‘Freedom’ does not mean the pandemic is over

I was worried at the time and am still concerned about the nonsense of so-called ‘freedom day’.

It implies that the pandemic is, for all intents and purposes, over and done with. Youngsters who may have had the double jab seem to have the idea that there’s nothing more to worry about. Mask wearing and social-distancing have largely gone out of the window. They have ignored the fact the vaccinated people can transmit the virus and that the wearing of masks is not for their benefit but for the benefit of us all. But then, we were all indestructible at their age.

Plodding through Park Mall last week I noticed a large shop (Mrs B tells me it’s been open for a few weeks she gets out more than me).

Anyway, it’s called

Makers Market (no apostrophe on Makers for some reason).

I had a chat with an enthusiastic young lady called Melissa, who told me the council have given them the space for six months at a peppercorn rent.

Melissa told me they have great plans for exhibiting local art, putting on displays in conjunction with the museum and high hopes that people will drop in for the free craft sessions and various other activities. Makers

Market is closely associated with the

Love Ashford shop opposite and will hopefully prove to be as successful.

It’s about time the council got a proper grip on the artistic potential of local people. It appears to me that they won’t actually commit to promoting any kind of culture in the town and prefer to leave things to the occasional enthusiast to set something up on a freelance basis. Could this be because of the flopped Flume and the barmy Bolt and (if I remember correctly) a somewhat overlooked creation opposite the station?

A town is much more than a soulless business enterprise and has a heart and mind as well.

‘They have ignored the fact the vaccinated people can transmit the virus and that the wearing of masks is for the benefit of us all’