Local businesses celebrate Independents' Day

A cake maker, magician and secondary school were some of the 28 businesses taking part in a special celebration of local organisations and retailers in Ely today.
Handcrafted Cupcakes, entertainer Sammy Magic Magic, of Razamatazz Magic Emporium, Ely College and East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices were some of the businesses, charities and organisations represented at Ely Independent Market.

The annual celebration of local businesses was set up four years ago by Peter Watts of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, together with Tracey Harding of East Cambridgeshire District Council and Barry Lonsdale from the Ely Traders Association.

Mr Watts said: “It was our way of supporting local independent traders. We called it Independents’ Day because the first one was on 4 July.
“It’s an opportunity for independent traders to showcase their products and services to the general public who may have been unaware that they were trading in Ely.”

For £10, businesses and organisations were able to set up a stall from 10am to 2pm to advertise their businesses and services.
Martina Jenssen, director of My Shop is Local, said: “Today is to celebrate independent businesses in Ely.”
She recently set up My Shop is Local to promote and support small businesses in East Cambridgeshire.
“We set up a website so people can shop locally even if they don’t have time to come to town.”
Shoppers can log onto ely.myshopislocal.co.uk and support a number of local retailers, from a butcher to a fudge company, from the comfort of their living rooms.