A proposal
to introduce bonds equivalent to 3 months rent has dominated discussion in the
Upper market this week with many traders surprised at the timing given
extremely difficult trading conditions – see separate article.
A Trader noticed
that a team of photographers taking photos of various food dishes available at
the Night Market were themselves the target of dozens of tourists eager to photograph
what they were doing. Our market fascinates tourists for lots of different
reasons.
New stall
lines have been marked out in L Shed to create a 3.3m depth behind the new SBA
Containers and one previous L Shed Trader says he is already considering the
move back to his old stall.
A customer
was heard to ask a trader if he could help him find a particular trader. The customer
had been to the Visitor Information Centre at the bottom of String Bean Alley
but they were unable to help. The trader was eventually found but it should be
noted that traders can ring the Information Centre (0393205822), and by taking
menu option 2, be put through to the F1 Trader Hub where market staff should be
able to help with stallholder locations.
The back of
the String Bean Alley containers are to be decorated with vinyl panels. The vinyl
may be subject to damage and Traders are being asked to keep fittings and
storage boxes away from the panels so that they serve their purpose of improving
the look of the trading area.
The news got
around that Ronnie Z’s mushroom soup on Friday was a standout and traders
quickly responded. We can confirm that it wasn’t Ronnie who started the rumour
and the soup was genuinely delicious (we wouldn’t expect anything else from
Ronnie). The rumour mill at QVM certainly works very quickly.
Another
trader was eyeing off the storage sheds at the top of SBA for the possibility
of setting up a stall with more display area, particularly ceiling height.
Apparently a
trader has pulled out of SBA due to the potential damage on fragile art paper
products from moisture penetration. Rain can enter containers particularly on
windy days. A replacement trader has been found.
A Trader
tells us that the bookshop going into SBA is the famous Mary Martin Bookshop
from Southbank.
A Trader
tells us of his friend who travels from suburban Melbourne to QVM most weeks
just to purchase doughnuts from the American Doughnut Kitchen. Gotta love those
regular customers.
A Trader
gave us a link to a story about a Newsagent in suburban Sydney who sharpens
knives as a sideline. He is now wondering about the possibilities for unusual sidelines
for his market business. (Sidenote: There is a shop on Victoria St. near the market with a sign "Bicycle Repairs & Coffee")