repairs and Sales. Also the largest stockist of Dust Bags in the North West. Chester's Indoor Public Market Chester since the 12th Century, its roots steeped in history from Early Roman Times Located behind the Town Hall Open Monday-Saturday 6 Princess Street Chester Cheshire U.K. CH1 2HH Click on the above picture of Ye Olde Chester Market for information on the history and origin of markets

Chester Market Blog Chester Market Blog 12th January 2012 Lock Down Hi and a very Happy New Year to you all – I put this together over the break – it’s the bleedin obvious really, well to me anyway – just thought I’d post it on the blog … so here goes … Good planning and management ensures a good ‘people flow’ through the market … if only … If only the public toilets had been put at the back of the market. If only the Council cash office had been put at the back of the market. If only there was a proper customer exit too at the back of the market. If only we had decent Market signs. If only we had market management that had an inkling. If only we had Council bosses that liked and respected and supported the market. If only … if only … we just maybe would have avoided demising the market. … and here also goes with the latest Chester Market News … Fukushima still spews out its lethal radioactivity which will be around for thousands of years, a war looks likely with Iran, capitalist society is falling apart at its seams, millions are dying of diseases and starvation, the world is predicted to come to an end this year … … so it might sound a wee bit trivial to slag off the Chester Market Management – but I think we just have to; because I believe what happens close to us, is a microcosm of outer world events – if we cannot sort out our own differences and problems, we are unlikely to solve anything! … anyway, enough of all this philosophy, and back to the market: The hierarchy have decided that we have all been naughty boys and girls, so confirming their irritating institutionalised ‘them and us’ culture … they have actually locked and chained all the trolleys together, now chaos reigns, and because of all the hassle, some traders and pinching and hiding them there trolleys – goods deliveries to market shops and stalls are becoming a time consuming nightmare making life just that much more difficult for us all. So if the market management are perusing this article … please, please … FREE THE TROLLEYS. (printed T-shirts available – please ask at the stall) Compiled by Vic Button Wednesday 2nd November 2011 INTERESTING NEWS Hi all you out there. Havn't updated for ages - so here's a little bit of interesting news for you's all ... According to Company House, Maxiflow, who are at present involved in altering Chester Market, refurbishing shops and stalls, have no money in the bank and no assets on their latest accounts! This is somewhat mistifying !!! Council leader Mike Jones’s Company - ‘One Team one Planet’ has the same address as ‘Maxiflo’ and was recently formed jointly with Kevin McLeod (Maxiflo owner) Maxiflow is used by CWaCC and other councils for contract work. Cheshire West and Chester council leader Mike Jones owns 2 and has links with 8 other building/ construction businesses (some information could be out of date) :- ONE TEAM ONE PLANET Ltd A.S.C. DEVELOPMENTS (CHESTER) Ltd CHESHIRE & WARINGTON ENTERPISE COMMISSION HARDGAVE PROPERTIES Ltd HARDGRAVE HOLDINGS Ltd SWANSKA CONSTRUCTION UK Ltd CHESTER & DISTRICT HOUSING TRUST Ltd CHESTER COUNTY UNIONIST BUILDINGS Ltd SWANSKA MGT Ltd CHESTER RACE COMPANY Ltd Mike Jones’s Wife, Suzanne, is now owner of the company ’Hardgrave Holdings‘, which is in dept to a tune of £220, 000. …..Mike Jones is a ‘Consultant’…….. A Freedom of Information response shows ASC Developments (Chester) Ltd, in which Cllr Mike Jones and his wife Suzanne are Directors, received £46,725 in 2010 for that part of the adaptation work covered by a Disabled Facilities Grant administered by the council. Despite Government led austerity measures, tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers money is needlessly being wasted by the council on state of the art electric roller shutter blinds etc, etc, and detailed hand crafted woodwork display units and stalls, are being installed to every whim of traders being cajoled to relocate their businesses to the front the market . . . . The work being done of course by …..