WOW! What an amazing difference.

I couldn’t get to the new Blackburn Market on Church Street the day it opened as I was in Texas, for my son’s wedding (to a Texan).

I had looked round earlier in the year as the shop-fitters were in.

I thought it had potential, but it was difficult to tell, with workmen everywhere, and the floors covered in equipment waiting to be installed.

But nothing had prepared me for the impact the place made on me last Friday when I saw the market in operation for the first time.

It was far more impressive than I had anticipated.

What was best of all was the smile on the faces of almost everyone I spoke to.

East Lancashire people are really delighted that Blackburn now has a top class market which would not look out of place in the best parts of a capital city. All credit, therefore, to the councillors and officers who had the vision for this new market, and the determination to see the project through, and to all of those who designed and built the place.

Change is never easy.

I spent a lot of time working with the stall holders from the old three-day market, worried about whether they could manage six-day trading.

Some, sadly, decided not to transfer (though a few may still come in).

I was concerned lest the fresh-food offer – the heart of any vibrant market – was not up to scratch.

In fact, I’ve heard nothing but praise for what’s available.

Good butchers, fruit and veg, a pie stall which sells pork and black pudding pies, and two large fresh fish stalls (in place of just one in the old market).

There are inevitably some snags still to be sorted – better signs, not least to show the areas where folk can sit down without having to be a cafe customer, and some adverse comments about the “uni-sex” loos.

I’m not surprised that even before the new market opened there’d been a 20 per cent increase in footfall in the shopping centre.

The new market should bump that up even more.