Organisers of Ruddington’s popular monthly market have announced their decision to cancel this month’s event over health and safety fears due to the extreme autumn weather.
It was due to be held this Saturday, 4th November on The Green and, as normal, would have featured around 80 stalls, food and drink, ‘live’ music and other attractions. However, the effects of Storm Ciarán on top of other recent persistent rainfall have made ground conditions on The Green unsuitable.
Mark Pinks, of Ruddington Village Community Partnership (RVCP), says: “As a community group of village residents and business owners, we’re all absolutely gutted to have to reach this decision. The team voluntarily put in so much work all month round behind the scenes, planning it all out, running the social media, doing all the admin, and it’s become such an important event for our visitor economy and local small businesses. But, after all the rain we’ve had, and the soggy ground conditions, we couldn’t run the risk of people slipping about in what’d likely end up being a mud bath! The group felt it was the right decision, albeit a rubbish one, to have to make.”
It’s the first time the market’s had to be called off since the COVID-19 pandemic. RVCP had already abandoned plans to use Sellors’ Field for shuttle-bus visitor parking this weekend, since parts of it are underwater!
The White Horse on Church Street has now opted to cancel its usual smaller market, too. Pub owner Andy Hunt says: “We’ve decided to not run the market this month due to the fact that, if the Village Green were cancelling, it would send a mixed message to customers – and we didn’t want our stall holders to suffer from a smaller footfall.”
As previously reported, RVCP‘s next major event is now Ruddington Christmas Market which, this year, is scheduled to take place over THREE days from Thursday 30th November 4pm – 9pm, Friday 1st December 4pm – 9pm and Saturday 2nd December 11am – 5pm. On the final day it will include additional stalls on High Street and Church Street – which is when the usual road closures will be put in place.
Mark Pinks adds: “Hopefully the people in charge of the weather will give us a break for the next few weeks!”
RUDDINGTON.info will publish details of all the confirmed stalls and attractions for this year’s biggest village festive event a little nearer the time.