‘Maxiflo’, which operates from the same place as Mike Jones’s ’One Team One Planet’s’ business. It should be remembered that Chester Market is due to be pulled down in 5 years - so the question should be asked as to why after decades of seriously neglecting the market, is the council carrying out this well ‘over the top‘ refurbishment now? Add to this the fact that now the council have reduced the market by one third it is impossible for it to take enough rent and has no chance of being financially viable with present costs. The result could be the market closing down (no need to relocate) and the land going to the baying ING who have been waiting in the wings. Questions should also be asked who would financially gain from the outrageous plans to develop on the Little Roodee, concrete around the Cathedral, skyscrapers by the Chester railway station etc, etc, etc., ….far too many needless wasteful out of character building projects to mention here! Be seeing you ... Vic 5th October 2010 Hi there, it’s been ages since I last updated this blog.....so let’s get on with it!..... The recent Chester Market traders meeting held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel called by council leader Mike Jones under the guise of a workshop, was used by the council to finally announce the death of the Northgate Development as it was, and also put forward their agenda to half the size of Chester Market; remember the guts being wrenched out of our beloved market, with most of the stalls being skipped 12 months ago to make way for the cafe that never was and probably never will be, and with no effort by the management to recruit new traders or reinstate the local buses to again stop outside the market to drop off local passengers who are the ‘lifeblood’ of the market : A reduction in footfall suits the market hierarchy fine, as this would further justify putting forward their idea for a smaller market. Most of the back of the market is now empty and ready for the council to carry out their plan to board it up, so making the market small enough to be bullied into the corner of future development plans which are afoot, or moved out of town altogether! How devious and manipulating is this then? No wonder we traders get so angry Mr. Jones! An empty back of the Market, ready for the chop? It’s well about time the Council and Chester Market management gave us traders, (some with over 40 years market experience) more respect and valued our opinions, and they should bear in mind that the Market belongs to the people of Chester and not them the Council. Some Chester Market traders have already succumbed to the idea of a smaller market which they think might bring some short term benefits - but surely this could be disastrous for the market –if we do not look after it, our great Chester Market could in future become little more than a small non-descript shopping mall, before disappearing altogether into obscurity. VIc Button Thursday 7th January 2010 Hello, welcome and a very happy new year to all you's out there - And thanks for clicking onto www.chestermarket.com Blog .... anyway so here goes .... The water leaking through the botched up market roof onto stalls and soaking the merchandise just about sums up 2009 - many traders have reported even lower sales than last yuletide, which does not bode well for those struggling for life in the icy January doldrums .... some can only hope for a miracle ! Again it is deemed necessary to lambaste the Chester Market management for wasting thousands on Christmas TV Ads etc, But did not do the obvious simple thing like reminding locals that the market was open on Sundays leading upto Christmas, and it was left to traders themselves to make flyers and a sign for outside the market - so well done and a very big pat on the back for them. Just what is the point in spending all that rare dosh on TV Ads when even if people were enthused to Journey to Chester, they would have great difficulty in finding the market because of the serious lack of signage. Wednesday 18th November 2009 With less than five weeks to Christmas and storms lashing the market .... on with the Web Log .... Again to reiterate: Chestermarket.com blog reflects the feelings of Chester Market Traders at grass roots level - We dare to raise our heads above the parapet and fight the good fight etc etc against what is felt as bad market management policies ... such as the management plonking another market in front of our own indoor market - many indoor traders complain that their takings are down, some as much as 100% at a time when they are already struggling. This 'imported market' with its generators spewing out poisonous gasses is set out like a fair ground, defiling the place which is directly in front of the town hall (our new cultural and civic centre) and also overlooked by the Cathedral. Other bad ideas .... This week the Market Management has just reputedly spent over sixteen hundred pounds on a dud Christmas tree - this should really bring 'em up the isles! Also they have just spent a fortune on a TV advert, maybe the council should reflect the fact that Chester Market webcam (before it was banned) advertised throughout the world for ABSOLUTELY FREE OF CHARGE! One of the offending outside markets ----------------------- Thursday 5th November 2009 Now folks here are some hot tips on how NOT to run a market:- * Put an inexperienced person at the helm * Reduce the amount of businesses, board up and ditch stalls * Make the market as unattractive as possible i.e. dirty floors, derelict and untidy and empty stalls - tell traders to hide their wares behinds the stalls or at the back of their shop --- or else. * Do not under any circumstances erect any signs pointing people to the