Christmas event costing traders dearly
twice but his family was left devastated after doctors discovered in April this year that it had returned.
Five months later Jac, of Westerhope, Newcastle, had a bone marrow transplant at Newcastle’s Great North Children’s Hospital.
He then spent around five weeks in a sterile ‘bubble’ at the Children’s Bone Marrow Transplant Unit to protect him from bugs and bacteria while he recovered. His parents, Mark and Nicola, had hoped that the operation could help their son live a normal, healthy life. But their world came crashing down when medics said the transplant had failed and there was nothing else they could do.
Taxi driver Gary, 45, said: “On Tuesday night he was lethargic and tired, which was strange as a week ago he was full of beans.
“Early on Wednesday morning he was struggling to breathe so they took him to hospital, but there was nothing else they could do.” STREET traders are calling for Newcastle’s Christmas Market at the Monument to be moved as they claim it is hurting their business.
The popular event is running for a week until December 17 and was preceded by the ‘International Christmas Market’ based at the same site from November 17 to December 10.
Albert Sayers and Terry Milligan, who have stalls on Northumberland Street, estimate that, in what should be one of the busiest periods, takings are down by around half. And they claim traders in the nearby indoor Grainger Market have also been hit. Mr Sayers, whose family have been fruit and veg traders in the city for six generations, said: “I have never known in my experience as a street trader where a market is put next to a market. . People buying outside are not then going to go in the same numbers inside to the Grainger Market.”
Both traders admit the Christmas market is a good thing for the city bringing people in – but suggest it is sited elsewhere.
Mr Sayers said: “Why not put a market where it should be – for example the Bigg Market? They’re talking about regenerating that part of the city – why has the market not been put there?”
They say both the festive markets and the increasing number of supermarkets in Newcastle city centre are putting paid to street traders.
Mr Milligan said only recently a fruit and veg trader packed in, followed by long-standing flower seller Norma Crowther.
“Norma was one of the flower women by the old Grainger Market. Her mother and her grandmother worked there before her.”
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said: “We try to ensure these markets offer not only the type of goods people want to buy but also a range of goods which complements what is already available locally. We respond to feedback from both shoppers and traders when determining what stalls the Christmas markets will have and traders at the Grainger Market are offered space at these outdoor events. In order for other city retailers and traders to benefit from the increased footfall, we aim to locate these specialist events in the heart of the city centre and the Monument has proved a successful and popular location.
“Unfortunately the Bigg Market area is just not large enough.”