29/07/2026
Update on Spudwagon and the Fish Shambles pitch...
A lot of people have been asking how things are going, so I thought I'd give everyone an update.
After 57 days of trying to get this sorted, sending 18 emails, making countless phone calls, and dealing with four different council representatives, I've been passed from one organisation to another with nobody willing to take responsibility.
I've been sent between East Lindsey District Council, Louth Town Council, and Lincolnshire County Council, spending hours on hold and constantly being referred to someone else.
The "solution" they've now offered is for me to plug into an electricity box outside 601 Café while trading from the Fish Shambles pitch.
Unfortunately, this isn't a solution at all.
It would mean running around 100 metres of electrical cable through the market, across the road, and down the centre of town. On top of that, the council wants to charge me £50 per day for the five hours I'd be connected. I would also have to pay a qualified electrician to supervise both connecting and disconnecting the power every single day.
I think most people would agree that this simply isn't a practical or realistic solution.
As things stand, it's starting to feel like Louth doesn't care about supporting local traders or helping small businesses succeed. That's incredibly disappointing, especially when all I'm trying to do is trade in the town and serve the local community.
If this situation can't be resolved properly, I may have no choice but to take Spudwagon to neighbouring towns and councils that are more willing to support local businesses and independent traders. That's not something I want to do, but at the moment it's looking like it could be my only option.
I do want to say a big thank you to Tristram Tapsfield from Louth Town Council. He approached me personally and has genuinely been the only person who's made a real effort to help and try to get this resolved. His support has been greatly appreciated.
Finally, I'd just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this. The amount of support I've received from the public has been absolutely amazing and, honestly, overwhelming. Every message, comment, share and word of encouragement has meant so much to me. Knowing that so many people are behind Spudwagon has kept me going through what has been a very frustrating few months, and I can't thank you all enough.
One final favour...
If you could all please share this post, I'd be incredibly grateful. The more people who see what's happening, the more awareness we can raise about the challenges local independent businesses are facing.
Thank you all again for your continued support. It really does mean the world to me. ❤️
