"Good news!" said one email, continuing: "Swaffham Town Council is advertising the Italian market coming to town on June 1." Oh no! I said to myself, it's too late for the column.

The email continued: "They did a similar PR job when the French market visited in April." This is no good, I thought, that's even longer ago! Fancy bothering to write to a newspaper about events which are months old.

But then the message got to its point. "But why is no comparable effort made to publicise and support the regular Saturday market? Surely securing its future is of much greater importance to the future of Swaffham as a markettown than passing European trade?

"Where is the action planning to revive and nurture the market as a vital part of Swaffham's identity? Is anything at all being done by the town council?"

I confess I missed the advertising for the Italian market, but I did know it was on. I had read about it in the town council's In Touchnewsletter back in April.

That was the issue that said: "There has been a downturn in markets all over the country. This is something that the market committee is very conscious about, how they can make the Swaffham market more attractive for people to visit." It explained about the return of the auctions as well as the French and Italian markets.

It's true that these are special Sunday events and don't really help attract people to the traditional Saturday market.

I'm certainly not convinced that pouring money into advertising a well-known, traditional and regular event would bring much new business to traders.

Nor does my correspondent offer any ideas for bringing in that business. So, if neither the market committee, my correspondent nor I can come up with any answers, I find myself having to ask the question, much as I regret it, do we have to accept that eBay and car boot sales have overtaken the role of the market?