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  ➜ and broadband access, of you – so regain your Real shopping requires lesser-known markets senses and enjoyment more than a keyboard it needs to involve all up at some of London’s Going W classic London market traders with niche interests.’ Others are to run smallholdings and farms in the surrounding countryside. traders here are ex-high-flyers who turned their backs on the stress of the city ‘A few of the stall Says Plumridge, of course. when weathercourtyard permits, leading out onto a the market area is typically London: under a bridge, days, These but was so popular it caused traffic jams even way back in 1276. Bridge, sold over the years! The local market used to be situated right on London site of Borough a lot of potatoes Market at London Bridge since 46CE – that’s Vegetables have been sold on or near the great fun for the visitor. most of all, bargains and providing unique goods, meeting places for locals and tourists, neighbourhoods once again.’ springing up in small markets are a growing phenomenon, result, As a produce a time as possible. – to get food from field to plate in as short there is a real movement in the UK to eat locally grown ‘Today, Plumridge. compete,’ many of them couldn’t says when the giant supermarkets opened, village and borough every had a local market selling fresh produce but ago, well.‘Years of influential cities such as London and she knows the markets very of her job to follow the trends It is a part Insight Guides and Dorling Kindersley. based company that writes travel reviews for companies such as Time Out, and there are hundreds of them scattered throughout London. character, and its own Each market has its own history immediate neighbourhood. millions of people from the world over; others attract friendly locals from the Some markets attract good place to buy a souvenir on your way out of town. is frantic and more tourist oriented – a more relaxed. older, Road seems brash and hip while Portobello feels young, for example, Town, The famous weekend market in Camden completely different personalities. with the art. that Now, and love. ftemn esrkonmresi odn a few have emerged as true Of the many lesser-known markets in London, a London- Lisa Plumridge is the editorial director of The Content Works, they have Even though many of London’s street markets sell similar goods, market capital there is colour and a vibrant atmosphere of life On the streets of Europe’s largest them home for keeps. feel them and take smell them, taste them, your hand, Hold the goods in engulfed by all that makes us human. ander around London’s markets and you’re immediately is shopping – and it’s time to become reacquaintedshopping – and it’s Story by Story Ava Chisling  SHOPPING Royal Wings

