A Dilemma

Yesterday was the day for the special BBC Market in Shepton Mallet. I was asked to have a stall outside my shop on the Market Place - which I was more than happy to do - I also opened the shop, which was run brilliantly by my eldest daughter all day. Thank you my sweet! ;-))

The market was very well attended and people enjoyed being a part of the Victorian era, buying produce from the Victorian style stalls and possibly being filmed in the process. Every-other person had a camera in their hands and were clicking away capturing moments of the film footage, such as the cutting of the worlds largest cheddar cheese!

Which brings me to my dilemma - I had a quick chat with the BBC's PR girl on Sunday, and I asked what her feelings were about all the photos being taken. She said that she'd 'prefer it' if photos of the programme didn't get onto the Internet yet, before it is aired in November. Having my shop in a prime position to watch the goings-on all this week, I have seen many people taking photos, and not one was asked not to by the many members of the BBC working in the area. It will be inevitable that some of these photos will end up on the Internet.

Of course the last thing I want to do is upset the BBC, particularly as I have to run my small business alongside their film sets for the next couple of months. I asked if I could display a poster in my shop during the lead-up to the special market and I also asked if the beeb would like me to mention the date on my blog/website as a possible bit of advertising, which they said 'yes please.' (The market was also advertised in the local Journal newspaper) - So the presence of the BBC in Shepton is not being kept a secret.
As shop keepers in the area we have been given lots of information about the programme, have also been taken on tours of the shops, and been encouraged to be filmed as part of the show if we want to. I regularly have people come inside my shop and ask what is going on and I have to explain the whole scenario for the series and what it could mean for Shepton Mallet. We've not been asked to keep it hush-hush in any other way.

I do believe that the filming is bringing people from outside the area to the town, which is a great thing for Shepton. It also makes the town look far more presentable and gives a glimpse as to what it could be again in the future when the crews all leave. It has many of the influential local people talking, as to what they could do for the town to continue on the good work. Shepton deserves the attention - it was picked by the BBC as the perfect location, and has great potential for the future to be a magnet for tourists, small individual businesses, particularly in the lower high street end, and to once again be the more affluent town it once was.

The lovely 'One Gallery' stall outside the co-operative run art and craft shop on the Market Place.

As you may have read and seen recently, I had posted several photos of what was going on in Shepton by the BBC. I am reluctant to delete my posts, as I and all the other shopkeepers need people to visit. We are all in slight competition with the Victorain shops at the moment, as their products are genuinely for sale. (The ironmonger, for example, has had galvanised gardenalia for sale, which is something I have had for sale outside my shop) - Which is yet another issue we have to contend with, within a town generally low on footfall. I'm not in any way being negative towards the programme, as I do feel it will be a huge bonus to the town, particularly when the programme is shown in the late autumn, with the possibility of a book to accompany the series, as usually happens with this type of show.

So today I post photos of just the 'modern stalls' that were on the Market Place yesterday, so as not to upset the powers that be! For now I have saved some of my previous posts that included programme content, and will probably re-post them once the show goes out.

I'll continue to take lots of photos of each era when I can, with a view to showing my highlights after the airing of each of them on the TV later in the year. This is probably wise, in more ways than one, as I shouldn't be sitting typing blog posts so often, but sewing items for my shop during this busy tourist season!

So don't forget all about little old Shepton and the exciting happenings in the town. The shops are now going through a fast-forward metamorphosis, to be made-over in the Edwardian style, ready for the next batch of filming in one weeks time. (I may add the odd photo that doesn't give too much away for the programme producers, so watch this space for the odd small update...My posts for now will continue to be the usual snippets of Nostalgia and other goings on in our household...hope you won't be too bored! ;-))

I'd just like to thank everyone who visited the market yesterday and popped by to say hello and perhaps make a purchase or two. It was a lot of fun.

Thanks to to all who have commented on my past posts about the programme...but you didn't see it here, right?!!! ;-))

My purchases from the day included Victorian style souvenirs: Soap flakes, laundry blue, tooth powder, a tin of tomatoes (Thank you so much for queuing up for me Sarah! ;-)) , a postcard of the baker and his family, and some hand dipped candles.

Have a great week,

Niki x