Posted on Tuesday 3rd January 2012
A butcher who has been trading at markets in Gloucester for 10 years has been chosen to help run a campaign promoting the council service.
Paul Bickle now runs a national company with a fleet of nine mobile shops visiting around 40 markets from Brighton to Newcastle.
But he started his business at the former cattle market site and has personally served customers in the city for the past decade.
He makes a 160 mile round trip from Coventry twice a week to sell his wares at the purpose-built Hempsted Meadows site.
And now he is becoming the ‘face’ of markets in Gloucester as part of the council’s ‘Transforming your city’ campaign.
The campaign is aimed at promoting services, demonstrating value for money, shows how the council listens and responds to local people and transforms lives.
Said Paul:“This new site is really getting established. I have customers I haven’t seen for years now coming back to me. I travel a long way to be here because Gloucester is my baby. It is where I started and it is a great site.”
Last winter a week before Christmas with snow a foot thick on the ground the market site was closed. But Paul still made the trip. He said: “I had 240 Christmas orders and it was the last chance for people to collect them. I parked on the access road into the site and every single one of my customers turned up. I was so glad I made the effort for them.”
It is that sort of dedication to customer service which is the reason why Paul was selected to help promote the campaign.
Said Council Leader, Paul James:“We run four markets in Gloucester and they provide a great service to residents and visitors. Our campaign is designed to showcase the way the city council is helping to transform the city in a variety of different ways.
“Traders like Paul Bickle operating at our markets provide a valuable and valued service. Maintaining our reputation as a market city and helping bring people to Gloucester is all part of the transformation that is taking place.”
Paul Bickle features on the city council website at:
http://www.gloucester.gov.uk|
Posted on Tuesday 3rd January 2012