"BONJOUR mes amis" could soon be the phrase that Bordon shoppers are greeted with regularly. After discussions between members of the Forest Centre Association and the landlord of the shopping centre, it was agreed in principle to allow a French market to sell its wares in the town. The move follows a letter to Whitehill Town Council last week from the manager of a continental market company asking for permission to come and trade at the centre. Carl Tantum, Forest Centre Association trustee, said that, in principle, the group will support the French market and the possibility of having one in conjunction with other events. He said: "We have responded warmly to the suggestion that there should be a French market. "The management agencies that run the Forest Centre have approved the intention and will support it fiscally, and the Forest Centre Association will come up with a date in due course, hopefully, for this summer. "We have got to do more work on it, but the people want to come here." If the event is confirmed, it is thought that the market will mirror others in area, such as the French market at the Farnham Maltings and the one set up on Alton High Street last year. Among the wares typically on offer are olives, crêpes, freshly baked bread, paté and cheeses. The prospect of having such a scheme pleased the town council, which threw its weight behind the idea at last Monday's meeting. Faith Thomas, mayor of Bordon and Whitehill, said: "We have had a letter from a French market company and we are going to hand it over to the Town Centre Partnership group. "Whether it will be for this year or finding a vacancy in their calendar for next year is undecided yet, but we are all very pleased about it, especially a Francophile like myself. But some local residents were not as optimistic as the council, claiming that the market's expense could be a turn-off for shoppers. "I'm not sure if having a French market will make any difference," Lindford resident Kevin Fowler told The Herald. He added: "You'll probably find that a few people turn up for the first one because of the novelty factor, but then it will decrease each time when they find out that they can get most of the food in Tesco at a fraction of the price." Paula Teale of Headley Down was also concerned with the price of the produce but thought it could be a good idea. She said: "It's nice to have something a bit different in Bordon, but I have been to the one over in Alton and it's always very over-priced. "If Bordon can't support its own market every Wednesday, then how on earth will this one cope? Saying that, it would be worth a try." Mike Hunter of Whitehill criticised the idea of a French market: "I travelled to Petersfield specially to buy fresh croissants for my two grandchildren only to find that the market charged £1 per croissant. "I certainly would not make the mistake of visiting one again. It was an utter disgrace." But these sentiments were not shared by all other locals, some of which felt that it would bring much-needed trade to the town centre. "I think that it is a tremendous idea, especially if they advertise the thing properly. "It would attract more people to the centre and money to the town, and that can only be good for the local community," said Malcolm Greene of Bordon. Local district and county councillor Adam Carew added: "It will give local people the choice of goods that they would not normally find in their supermarkets. "Anything that will draw visitors to the centre from groups who don't usually shop there will be a good thing."
