What a cheek!

Southend council says “use York Road Market or lose it.” This ultimatum must sit prettily with its always-intended plans for selling off this prime site to the highest bidder.

It all started when they sneakily came in the night and tore down the original old covered market, using the old excuse of unsuitability on health and safety grounds.

The council threw out all the market traders who were quite happy, despite the years of maintenance neglect by the same rent-hungry council.

Punters used that market happily, the traders had their regulars for years, and the place had its own atmosphere and old fashioned charm.

By removing the old market because it didn’t fit in with the town’s new city status image, that area of the High Street had little or no interest for anyone apart from the homeless, druggies, and the unfortunate passengers for the grim central bus depot, and thus it died.

It could have been a lot different had the market been refurbished and perhaps expanded in a way other towns have done.

So what next? Yet another characterless chain store?

I for one miss the old covered scattering of York Road, with diverse businesses and the characters who ran them.

The Talza Arcade at the top of the High Street was simliar too, before they demolished that to be replaced by a modern, multi-layered draughty concrete place no one really wanted to visit anyway Being of a certain age, I can remember Southend before the planners cocked it all up. Oh well, what do I care?

I do most of my shopping at the corner shop and on eBay and local boot sales.

Much more fun and cheap!

Trevor Murdin
Flemming Crescent
Leigh

...I read the Echo’s report about about the fact that York Road Market is under threat of closure (Sep 9).

We didn’t know it was there. The last we heard it had all gone.

We’ve seen no advertisements for it anywhere.

Maybe there are other people who also didn’t know it was still there.

C H Hughes
Canvey Road
Canvey