Shoppers in three North West towns were seeing double today as two of the UK’s top royal wedding look-alike’s went market shopping today for the launch of Love Your Local Market with the National Association of British Market Authorities (17th- 31st May).
As royal wedding fever grips the nation, model and Meghan look-alike, Sarah Mhlanga from Warrington took a stroll round her own local market in Warrington before joining her own Prince Charming, Henry Morley from York in Stockport Market surprising shoppers and traders alike.
The royal tour finished in Blackburn, Lancashire, winners of the Great British High Street of the Year competition when ‘Prince Harry & Meghan’ set up a selfie booth at Blackburn Market.
Speaking to BBC and ITV reporters at Stockport Market, NABMA President, Chris Rosling-Joseph endorsed the role of markets at the heart of local communities.
He said: ‘This year’s global theme is Markets: Close to Your Heart. The main purpose of Love Your Local Market is to raise the profile of markets across the UK, encourage start-up businesses and increase young people’s involvement in markets.
As well as winning over the hearts of consumers this year NABMA will be aiming to get to the heart of what makes markets matter to their local communities and why people should show their appreciation for their local market.’
High Streets Minister, MP Jake Berry will continue the campaign activities in Todmorden tomorrow(Friday 18th May 2018), when he’ll be meeting the Markets team at Calderdale Council and officially launching the national festival at 9.30am.
Now in its 7th year, NABMA’s Love Your Local Market was started in 2012 following recommendations made in the Portas Review. The recommendations called for a National Market Day, which soon developed into Love Your Local Market Fortnight, which now takes place annually in May and has become an international movement spanning 24 countries.
