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The Great Barn, Manor Farm, Ruislip, HA4 7QL
www.duckpondmarket.com
Twitter: @duckpondmarket
Insta: duckpondmarket
Tube: Ruislip or West Ruislip
Free parking St Martin’s Approach car park
First Sun 10am-3pm (Foodies), Third Sun 10am-3pm (Artisan)

Duck Pond Markets run great food and artisan events in various locations across London with a commitment to locally, ethically and sustainably made products.  Their fortnightly market in Ruislip could be considered their flagship, with up to 100 traders setting up within a quaint 13th century converted barn and courtyard.  The eponymous duck pond is also just a stones throw away.  West Ruislip is the last stop on the Central Line, but it’s is a charming little place and really does feel like a million miles from London, making it a great way to escape the capital without going to too much trouble.

On any market day you can expect to find a great selection of jewellery, clothing, household textiles, artwork, kid’s toys, natural cosmetics and perfume and even a used vinyl stall. One advantage of travelling this far out is that the prices are lower than more central markets with some really good deals, including natural kingsize quilts for just £95 and a great up-cycled chest of draws for just £80.

Even on the third Sunday dedicated to arts and crafts there’s a good deal of quality food and wine here with several street food stalls in the courtyard offering anything from fresh pizza to organic burgers.
The Duck Pond people make a real effort to ensure this event is a lot of fun with face painting, hair plaiting and a petting zoo for restless kids and massages for their stressed parents as well as regular live music to accompany the experience.

This feature is taken from our forthcoming book:
London's Markets
by Andrew Kershman

Albion Street, Rotherhithe, SE16 7HZ
www.scandimarket.co.uk
Twitter: @scandimarket
Instagram: scandimarket
March 17th 10am-6pm

It might seem strange that a bi-annual Scandinavian Market is held in a quiet back street of Rotherhithe, but the area has a long association with the Scandinavian community who settled here having worked at nearby Surrey Quays.  Albion Street is still the home to both the Finnish and Norwegian Churches who run the market.

Albion Street is a quiet back street of Rotherhithe, but this Saturday it will be transformed into a celebration of all things Scandi with about 30 stalls offering delicious scandi food, handmade crafts and arts, traditional homewares and even a few second-hand stalls. The event is a shadow of the fabulous Christmas market which extends over three days in November, but it's a lot of fun with live bands and an enormous Moomin on hand to spread the love.

This feature is taken from our forthcoming book:
London's Markets
by Andrew Kershman

Under the Westway and west up to Ladbroke Grove
(Retro and new clothing, CDs and records, books and collectables)
www.portobellofashionmarket.com
Insta: portobellogreenmarket
Twitter: @Portobello6
Fri 10am-5pm (Vintage), Sat 9am-5pm (Fashion), Sun 10am-4pm (Flea Market)

The Westway flyover marks the beginning of a funkier and more entertaining part of Portobello.  Under the roaring Westway flyover and with its own canopied roof can be found Portobello Green Market, which is one of the best places for vintage and second-hand fashion from Friday to Sunday. 

Fridays have acquired a particular reputation for lovers of vintage threads and you can often find some of the specialist fashion sellers that exhibit at the more exclusive vintage fairs, also selling their wares here with perhaps more room to barter at this cheaper open air market.  Fridays and Sundays are great days to visit if you just want to indulge in vintage fashion, but to get the full Portobello experience you’ll need to come on a Saturday when the whole of Portobello is alive and kicking.

This feature is taken from our forthcoming book:
London's Markets
by Andrew Kershman

Heron Square, Richmond upon Thames, TW9 1EP
www.duckpondmarket.com
Twitter: @duckpondmarket
Instar: duckpondmarket
Tube/Rail: Richmond
Parking at Whittaker Avenue Car Park
Sat 11am-4pm (Foodies) Sun 10.30am-5pm (Artisan)

The good folk at Duck Pond run a number of markets across London with their flagship event being in Ruislip.  The weekend market in Richmond is a much smaller affair with about 30-40 stalls on a Sunday and around 20-25 every Saturday.  Saturday is designated as a foodie market and artisans are to the fore on a Sunday, but in reality there’s a good mix of food and artisan products on both days.

Sheltered within this charming square you can find a number of jewellers selling their own designs, colourful handmade purses, a local artist selling photographic images and a company offering all kinds of lamps and jewellery made from recycled scientific equipment and watch parts, including cufflinks made from old typewriter keys. One textile artist makes handmade fabric creations from masks to soft toys, cushions to bunting. One of the most interesting stalls specialises in vintage and collectable jewellery and tableware with anything from an antique hat pin to a sterling silver gravy boat. For those looking to treat a furry friend, there’s also a pet stall with lots of dog and cat themed gifts and fancy pet foods.  At the entrance to the market, don’t miss the display of Tim Shel Design wooden chairs which are beautiful, hand-made and are priced accordingly.  Each week the mix of traders is slightly different, but the one thing they all have in common is that they are all products are ethically and sustainably made.

