THE man behind the Ringwood Loyalty Discount Voucher scheme has turned his attention to boosting the town’s historic market.

Fortunes have been flagging for the Wednes-day market with the number of stalls decreasing over the years from around 80 in the late 1970s to about two dozen now.

Determined to boost business in the shops during the recession, drywalling specialist Jim Stride launched the discount voucher scheme in the Echo a month ago.

Since then he has turned his attention to getting coaches to stop in the town with meeters and greeters to welcome parties and direct them to the shopping centre and historical nooks and crannies.

Now he has launched the Ringwood Loyalty Market Traders Scheme with a dedicated web page – rlds.co.uk/ RingwoodMarketTraders.htm – listing all the stalls with photographs of the produce on offer.

The market was started in March 1226 when Henry III granted a market charter to the Earl of Pembroke.

Now the charter is held by Edward Morant of Royden, Brockenhurst.

The sense of history still prevails at Ringwood market.

“We’ve got guys who are there fourth and fifth generation,” said Mr Stride. “But the problem is that footfall is falling all the time.”

He intends to produce a video showing where locally produced meat and veg come from.

People who buy at the market do not have to struggle with heavy shopping bags. They can leave them with Mr Morant, and collect them by car, said Mr Stride.

He is to investigate providing a shuttle service from car park to market for the elderly and disabled. And he points out that even people working nine to five can shop at the market because stallholders get there early.