A Masham town councillor has been given an award for his efforts to keep the town’s market going during the pandemic.
Cllr Ian Johnson is a well-known resident of Masham and has been volunteering at the town’s two weekly markets to make sure they run smoothly during lockdown.
Most locals will also recognise Cllr Johnson’s alter ego Miss Yvette Nightingale who often attends the Saturday market to “raise a smile”.
Cllr Johnson said he was happy to step in after Masham’s long-running market superintendent, Mr John Todd, 87, was forced to self-isolate.
He has been in charge of arranging the layout of the market, providing PPE and dealing with all the stall holders and collecting rents during the three lockdowns.
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His hard work has been commended by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) with a Friends of the Market award.
Cllr Johnson said:
“It was all a bit of surprise, it was the council clerk that put my name forward. It was very nice but it’s more of an achievement of the town, our stallholders kept going and our residents supported them.”
The award was given to Cllr Johnson during a virtual ceremony alongside a dozen other winners.
The NABMA market heroes awards were to recognise the service that markets and their workers have offered despite the challenges of the pandemic.
