A POPULAR market could make more than just monthly appearances in Axbridge. Fresh fruit, meat, and other local produce is brought to town every first Saturday of the month for a farmers' market. But the new Chamber of Commerce wants to see more and bigge

A POPULAR market could make more than just monthly appearances in Axbridge.Fresh fruit, meat, and other local produce is brought to town every first Saturday of the month for a farmers' market. But the new Chamber of Commerce wants to see more and bigger markets laid on.The group will be approaching event organisers Somerset Farmers' Markets soon to encourage it to expand.The chamber is also hoping to start monthly business breakfasts as a forum and social gathering. The Oak House could be used as a venue for the events.The ideas were spelled out to businesses during the chamber's first formal meeting. Committee members were elected including Robert Tallack as chairman, Carole Hamblin as secretary and Les Stanley as treasurer.At the meeting, Mr Tallack said: "The chamber intends to cater for all commercial interests but it is our firm intention that it should be as light and responsive as possible."Our chamber and its members will need to have application and staying power since change is rarely quick or easy. One of our objectives is to provide a central information resource that can be accessed by people wishing to establish or develop businesses in Axbridge."For those of us whose business depends on residents or tourists we need to find ways of improving our collective product. "We are all aware that the attractiveness of The Square is balanced by the difficulty of parking. We need to enhance and publicise our town as a quality destination. We need to take more benefit from the growing Bristol International Airport. "One visitor from New York told me that she found it easier to visit Axbridge than friends in Los Angeles."We need to work together in order to achieve these objectives. The Lamb, The Crown, The Oak House and The Almshouse are only in competition if there are not enough visitors drawn to Axbridge by its reputation as a quality destination."We need ideas, we need to network, we need to cooperate and we need to work hard to achieve our aim of making Axbridge a strong, successful and vibrant town with a rich and diverse cultural and commercial environment.