It sometimes seemed like it might never happen, but a Town Centre Manager for the Roman Road has been appointed. Bow resident, Rozina Akram, was appointed after a competitive round of interviews and started work on October 7th. Rozina has been working in town centre management in Bexley, and has lots of regeneration and planning experience. She will be based on the Roman Road – you will be able to contact her via the Idea Store – and she is looking forward to meeting local traders and residents. Once she’s settled in her new job, we want to invite her to an open meeting so that everyone can meet her.
Find out more at the Roman Road Team’s Blogspot
It is great we now have a website for Bow. I am really chuffed the Geezers started this. About the Roman, I agree with Nigel and Ray because when I was growing up market days were a real day out – we got dressed up and really spent a whole day having fun shopping, eating and meeting friends. A vibrant market that reflects the east end will bring money into our area, and will encourage more of us to shop locally. The more money we spend in the market the more good stalls will start up. Right now the stalls are really not catering to all the community and you just cannot do all your shopping in the market. We really need to go back to look at how it used to be and I hope the new Manager will get out and speak to locals. There are so many other great markets all around London, Bow deserves the Roman becomes one of them again. If there is going to be a meeting with the new Manager I know lots of people would love to come and meet her and tell her their stories of the days gone by. Christmas is coming soon and I wish we could have a market that we can do our christmas shopping in.
Donna Hayman
Could the Geezers Club/OurBow.com have a public meeting with the new Town Centre Manager to enable her to hear the views of local people? I especially want her to hear about the glory days of the Market in years gone by and how she may be able to recapture this as we move into the 21st century. I strongly believe the living memories of Bow people could really help shape a future vision
Re Nigels comments on the appointment of a Town Centre Manager for Roma Rd. The idea that we invite her to come in & talk to our Geezers Club on one of the Tues when we meet. Is a great idea.
Something I will start to get to work on immediately. Ray Geezers Club.
As an invited member of the Group that was set up by the Council at the early part of the year to regenerate the Roman Rd Market. We have now appointed a New Town Centre Manager. We all need to work together to make this the place I once remembered. Let hear from you on your thought for the Market.
This was tried before and was a total flop. However, for the sake of Bow, I will remain optimistic and hopeful – by god, the market needs some optimism!
The first thing is the Council has to appoint the right person – someone who can first of all go out and speak to the residents of Bow – not just the young people, not just the BME communities, but the people who were born and bred here in the early decades of the last century. These elders are a living folk memory – ignore them at your peril. Go to the Age UK centre, consult with people waiting in the GP surgeries, go around with the meals on wheels delivery drivers – get out there and listen to the elders who remember the glory days of a market that was the talk of the east end! And, indeed beyond…..
Our elders can remember when a market day meant a fun day out for all the family. They tell me they used to dress up and really make a day of it – shopping and stocking up on household items, food, clothes (I think we have enough stalls selling skimpy bling-bling tops and fake Calvin Kleins – can we have something for everyone instead?)
This is a way of not only reviving the market but by getting set-up grants for local people to open stalls we will really be able to revive the local economy and create a new generation of east end entrepeneurs and del boys!
Regeneration money needs to tidy up the infrastructure – sort out the wonky pavements, bring back hanging baskets in the summer – give local people a sense of pride in their market and that includes the physical appearance.
The market supervisors need to be stricter in ensuring there is access from shops to stalls. The boundaries of pitches need to be respected because right now with no gaps between stalls, people in mobility scooters and wheelchairs simply avoid the market 3 days a week – that’s a tragedy and wholly unnecessary.
I hope the new person thinks outside the box, but also looks inside and listens to Bow. While many see a slow gentrification of the area, never forget the heart and lifeblood of Bow is still the working class east end – these people will be the future success of any market regeneration.
I do wish the new manager luck and hope they remember that what works in the brain of Mary Portas doesn’t necessarily resonate with the local people of Bow 😉
Hasn’t this happened before? If memory serves it didn’t really work out that well…