Food is always on the menu here with a great choice of street food including Mexican and Columbian delicacies and lots of pies, pastries, brownies, cakes and breads to eat on the go or take away to enjoy at home.  The Aroma Organic selection of sausage rolls and pies are particularly apertising and if meat is your thing there is always Griddly Greens that offer free range burger, sausage or bacon sandwiches.  

Heron Square is a prefect location for the market with enough places to sit and relax with your food.  The market might not have a duck or a pond, but if you walk through the opposite arch you can get a great view of the Thames flowing past.

This feature is taken from our forthcoming book:
London's Markets
by Andrew Kershman

Nine Elms Lane, SW8 5AL
www.saundersmarkets.co.uk
Rail: Battersea Park, Queenstown Road
Rail/Tube: Vauxhall
Open: Sunday 7am-2pm

Vauxhall Market has changed a lot in recent years and is bigger and more popular than ever – there are now signs for the market in Vauxhall tube station, giving some indication of just how important it is to the area.  The signs are usually not needed – just follow the crowds heading in the direction of the market on any Sunday.  The social make up of the area and those coming to the market has also changed with many of London’s Eastern European and African communities visiting and trading here.  You can hear anything from Russian to Yoruba spoken, amid the cockney, as you make you make your way towards the event.

The market takes place in the concrete landscape and steel warehousing of New Covent Garden wholesale market and the Sunday market is managed by Saunders Markets on behalf of the New Covent Garden Market Authority.  The site might lack the charm of places like Portobello and Brick Lane, but it does have an atmosphere all of its own, complete with loud music, the smell of freshly cooked foods and the sounds of thousands of people chatting and joking as they wonder the isles in search of a bargain.

Clothing is a big feature of the market with several stalls offering piles of boxer shorts, t-shirts, ladies’ underwear and socks at incredibly low prices.  It’s worth looking around before you part with your cash, because further into the market there are stalls offering high quality high street returns and surplus stock for a fraction of the the usual price and nearly all the garments sell for between five and ten pounds. There are also great shoe stalls offering anything from workaday boots to designer trainers, but all at well below shop prices. Kitchenware, bedding, toys, fake flowers, plants, DIY tools and materials, towels and bedding are all to be found here with the one common denominator being very low prices.  Ironically, although New Covent Garden is one of the country’s largest fruit and veg wholesale markets there is only a limited range of veg on a Sunday.  What is available is good value with lots of fruit and veg sold by the box or large bag for just a few quid.

Running parallel to the market is a large car boot sale run by the same organisers. The far end of the concrete complex is the heart of the car boot,   Here you can find lots of second-hand gear including bikes, tools, second-hand clothing and all  kinds of car boot clobber from a china Alsatian to a well used industrial drill. Visitors will find it hard to tell where the market ends and the car boot sale starts, but in truth the market and car boot combine to make one event with a great mix of new and used things.

This feature is taken from our forthcoming book:
London's Markets
by Andrew Kershman

Granary Square, NC1 4AA
www.kerbfood.com
Twitter: @KERB_
Insta: Kerbfood
Wed-Fri 12noon-2pm

From Wednesday to Friday the Kerb team transform Granary Square into a mini festival of street food with at least 8 traders offering anything from Taiwanese Lunch Boxes to substantial Portuguese steak sandwiches.  The traders are always rotating but you can see the week’s traders on their website. Whatever the lineup the quality of food is always high with vegan and vegetarian options guaranteed.  There’s plenty of public seating and a fountain with further tiered seats looking out of the canal, making this a great market to sit, eat and chill on fine days.

This feature is taken from our forthcoming book:
London's Markets
by Andrew Kershman

www.solastcenturyfair.co.uk
Twitter: @solastc
Insta: solastc
Monthly events across south London (Catford, Beckenham and Tooting)

Established by friends Alan Old and Alison Davis in 2015, the wittily named So Last Century has gained a reputation for organised, friendly events, that are always well publicised and attract a good number of south London’s vintage loving community.  What sets these fairs apart is the emphasis on reasonably priced vintage goods from homeware to fashion.  You’ll find lamps, artwork and furniture with lots of original 20th century design on display for a fraction of the price of high-end vintage stores. Among the recent bargains was a fantastic Marcel Breuer style leather and steel armchair for just £130 and a beautiful wooden train and carriages for just £35. The regular vintage art and print seller is worth seeking out with his great stock and bespoke framing service.  There are a number of vintage fashion specialists with large, well chosen stock, so fashionistas will not be disappointed and many of the other traders also sell good quality, affordable jewellery and accessories.  The fair also features a clutch of original designer-makers and artists

So Last Century takes place at a number of venues across south London, with St Dunstan’s College in Catford being the largest.  Whichever one you attend you’re bound to have a great time and there is always a good in-house café to enjoy a break and admire your latest purchases.  Take a look at their website for forthcoming events.

This feature is taken from our forthcoming book:
London's Markets
by Andrew Kershman