29th August 2024
Congratulations are in order for the "sweets man" - Thame's popular market trader, Chris Hurdman, who has been selected as a finalist in this year's English Veterans Awards (Community Award).
The Veterans Awards recognise highly successful Armed Forces Veterans who have made the transition from the military to civilian life and who have gone above and beyond and excelled in their relevant fields, acting as role models for future service leavers.
Chris Hurdman is a former member of the Royal Engineers. For over 30 years, he has played an integral role in the organisation of Thame's Tuesday Charter Market, and every August for the last 25 years, has organised Thame Market’s Community Day, inviting local charities and organisations to join the main market.
An Impressive Resume
In 2011, Chris initiated the free ‘Market Community Stall’, which enables local charities and organisations to join the Tuesday Market to raise awareness of their projects.
In 2015, Chris invited The Princess Royal to visit Thame to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Royal Charter of Thame Tuesday Market. He orchestrated the whole event working with the Town Council to make it happen.
In 2016, Chris was a finalist in the Great British High Street Competition, under the ‘Street Heroes Market Trader’ category, and was the runner-up in the Market Champions Awards.
In 2017, Chris climbed Mount Olympus, raising £3,676 for Helen and Douglas House and React Disaster Response. Chris has been deployed several times as a domestic responder and has trained as both a domestic and international responder.
During Covid, Chris worked tirelessly on behalf of the Market Traders to get them recognised for government support, giving advice to stall holders, other markets managers and the Town Council to ensure they worked safely during the pandemic.
Chris took part in the ‘Thame Remembers Project’ and delivered a Thame Remembers cross from Thame to Edwards Brooks Barracks Abingdon, to commemorate and remember Private George Archer, who died 15 June 1900 age 27.
In 2022, Chris was deployed to Lublin in Poland to help with the humanitarian aid going to Ukraine.
Earlier this year, Chris again took time off from the market to summit Mount Fuji as training for Aconcagua 2025, raising the profiles and funds for Helen and Douglas and React Disaster.
We wish Chris all the best in the English Veterans Awards. Recipients will be announced on Wednesday 23 October.
