THERE I was standing in the butcher's queue and was delighted to see the customer being served pull out her ‘Only in Ludlow’ Loyalty Card.

She had two stamps already and was clearly working on getting all 20 before the end of September when the first prize draw takes place.

Within the first couple of days of the launch, Castle Bookshop reported that they had run out of the cards and needed quickly replenishing. The ‘Only in Ludlow’ Loyalty Card has gone down a treat, with many locals and people from out of town flashing their new card as the latest ‘must have’ to be seen using for the good of the town.

The card is simple, for every transaction over £1 customers get their card stamped, once all 20 stamps are obtained it gets entered into a gift prize draw every quarter for a unique ‘Only in Ludlow’ hamper. The whole scheme continues to develop the ‘Only in Ludlow’ promotional scheme which the Ludlow Chamber introduced a few years ago.

For all the fun and excitement that the card’s created, there is a serious side which is all about supporting our local economy. The whole scheme builds on published research that indicates that for every pound spent in a local independently owned shop, 63p stays within the local economy, compared to just 40p paid over in a national chain.

The project is being co-ordinated by Ludlow Chamber in conjunction with shop owners. We are currently getting feedback from all businesses that are part of the first phase and considering whether new businesses can join the scheme in a second phase. All involved are genuinely independent businesses with no more than 4 outlets, based in the centre of Ludlow and of course a member of Ludlow Chamber of Commerce. For further details see www.ludlowchamber.co.uk and let’s keep on stamping