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it seems that the East Yorkshire market town of Driffield is the place to be on a Thursday if you want to bag a bargain or two.

Thanks to an imaginative, recession-busting campaign involving more than 60 local traders, visitors to the town centre can benefit from special offers and discounts in a wide variety of shops on what are now officially known as ‘Driffield Thursdays’.

Supported by Driffield Town Council and regeneration body The Driffield Partnership, the idea was first launched in March and is already proving successful. During the last three months, it has led to an increase in footfall and, perhaps even more importantly, happy traders.

Amanda Ludlum, who runs The Olive Tree Spa, which is located in The Bell Hotel in the Market Place, is among those who’ve benefited. Customers have been snapping up her cut-price back, neck and shoulder massages and other competitive deals.

Amanda said: “It has been absolutely brilliant from the very first week. We’ve been fully booked every Thursday. I run three or four different offers and change them every three weeks or so. I think it’s a really nice way of giving people a chance to try things that they wouldn’t normally try, and it helps to bring people into the town.

“However, I’m also finding that people who come on a Thursday then making bookings for different days because they spot something else that they want to try.

“There’s a really nice atmosphere in Driffield on Thursdays; The Bell Hotel is also very busy with lunches, and coffees. I really hope it continues.”

Prior to the introduction of ‘Driffield Thursdays’, retailers were starting to feel the pinch and Thursday was the quietest day of the week, despite the fact that it’s also market day. Traders found that, although the Market Place appeared busy, people were visiting the market stalls but not buying from the shops.

Jane Crossley, renaissance programme manager for East Yorkshire’s market towns, explained: “Like all market towns, Driffield had been affected by the economic downturn and, although it was weathering the storm, retailers were concerned about the future.

“Rather than wait until shops started to disappear, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Driffield Town Council provided a grant that was used to hire an advertising agency. Working with traders, the agency developed the ‘Driffield Thursdays’ idea and produced promotional materials to help them raise awareness. In total, 67 traders have signed up to the scheme and they are participating by offering special deals to their customers every Thursday.”

Jeremy Swallow of The Edge, a fashion boutique on Middle Street South, is one of those taking part. Widely regarded as Driffield’s answer to celebrity stylist Gok Wan, thanks to his keen eye for fashion, he said: “I think the incentive provided by the town council has been very positive and we need to keep the impetus up. Driffield is a vibrant market town with a big catchment area. In today’s climate, even the big boys on the high street are struggling, but people are realising that they can get more bang for their buck here in Driffield.

“I think it’s all about being pro-active; we have lots of independent and family-run shops and businesses, and we need to shout about what we have here.

“I think Driffield Thursdays have given us that extra boost; it has strengthened Driffield’s position.”

It’s now hoped that the Driffield Thursdays concept can be developed further by encouraging coach operators across the wider Yorkshire region to run trips to Driffield on Thursdays.

Claire Binngington, Driffield’s town clerk, said: “We’ve been putting a pack together with lots of information about what’s on offer in Driffield and sending it out to coach operators. We’ve also managed to secure coach parking in the Cattle Market car park, which is free of charge. The bus trips idea probably won’t really take off until next summer, but we’re trying to do everything we can to make it as easy as possible for the coach operators to bring bus loads of visitors to Driffield. It is a lovely place to come for lunch and a mooch around the shops. You can also combine it with a visit to other local attractions, such as Sedmere House or the East Yorkshire coast. “

DRIFFIELD’S RICH HERITAGE

* As the largest town in the Yorkshire Wolds, Driffield is widely regarded as its capital.

* Evidence of a Neolithic settlement dating back to 4000-2000 BC has been found in the Driffield area.

* The town was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was said to have two churches and eight watermills.

* By 1742, Driffield was a substantial market town serving the residents of the surrounding rural area.

* The Driffield Canal opened in 1770, which meant that surplus food produced in the Wolds could be transported to Hull and then up the Humber to the towns of the West Riding and beyond.

* By the 1780s, Driffield was the East Riding’s main market town for corn.