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High Wycombe market operators slip into administration

5:50pm Thursday 12th February 2009 in News By Alex Hayes

Wycombe Market trader Jonathan Hill Wycombe Market trader Jonathan Hill

THE company which runs High Wycombe's market has gone into administration.

Hughmark International, which took over the running of the market in December 2007, has gone into administration.

Wycombe District Council has granted a temporary licence to run the market to its sister company, Hughmark Continental.

Catherine Spalton, a spokesman for the council, said: “We are determined to protect the high street and to ensure that our weekly market remains unaffected by these events.”

Jonathan Hill, a flower trader at the market in the High Street, said he has heard nothing from the company.

He said: “It's definitely very worrying. There have been rumours but there are a lot of them on the market.

“I'm more concerned as when they took over they came and took two weeks rent from all the regular traders, so are we going to get that back.

“We have heard nothing from them. They haven't even told us whether the market is still running.”

Mr Hill continued: “We were concerned something like this could happen when the council rejected the bid from the market traders association in 2007.

“They have a lot of different markets they are involved in, whereas we would have been solely concerned with High Wycombe.

“Times are hard enough at the moment with this recession, so things like this really don't help. Are Hughmark or the council going to guarantee the future of the market?”

There are currently three markets days each week in the town, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.

Comments(10)

smiley cat says...
5:27pm Thu 12 Feb 09

So can we have our old market back - and also why was it sold to them in the first place?

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Tref says...
5:37pm Thu 12 Feb 09

Sister company. Uh huh. Sounds like the same umbrella company (anyone want to look online at Companies House?). So H International decides not to pay its bills, and Hughmark keeps the 'business' through H Continental. Nice. So long as you're not owed money.

Or am I just cynical?

How does one bid for the license to run the market?

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SDJones says...
6:48pm Thu 12 Feb 09

if jonathan hill is a market trader why is he standing in the paper and cards stall?

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SDJones says...
7:11pm Thu 12 Feb 09

sorry i meant flower trader

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macrenton says...
7:57am Fri 13 Feb 09

If an article is to be printed, it should be correct. The High Wycombe market take place on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Bring back the old style market with quality goods.

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vocal local says...
10:00am Fri 13 Feb 09

SDJones wrote:
sorry i meant flower trader
well some of the cards do have flowers on them....hehe

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DaveG says...
11:59am Fri 13 Feb 09

Let's have a farmers' market selling good quality produce (like the one in St Alban's) instead of the tat-filled market we have now. It would also help get people into the East side of town, which is looking like it's dying right now. Can't the council drop its rates to encourage some decent stall-holders to come and try it out?

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Tharus Bond says...
12:04pm Fri 13 Feb 09

Hopefully something will be sorted to continue the Market in High Wycombe as many people use it and it isn't just the company that runs it losing out.

I use the man that sells Army surplus clothing, the Card stalls for obvious reasons, the Picture Frame stall and The Comic stall

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Miltonian says...
5:39pm Fri 13 Feb 09

If WDC had only done the obvious thing and let the traders continue to run the market (as they did until 2007)this crazy situation would never have happened. WDC should let the traders take it back then we will have our old market back without the tat.

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Miltonian says...
5:42pm Fri 13 Feb 09

Jonathan Hill is not a flower trader, he sells greetings cards (some with flowers on!).

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