Racing Ahead

Fledgling entrepreneurs and people who have spent hard cash on improving their businesses are determined to help drive-up economic fortunes in a county market town.

Words: Glynis Fox Photographs: Mick Fox

But while Market Rasen is starting to benefit from its more recent retail and leisure sector arrivals, business owners admit that times are still challenging and they want to see action to tempt more people to spend time browsing in the town, instead of just ‘passing through’.

At the same time, the continued presence of longer-established stores and service firms – such as solicitors, auctioneers and accountancy practices – shows there is confidence for the future.

Accountant Nicholsons, has many clients in the area, and partner Richard Hallsworth said it is great to see ‘newcomers’ who have launched innovative new enterprises and more established ventures which have been revitalised.

“Market Rasen is a traditional market town, with an agricultural base, but it is also starting to develop its retail offering. New people have started to move in and investments have also taken place.

“We now have a good mix of established and new businesses. I think that this may be partly down to the fact that some people no longer want to work for the corporates, but want to be more in charge of their own destiny and Market Rasen is a good starting place,” said Mr Hallsworth.

“However, I also think that it is still tough for people to get finance and credit from suppliers. It is a brave new world for many but it is not deterring people.”

Among the town’s newer businesses are those owned by Leanne Merrigan, Julie Ann Clark and Tracy Saunders.

Mrs Merrigan took over the former Rasen Print Centre in Queen Street on 1 April. Now renamed Something Special, it was previously run by Maurice Sentence, who retired after many years at the helm.

Mrs Merrigan had previously done shopwork, but more recently had been helping her husband Martin, a self-employed builder.

“I had always wanted to have my own business and when this business came up for sale, I thought ‘this is right for me’. I have always liked greetings cards and stationery and, since taking over, I have introduced some funky new lines, as well as celebration balloons,” she said.

Many businesses have been working hard to ride out the recession and its knock-on effects, but Mrs Merrigan is in upbeat mood.

“I knew this shop had been here for a number of years, which gave me the extra confidence to go for it,” she added.

Julie Ann Clark launched JACS (Just Alternative Children’s Shop) about a year ago. It was originally based in Union Street, but Mrs Clark switched to her Queen Street premises last August.

“I was keen to start up because I felt there was a need for a shop like mine. I have two girls, Bethan (14) and Rhiannon (10) and when they were smaller it was difficult getting clothes for them locally and finding something that was unique. That inspired me to offer a small clothing range.

“We are originally from South Wales but moved to my husband Robert’s home area twelve years ago.  

My mum, Mary Tilley, helps me in the business. We offer something for newborns to young people aged sixteen. Part of our range is exclusive and we also sell handmade knitwear and soft toys.

“It has been a struggle. A lot of people just want cheap and cheerful things. But I have customers who appreciate what we sell and who keep coming back to us.”

Mrs Clark fears that market towns are dying, a trend not helped by the impact of major supermarket competition.

“I think that something needs to be done to get people to smarten up their shops, but we also need more activities to bring people into the town and to encourage people to stop off here and see what we offer, rather than just driving through on their way elsewhere,” added Mrs Clark.

Behind JACS, you will find another niche business – Blue River Jewellery – run by Wendy Harrison.

Mrs Harrison used to work part-time for the Rainbow Room – a business which has transferred to the Hemswell Craft Centre.

“Because of that I have launched my own venture and I am selling silver and gemstone jewellery, beads and findings and also doing repairs and restringing jewellery. In my previous job I also taught  beginners jewellery classes and I plan to continue offering those,” she added.

Next door to JACS and Blue River Jewellery you will find Tracy Saunders who, together with her husband Wayne, trades as Urban Dollz.

The couple launched their business, which sells contemporary womenswear and accessories, last October,  after previously owning a café at Wickenby.

“I grew up in Market Rasen and there has never been anything for young people. This was something I had always wanted to do. The idea had been playing on my mind for about seven years so we have finally gone for it, having found  the right premises at the right time,” said Mrs Saunders.

Their boutique is now a magnet for a wide range of shoppers, from teenagers to women in their fifties, in search of their fashion fix.

“We are not doing too badly. We didn’t expect a great deal with starting up in the recession, but Market Rasen is fairly quiet anyway. You need to know that before you set up. However I do feel we are plugging a gap in the market,” she said.

“I  believe that the town has been growing over the past five years, helped by new housing on the outskirts and fresh investment, such as at The Advocate Arms and The George. I think that when it comes to shopping people tend to go to bigger towns and do not always realise what they can get locally, but spending locally pays off in other ways.”

