Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Fresh hope for popular boot fair
A popular boot fair facing an uncertain future could be allowed to continue as the council enters into negotiations with stallholders.
The weekly Sunday event at Wincheap park and ride was forced to shut at the start of the pandemic, and is now at risk of permanent closure.
Its long-term future is dependent on the outcome of tendering negotiations with bus companies, which could see services running from the site on Sundays, starting next April. Meanwhile, despite the easing of lockdown, the council said last week that the fair cannot currently go ahead because the site is now in use on Sundays, providing discounted parking. The authority also said it is not viable to open the terminal building, to offer the necessary toilets and handwashing facilities, one day a week.
But disappointed sellers say the council should be doing all it can to keep the boot fair running until the new park and ride contract begins next Spring. Stallholder Barry Stone said: “It is important to so many people. There’s people living on the breadline, who buy food, kids’ clothes, so many things from the boot fair. And now Covid-19 has made it even harder - people are living day-to-day.
“For some it’s their weekly chance to go out and meet people, and with lockdown they’re finding it really hard.
“If the council let us run the boot fair until April, they’d get at least six months worth of pitch fees. We just want to work with them.”
Mr Stone, a professional cleaner, has offered to clean the bathroom block for free if the boot fair is allowed to resume. Carol Cameron, who has run a catering van at the boot fair for 14 years with her husband Neil, has launched a petition to save the event which has already been signed by about 60 people. “The boot fair has been such a big social event for people in Canterbury, for 30-odd years,” she said. “It’s even good for the environment, as it encourages people to recycle things.”
City council spokesman Rob Davies responded: “The traders have made some fair points, so we’re happy to look at it again in light of their offer to provide some support, such as by cleaning the toilets.”
He added that the number of people using the 50p Sunday parking at Wincheap is “low”. “There are some things we need to explore and then we will come back to this group of traders as soon as possible.”