A month of Saturday markets in Warwick has shown the community can produce its own small-scale entrepreneurs and respect the history of the old slave graveyard site and a memorial to slave workers.

The ?We Love Warwick Rubber Tree Festival?, which has been held each Saturday in April next to the rubber tree at Warwick Post Office, is the brainchild of Community Affairs Minister and local MP Dale Butler.

And he has ensured the Old Warwick Graveyard memorial, which remembers the Island?s bygone early slaves, is given full respect and not covered over by stall-holders.

The Minister also believes it is fitting a market celebrating the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of small business should be held at a spot where there is a memorial remembering slaves many of whom, following emancipation, managed to run their own small-time ventures.

The area was an old slave graveyard, said Mr. Butler. He recognises the sensitivity of having a market beside the slave memorial and points out it was he who eventually got a replacement chain and post surround for the memorial.

?After emancipation many of the slaves ran small businesses so there is a link with it now being a market. No-one is allowed to put a stall over the memorial,? Mr. Butler explained. ?They can surround it but not cover it or hang anything on it.

?There is no desecration. Someone asked me if they could put something over the memorial and I said ?no? because that would be sacrilege,? he said.

The memorial near the rubber tree will be included in services to highlight emancipation of the slaves this July, said Mr. Butler.

The Minister has watched the market grow in size during the past three weeks from around 30 vendors to the 65 who turned out for this weekend?s penultimate market.

The event has been put on by the Progressive Labour Party?s Warwick North East constituency branch and has created a central focal point for vendors who used to set up their stalls at various roadside locations.

He said: ?We have people with household items, or selling African clothing, I?ve got books, people have home-made jam or old CDs and DVDs. We are trying to create an opportunity for people to be entrepreneurs.

?This is the first year that we have done it, although I had the idea ten years ago.?

It is hoped that for the final market next Saturday there will be an appearance by gombey dancers and the ?Biker Babes? featured in the current RG Magazine.