Longer-standing traders include Peter Rhodes, which has three outlets – an electrical store in Oxford Street, a kitchen shop in Queen Street and also a repair centre in Oxford Street.

This well-known business, which also has a base in Louth, employs about thirty people. It is run by Joyce Rhodes and her son-in-law Roger Clark.

“Market Rasen has always been a good location for us because it has a good catchment area. We cover the whole of Lincolnshire but there is a particularly strong pull from ten miles around because we are so central.”

If you fancy staying over in Market Rasen or are ready for a bite to eat, a substantial injection of cash has breathed new life into the former Gordon Arms and signalled a new era at the venue, now called The Advocate Arms.

Businessman Darren Lince, managing director of Advocate Developments has turned the once rundown premises into a venue with ten ensuite rooms and a vibrant and contemporary bar and restaurant, which welcomes everyone from private diners to wedding parties and business groups.

Manager Dominic Jeffrey said The Advocate Arms is proud of its AA five star ‘restaurant with rooms’ accolade. Its restaurant can cater for up to seventy diners at a time.

“We are open everyday from 7.30am to 9.30pm, serving everything from breakfast to afternoon tea and evening meal, and between 12pm and 6.30pm on Sundays.”

Mr Lince has also revamped The George, a bar a short distance away from The Advocate Arms.  

On the events front, volunteers from the Market Rasen Hub, have organised a two-day Gardeners’ Fair, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, 5 and 6 June, where people will be able to browse stalls selling crafts, water features, plants, garden furniture and accessories.

The Fair, will also include live music, traditional crafts and refreshments and the two day event will also feature many open gardens.

Town Clerk Faye Rowlands agrees with traders who believe that the town would benefit if there were more activities to attract visitors and said the Town Council is working with the community to look at introducing more events.

“The Town Council organised food festivals in the Festival Hall last September and at Easter, and we have started working on our next, which is due to take place on 2nd October,” said Miss Rowlands.

Market Rasen Racecourse
One attraction that helps Market Rasen to stand out from other rural destinations in Lincolnshire is its magnificent racecourse.

Thousands of horse-racing fans make a bee-line for this popular venue every month to enjoy a variety of fixtures and bet on their favourites.

But the racecourse is not just somewhere to ‘have a little flutter’, it also plays host to many other events. In the past these have included dog shows, car exhibitions and family fun days.

The racecourse is also a popular choice for wedding parties, corporate conferences and other private functions.

Industrial mix
The town’s Gallamore Road Industrial Estate is home to an interesting mix of businesses. They include agricultural merchants, food-related enterprises, packagers, a veterinary practice and companies such as Jackson Building Centres, Central Wool Growers and RPC Containers.

RPC, in Gallamore Lane, is part of the RPC Group – a leading European manufacturer of rigid plastics packaging.

The £780 million business, which has twelve factories in twelve countries, employs about 6,000 people.

The factory (Market Rasen) was first opened in 1950 as the Plastic Box Company. Its first customer was the Royal Mint, a customer it has kept to this day. It became part of the RPC Group in 1992 and today employs 160 people.

With customers such as Asda, Dairy Crest, Morrisons, Parker Pen, Reckitt Benckiser, Schering Plough and Tangerine Confectionery, it is a safe bet most people have handled one of its containers.

A spokesman said: “RPC manufactures a range of plastics packaging for a wide variety of end markets including food, pharmaceutical and healthcare, and garden products. In recent years it has become the UK’s leading supplier of mail order vitamin packaging.

“The company has also built up a reputation for its expertise in the creation of custom-designed packs. Over the years it has been responsible for the packaging of many high profile brands, most recently the new Sherbet Fountain pack, and the JUGIT™ system for milk pouches available in Sainsbury’s stores.”

Did you Know?
Market Rasen sits on the River Rase. Its name comes from the Old English and means ‘place at the planks’ – a reference to a plank bridge  crossing the river.

The town, the smallest of the three Rasens – which included West Rasen and Middle Rasen, was given a market charter after the arrival of the railway in 1848, and grew to become the commercial centre for a largely agricultural area.

The architecture of the town features Georgian and Victorian buildings – an example of the latter is the 1861 Wesleyan Centenary Chapel in Chapel Street. Other fine buildings include St Thomas’ Parish Church, part of which dates back to the fifteenth century.

Famous names linked with Market Rasen include Elton John’s lyricist Bernie Taupin, who was married in the town.

Published June 2010