PHASE One of the Bury Market refurbishment is near completion. Affected traders have endured the winter months and much hardship, while shoppers have remained loyal. Congratulations are due to all concerned.

But there is one trader who feels hard done to.

I have traded next to Margaret's flower stall on a temporary basis for the past eight months and I can honestly say that Margaret and her family have been an absolute pleasure to have as neighbours. There is no question, they are professional traders giving quality service and demonstrating genuine concern for the well-being of their customers. It will be a sad day on March 16 when they leave.

In the Bury Times (March 5) Margaret was described as "the jewel in the crown". I completely agree. The same can be said for the other 180 traders on Bury Market and also the council and the traders association who are joint partners with regards to the refurbishment scheme. How much stall area each trader received was calculated simply on what area they previously occupied, while choice of location was down to how long the trader's family had served on the market. Margaret was top of this "seniority" list and so had first pick. Obviously the largest stall may not have been in the most desirable location, but it was at the discretion of the trader to balance the options.

My sympathy goes to the traders near the bottom of the seniority list whose choice was minimal (I was one of those even though I have traded for 20 years).

Given the total measurements of Margaret's new stall, I calculate that she is being offered an increase in stall size, a substantial increase in "build-out" and an increase in pitch size, so any reference to "fitting a pint into a half pint jug" is a total misrepresentation.

I think Margaret is wonderful, but if she is unhappy with her new stall she has only herself to blame. After all, she had the first pick.

By the way, I hope she will still supply me with cups of tea and biscuits every day!

TONY HILL,

market trader.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.