New market is close to opening

Phoenix rising… The steel skeleton of the new Cotswold Agricultural Centre reflects the weak spring light at Driffield, just off the A419 near Cirencester, Glos. It will replace the old town-centre livestock mart at Cirencester, which closed last September. The new auction centre will help those affected by Chippenham market”s recent relocation to the Bristol Sales Centre. Auctioneer Jon Pullin said the 500,000 project was on course to open in early July. “Farmers are very upbeat and looking forward to the new site opening – some are even saving cattle for the first sales.”