IT’S the end of an era for Jennet Brown, the driving force behind the popular Essenwood Craft Market, who has decided to close down the market with immediate effect.
Speaking to Berea Mail this week, Jennet said it was a heartbreaking decision to make, but after 24 years she had decided that it was time to retire and take things easy.
“I’m devastated as it was a very hard decision to make, but I have been unwell for the past eight years and it’s now time to take care of myself. My children tried valiantly to help me keep the market going but as they have their own professions, it became part time. The market was never part time, it was a six day a week job,” she said.
Jennet said she really felt for her traders as it was very tough to make a living, especially for the informal traders who live hand to mouth and can’t afford to take a cut in their salary.
“My traders were a huge motivation for me to hang in there. It breaks my heart to let them down. I had 23 charity tables, and you would have to be a brick wall not to be moved by their plight. However, it’s been a bad three years economically and I know every market is feeling it. Unfortunately, if someone has to help the people now, it can’t be me, I’m not strong enough,” she said.
For Jennet, running the market with passion and heart meant that everyone involved was part of the larger market family.
“No matter what culture or creed, everyone prayed for good weather on a Friday night. I think God laughed at us all! Essenwood was a pioneer market, the first craft market, and people took it to heart. We were the first to do live music, the first to have a bungee jump and a climbing wall. Life happened at Essenwood, people died there, I birthed babies there – it wasn’t just all stories! When I think about it, it has been an incredible, wonderful chapter of our lives,” she said.
Jennet’s son Jethro and daughter Cyan, will be evolving and re-inventing the market at a new venue in Umhlanga, which will be called Hashtag Market. In a statement on Facebook, they said they had big plans for the future. They thanked everyone for the support over the last 24 years and looked forward to welcoming old and new faces at the new premises.
“I’m retired now, I’m going to watch every programme on TV that I’ve never watched and my husband David has set me up in a studio so I can start oil paining again. It’s difficult in a wheelchair, but I am so blessed, I need to start counting those blessings. I am now going to be a card carrying pensioner!” laughed Jennet.
