Netil Market

Westgate Street, E8 3RL
Twitter: @netilmarket
Open: Sat 11am-6pm

This small walled space just five minutes from Broadway Market has been hosting a Saturday market for quite a while, but in recent years it has become hub for small independent businesses who occupy permanent trading units and offer anything from smart dog accessories, to leather goods, kitchenware and hand-made scented candles.  These full time traders are an important part of the market and several of them also occupy stalls on Saturdays and many started as stall holders.

The market is not easy to miss on a Saturday with Terry's collection of second-hand furniture spread along the pavement on Westgate Street as you enter.  At the entrance there are a handful of units offering delicious street food from around the globe.  Further into the market you can find new camping gear, designer clothing, a stall dedicated to art catalogues and a record stall run by market stalwart James:

'I sold books here for years, but gradually interest wained and I started selling a bit of vinyl which was more popular.  Now I just sell records and business is pretty good… You need to change to survive these days.'

Just behind James is Pete's collectables and vintage stall with lots of good deals and a great selection of lamps and clocks.  Pete sports a Vietnam Vet look with some aplomb and really enjoys his days on the market particularly when the weather is fine.

The market also boasts an upstairs bar which serves anything from a cold beer to cocktails and is also home to the market's very own Netil Radio, playing music for the relaxed young crowd that have colonised this small square of Hackney.

If you're still in the mood for market shopping, there is also the School Yard Market and Broadway Market just a few minutes from here.