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COLUMBIA ROAD MARKET 

COLUMBIA ROAD MARKET OLD

OLD SPITALFIELDS MARKET most characteristic of London – lots of modern fashions but with more than a nod to the past. It is my favourite, along with Portobello, as many of the stallholders set up on Fridays and Saturdays in Portobello, and then Columbia Road Flower Market off come here on Sundays. Designer collections are often bought up by the big Hackney Road can be best described stores – Selfridges in particular – and sold for double the price.’ as a place of passion. ‘It’s the most The market hall itself is beautiful, even though some of it has been knocked down. There are plenty of places to eat within the market hall, romantic of London’s markets’ from food stalls – Austrian and Hungarian stands alongside your usual Thai noodles, Chinese stir-fries and curries – to notable places like The Spitz, a Borough Market celebrated its 250th anniversary last year by opening a Borough Market celebrated its 250th bistro serving gastro-pub-type grub, and the tapas bar Meson los Barilles. new food school and beginning weekly special events. People travel across anniversary last year by opening There are also lots of other foodie stalls where you can grab breads, olives the city to get to Borough so it has the feeling of a Saturday morning a new food school and beginning and snacks or a slice of cake, too. The perimeter of the market is lined with destination rather than simply a local market. It is known for its Victorian shops selling a range of eclectic goods, from Indian and Asian textiles and architecture, a fact not missed by Hollywood-style filmmakers who flock to weekly special events. People travel furniture to unusual shoes, clothes and antique quilts. And there are great Borough to shoot, day and night. The famous Harry Potter pub, the Leaky across the city to get to Borough pubs and restaurants in nearby – the curry centre of London. Cauldron, is really in Stoney Street on the edge of Borough Market. And Markets in London reflect the people who frequent them. So choose the Bridget Jones’s flat was located above the Globe Tavern in the market. Richard so it has the feeling of a Saturday one that best suits how you feel and head out for a day of fresh food, III and Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels were also shot here, along with a long morning destination rather than a fistful of flowers and perhaps a few memories well made. ■ list of others. But most importantly, Borough Market is about quality food. ‘There’s been a food revolution in London over the past 10 to 15 years,’ simply a local market says Plumridge. ‘Markets like Borough have gained in popularity as people have become more interested in the quality of food they eat. A market like took him more than 12 hours to complete and he was stopped by the police paraphernalia and other boutique-style shops.’ Gladwell agrees, ‘To us, Note that many of London’s markets do not take credit cards and in this would not be unusual in France and Londoners are demanding the for ‘pulling too fast’. Now that’s market character! every Sunday morning is an event in itself. Ours is a happy market, it is an some cases even cash is hard to find. The few cashpoints in the market same.’ Simone Crofton, the market’s Chief Executive, goes on, ‘Our market If Borough Market’s personality can be defined as one of good taste, experience for the uninitiated, and even the regulars find it difficult to areas usually have long queues and quickly run out of cash so it’s best is unique in that producers sell their own products so a buyer has the Columbia Road Flower Market off Hackney Road can be best described as ignore. It changes every week. It is full of fun, chatter and happy punters. to arrive with money. It’s also a good idea to check the websites listed opportunity to talk to them and get advice on how to choose and cook a place of passion. ‘It’s the most romantic of London’s markets. This is I know that councils throughout the country have tried to copy our success below for information on opening hours: the food. All traders on the market have been selected through a where I come when I need cheering up,’ says Plumridge. Columbia is a real but they have failed. I know why we’re successful, but I’m not telling!’ Borough Market 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL, telephone: food-selection process, which ensures all food on the market is of the local market with gardening enthusiasts from all over gathering early on a Stallholders at Columbia are your typical ‘cockney’ market traders, +44-20-7402 1002; www.boroughmarket.org.uk. Open 12.00 to 18.00 highest quality.' Sunday morning to inspect the goods and share their green-growing which gives the place a very East End feel. There are some great places to on Friday, 09.00 to 16.00 on Saturday Borough is an increasingly trendy market, with foie gras and fancy secrets. You’ll find fewer tourists here than other markets as its main eat and drink in the area and parking is easy if you don’t mind walking for Columbia Road Flower Market Columbia Road, London E1, wines, rare oils and fine foods from Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, Germany, attraction – flowers – don’t travel too well. ‘Our market is different. It is five minutes. ‘I tend to come here seasonally,’ says Plumridge. ‘In the spring telephone: +44-20-7377 8963; www.columbia-flower- India and Greece, with a leaning towards organic products overall. And in exotic, with a collective array of bargains no garden centre or other market I buy narcissi, budding branches for Easter, herbs for my window boxes for market.freewebspace.com. Open 08.00 to 14.00 on Sunday the middle of this upmarket atmosphere, you also find a sense of offers. All our produce is basically fresh overnight,’ says George Gladwell, the summer; holly, mistletoe, poinsettias and door wreaths over Old Spitalfields Market Commercial Street, London E1; community with neighbourhood parties, a unique team of security chairman of the market. Christmas. The best items I ever bought here were my wire window boxes www.visitspitalfields.com. Open 11.00 to 15.30 from Monday to Friday, officials called Beadles and colourful locals like barber, Mike Hobbs. Hobbs ‘The flowers are fresher and cheaper here than elsewhere,’ says as they make me think of a 1920’s winter garden.’ 10.00 to 15.00 on Sunday once pulled a full barrow from Brighton to Borough Market (53 miles) to Plumridge. ‘And it’s aurally and visually very stimulating: plants and And while you’re in the neighbourhood, Old Spitalfields Market is

honour the porters who made long journeys like this one in the 1960s. It flowers of all descriptions line the entire street, along with garden LUKE HAYES, TRACEY EATON nearby.‘Spitalfields is where I always bring visitors,’ says Plumridge.‘It is the

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