Market Supporting Armed Forces Day
Our next bespoke market in the high street is next Saturday 29th June, which also happens to be Armed Forces Day. Gosport is of course defined by its military heritage so we’re honouring the day with some special elements at the market.
A proportion of our traders have forces links and I thought it might be nice to highlight some of them!
Jonah’s Mead
You will find Paul Jones AKA Jonah’s Mead at our market, selling mead by the gallon! He’s likely to be dressed in full Viking attire too…
Paul is a serving member of the Air Force working on Thorney Island. They deal with ground-based air defence as part of seven air defence. They do tracking of aircraft, counter drone operations and deconfliction with aircraft and other units.
Before that he was in the Royal Navy from 2000-2009. He was a sub mariner on HMS Trafalgar.
Glitz N Glow
You will find Glitz adorning our young visitors with glitter and colourful hair braids! (They might do your beard if you ask very nicely!)
Glitz N Glow are three military wives from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. They all live locally in the Stubbington/Lee-on-the-Solent area.
Sophie joined the Royal Navy in 2004 and left in 2012, she enjoyed drafts in RNAS Culdrose, HMS Cumberland, Basrah Iraq, HMNB Portsmouth, HMS Sultan and RNAS Yeovilton. Sophie was part of the Supply Chain Logistic Branch, and since leaving she has continued to work in the MoD Civil Service sector.
Port & Lemon
Port & Lemon are based in The Art Studio at The Explosion Museum. They sell ‘home items, gifts and greeting cards that make you smile.’
Tracy joined the Royal Navy in 1987 as a writer, served for 12 years in a variety of administrative jobs in Portsmouth and London and did 18 months in Belgium working for Nato. She left in 1999 as a Petty Officer.
Re 5 Customs
Re 5 Customs specialise in trainer cleans, refurbs and customs.
They are both serving members. Jo is a petty officer on board HMS PWLS and H is one of the Divisional Officers at the personnel support group.
Explorer Coffees
The clue’s in the name… they do coffee! Lovely fresh roasted coffee beans for you to enjoy at home. And they have a second pitch at the market with their clothing brand too.
Neil served in the Royal Army Medical Corps for 10 years and his wife served 29 years in the Royal Navy. They both started their careers as junior ranks and went onto commission in their respective services. Neil became a full time house husband back in 2008 to support his wife's successful career by giving them the flexibilty to be posted anywhere in the Forces world (he had left the Army several years before). They were posted to Gosport in 2010 and, bar three years in Gibraltar, they've been here ever since.
Explorer Coffees was initially operated from their Service Family Accommodation (SFA) until they bought their own house.
Make sure you come down to Gosport High Street NEXT SATURDAY 29th June to see all these traders and lots more!