Punters enjoy harvest market
Punters were out in force to sample local produce at a farmers’ market.
Wem Combine Harvesters held the harvest market on Saturday, complete with Covid-19 measures to keep visitors safe. Combine Harvesters is the name of an umbrella group of Wem Civic Society, Wem & District Garden Club, and Incredible Edible in the town.
The market, open from 9am to 1pm, was spread across Wem Town Hall, Wem Youth Club and on Wem Jubilee Square.
Markets are run to fund events and projects in and around Wem – and the main beneficiary of Saturday’s event was Wem Youth Club.
Shelagh Richardson, one of the organisers, said: “It was fantastic. We didn’t know what to expect. We had to limit numbers going into the three venues, but it went really well.
"The traders were happy to be back. Pork pies sold out, alcohol did very well and so did jams and particularly marmalade.
“Considering all the Covid hoops we had to jump through, it went very well.
“The group wondered whether it would be able to hold this market but given that other Wem markets are operating, the infection rate is low in Shropshire, and people in this area are behaving very responsibly, there was no reason not to go ahead.
"The number of traders had to be reduced to allow adequate spacing and other anti-Covid-19 measures were put in place.”
As well as produce and plant stalls, there were craft stalls in the town hall and youth club and information stalls from Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Wem Climate Forum, and the Woodland Trust on Jubilee Square.