market - better still, have a market sign on the busiest street pointing to the opposite direction to the market. A good example of this can be seen on Eastgate Street Chester City Centre. * Ensure that local buses do not drop off passengers outside the market - better still, cancel most of the buses and make sure touring coaches drop off passengers outside of town. * Bring in multinational corporations to take over the council then bulldoze the market down and replace it with a shopping mall .... You've guessed it! above is reality of Chester Indoor Market - if it was not so tragic it would be funny. .... Just maybe we can embarrass the Chester Market management into positive action which is truly our intention at Chestermarket.com   This picture was presented as evidence at the Northgate Development public enquiry over four years ago. The sign still sends people in the wrong direction.     Wednesday 27th October 2009 You know we don't like to complain or be negative all the time at Chestermarket.com ... but some things are so bewildering that you have to make a comment - take for instance the ING Information Shop (See Below) in the forum which is located just before the Chester Market entrance - this shop has been there for about four years with hardly anyone ever going in there. If they do, they are shown literature and a detailed plan of the Northgate Development that has been scrapped some years ago, [remember this is not a python sketch] In fact the scheme never really got off the ground despite the millions of pounds in planning and all the wasted time and energy, not to mention all the worry of the Chester Market traders who were told they were to be chucked out onto the street. It is no wonder that ING has gone down the pan loosing over 45% profits to date with parts of the main body to be split up and sold off - god knows what will happen next! ING Information Shop given the old "heave-ho" by the locals. Thursday 22nd October 2009 On this bleak late October morn, Chestermarket.com relays another daft idea by the management: If any more proof that the new market regime is off the rails look no further than the back of the market where many traders have been moved and stalls have been ripped out reducing the size and therefore the 'pull' of the market - the idea is to place another cafe there ... But this will not happen until after the new year - If ever ! The Council does not have planning permission or funding according to our sources - this leaves struggling Chester Market businesses stranded and isolated by the void on the important run up to Christmas, boarding up and ditching stalls is illegal by going against the councils obligation to achieve economic 'Best Value', in addition to the resulting degradation to the market. Objections please to: Cheshire West and Chester Council > Wednesday 14th October 2009 Hip Hip Hurray ... Lets give credit where it is due - Cheshire West and Chester Council must be the only council in the country to provide a large habitat for wildlife right in the town centre, even providing 'Lookout holes' through the perimeter fence. This area off Princess Street was created several years ago as a result of St Martins House being bulldozed down to make way for the infamous Northgate Development. Most Councils would have immediately developed the site as a car park to service the Chester Market and City Centre. Wednesday 23rd September 2009 You do not have to trek far across the shop floor to hear Chester Market traders murmurings of no confidence in the Market bosses who seem intent on carrying on with their philosophy of fostering a 'them and us' culture, employing bullying tactics and showing little regard and respect to market traders some with over 40 years standing - many have been denied displaying their wares to full advantage, which some say is the 'straw that broke the camels back' - with a few traders seriously considering quitting the market. Also high up in the top ten most talked about issues, along with the very serious overstaffing is the failure of the management to rent out shop units and stalls - they stand idle dirty and derelict some shamelessly permanently boarded up. This has led to an estimated loss by the Council of over £250,000 per year! - Public Please Note! Very little has been done to rectify this by our poor thinking Council. Compiled by Vic Button Monday 14th September 2009 Hi you all out there - thanks for clicking on to us - you can bet your life there's always something going on in Chester Market! But where do I start, maybe I make my first moan about the buses - this week we have seen yet more buses being axed. They are the life blood of the market and indeed the City Centre. Local buses were diverting from outside Chester Market in lieu of the now defunct Northgate Development the feeling is that now they should all be reinstated along with touring buses - lets get the market and City Centre alive and kicking again! The only thing we can all do is to keep on complaining to the bus operators and Cheshire West and Chester Council