STALLS and shoppers took over the car park of The London Inn at Morchard Bishop on the second Saturday in June for the first Morchard Bishop produce market.

There will be more monthly markets through the summer - July 11, August 8, September 12 and October 10 plus, hopefully, a Christmas market, all at The London Inn.

Organisers are Jon and Sally Houghton, Ellie Kingsland, David Gidney and Krysii Monk. The one thing they ask of stallholders is that they should sell only local food, produce or plants.

There were 14 stalls at the first market, selling a wide variety of goods including vegetables, meat, cheese, preserves, cakes, fruit, plants and organic free range eggs, plus Julian Rice with his furniture.

Jon explained that the market came about because some of the organisers always have spare produce from their gardens, and now the village has allotments, it is hoped there will be more produce available.

A competition at the village primary school to produce a banner for the market was won by Kyle Smart. Any profits from the market will go towards the school and the parish church. Anyone who wants to know more should contact Jon on 01363 877537. If wet, the market will be held in The London Inn skittle alley.

After visiting the market, many people walked up to the Memorial Hall Coffee Shop where members of the Hall Committee were serving bacon and eggs and bacon baps.

Sonia Heath had organised another table top sale with home-made cakes, pies, preserves, books, cards, antiques, and bric-a-brac. The Hall also ran a raffle. Altogether, the morning raised £158 for Memorial Hall funds.

Karin Moffett