BALDOCK has a new town centre manager. Kiwi Murray Fastier was introduced to local businessmen at a lunch hosted by the Baldock Town Partnership at the Rose and Crown Hotel in the town yesterday (Wednesday). Mr Fastier, 44, has lived in Baldock for the pa

BALDOCK has a new town centre manager.

Kiwi Murray Fastier was introduced to local businessmen at a lunch hosted by the Baldock Town Partnership at the Rose and Crown Hotel in the town yesterday (Wednesday).

Mr Fastier, 44, has lived in Baldock for the past 10 years with his family in Grosvenor Road West, and was recently made redundant as a logistics manager with a freight company in Letchworth GC.

A keen sportsman, who has played cricket for Baldock on a Sunday and rugby for Letchworth 4ths, Mr Fastier, who has a two-year-old daughter with his partner Lisa Wallace, 38, takes over from Nigel Cooke who resigned two weeks ago to take up a full-time job in insurance.

"I believe there is tremendous scope to expand the popularity of Baldock and what it has to offer not just for residents but people outside the town," said Mr Fastier.

"I will be doing the job two days a week and I have a lot of plans for the future which I hope will promote Baldock and make it somewhere people want to visit.

"The trouble is a lot of people live here, jump on a train and go to work and when they get back jump off a train and go home. I want to encourage them to support the town and its businesses and there is plenty of scope to do that.

"I want to have a market on a Saturday and a farmers' market would be ideal and we could mix this with a French market and an Italian one.

"But I am looking forward to the challenge and living in the town and with a young daughter I hope to be laying down some good ideas for the future of the town."

James Lunnon, chairman of Baldock Town Centre Partnership, said: "We believe Murray will do a good job and help keep Baldock in the public's eye.

"We plan to do a lot in the town next year starting in January with the launch of a website to keep people informed about what is going on in the town.