THE NEWS is a bit depressing at the moment isn t it? I and my colleagues in the media are largely to blame for this, given that every other story these days seems to be about the recession, or redundancies, or other such gloomy topics. Turning the pages

THE NEWS is a bit depressing at the moment isn't it?

I and my colleagues in the media are largely to blame for this, given that every other story these days seems to be about the recession, or redundancies, or other such gloomy topics.

Turning the pages of some papers - mentioning no names of course - would probably be enough to have even the happiest person reaching for the valium.

But of course you can always rely on The Crow to cheer you up, so I am pleased to bring you news of one business that is flourishing in these difficult times. What is doubly pleasing is that it is an organisation right on our doorstep, namely Royston market.

Now I've been working in Royston for coming up to two years now, and in that time I've heard a lot of people complain about the town's market, and how much it has gone downhill over the last few years.

But thanks to the sterling work of market manager Emma Burgess and town centre manager Geraint Burnell, things are looking up.

Indeed, the number of pitches used rose by around 50 per cent in the period July - December 2008, reversing a decline in stalls that had occurred the previous year.

Mr Burnell said: "Part of our plan was to appoint a dedicated market manager, and this is having the impact we required. We envisaged that we would embark on an improvement programme for the market by visiting others, and as a result we are adding traders.

"We have recently added a butcher and a baker to the Wednesday and Saturday markets, with both reporting that they are doing good trade and are very pleased to continue.

"The figures did drop from December to the end of February, because of severe weather conditions and traders' holidays, although March shows a rise, and we hope to continue this positive progress."

I can only echo Mr Burnell's words. In my opinion a thriving market is crucial to the future of Royston town centre, and will help the town retain its distinct identity and attract shoppers to the area.

Buying good quality, locally produced, organic, products is very much en vogue at the moment, and it is great to see that Royston market is in a position to take advantage of this trend.

The Royston First Business Improvement District scheme is set to get underway in earnest next month, bringing with it a host of exciting new opportunities for the local community, and we could now be entering a vibrant new era for Royston town centre.

It looks like the market will be at the forefront of this, so we must do our bit as consumers and support it with our cash.

There's no point complaining about the lack of facilities in the town if we don't use them when they are there.