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Entrances on Greenwich Church Street, College Approach,
King William Walk and Nelson Road
Food court on Durnford Street
www.greenwichmarketlondon.com
Rail: Greenwich
Twitter: @greenwichmkt
Mon-Tues, Fri (vintage, art and crafts, street food), Wed (Crafts and food), Thurs Vintage & Food, Sat-Sun (Arts and crafts & food)

This covered market in the heart of Greenwich is one of London’s oldest, having acquired a royal charter in 1700 – although in those days it traded wholesale in fruit and veg rather than the arts, crafts, collectables and fine food that are sold here today.  The buildings around the central courtyard compliment the market and the cobbled stones and original paving give this place a real old world charm.  Somethings have changed over the years with the addition of glass roof that has been keeping out the elements since the 1980s and the recently built modern food court just off Durnford Street.

 In recent years the street food part of the market has really taken off with about a quarter of the market now dedicated to foodie delights, with lots of street food traders at the College Approach entrance to the market and a further new food court just off Durnford Street offering anything from hefty beef sandwiches to freshly prepared vegan food.

 At the weekend the market is a really good mix of genuine craft goods with unique bags, plant pots, clothing, soft toys and art work.  Some of the larger markets in London can be a bit generic, but at Greenwich there are lots of original things – most of them sold by the designer makers. A recent visit found a succulents seller who actually grew her own plants and made the pots they were sold in, a young trader selling bags from recycled material that she had expertly sewn and a clothing designer offering a great selection of original skirts and tops in a range of sizes.  Amid all this youthful enthusiasm there is an elderly gent called Kurt, who has been selling leather goods here for donkey’s years, but recently added a great choice of second-hand books to his stall which attracts a good deal of attention from passing bookworms.

   While this market is at its busiest and best at the weekend, it trades throughout the week – the Wednesday craft market and Thursday vintage market are particularly good and well worth a visit if you fancy a slightly less hectic shopping experience.

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

Greenwich High Road (next to the Greenwich Cinema)
http://www.clocktowermarket.co.uk
Twitter: @clocktower_mkt
Open: Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm

Greenwich has changed a good deal over the last 20 years, but while the Village Market and the old Car Boot Sale have succumbed to development, the Clock Tower Market remains very much as it was back in the day. The courtyard is open to the elements, but the traders are hardy bunch and there’s always a reasonable selection of collectables, antiques, vinyl, jewellery, books and vintage fashion to sift through at the weekend.  The customers tend to be quite a mix – young students from the University looking for cheap vintage fashion, rub shoulders with elderly couples on the hunt for an antique spoon or watercolour to add to their collection.  

The market is a great place to look for interesting jewellery and there is always a good choice of books, vinyl, CDs and DVDs for those that have steadfastly refused to go down the digital route for their entertainment.  A good few of the traders are regulars and there’s a friendly atmosphere and plenty of banter with some opportunity to haggle as long as you make a reasonable offer. The market is just a few minutes from the main Greenwich shopping area and well worth visiting – who knows you may find a bargain.

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

Bermondsey Square, between Abbey Street, Bermondsey Street and Tower Bridge Street, SE1 3UN
Tube: Borough, London Bridge (Northern)
Rail: London Bridge
Open: Fridays 6am-2pm

Bermondsey is London's oldest antiques market with origins dating back to before the war, when it traded in a square off Caledonia Road in Islington, which is why some still call it ‘New Caledonian Market’.  Visiting the market today is still a fascinating experience and many of the traders are old timers that have been selling their antiques and collectables here for many years and can tell you about when the market traded from a rough piece of wasteland that once occupied this site.  In recent years the area has been transformed into a smart pedestrian square surrounded by modern flats and offices.  David has been trading at Bermondsey since 1983 and looks on the changes with some scepticism, 'Some people call it progress… I don't!' He tells me while still keeping a smile on his face.

There is some dissonance between the traditional antiques market and its now modern location, but the place still has charm and some vestige of its history that makes it unique and still brings tourists from around the world seeking rare antiquities and collectables.  The tourists usually arrive at their own leisurely pace around midmorning, unaware that most of the serious antique dealing has taken place at the crack of dawn or even by torch light in the winter months.  The early morning trade can involve serious money being exchanged for silverware, jewellery, clocks, glassware, prints, china and porcelain, with a good deal of scrutinising and haggling between traders long familiar with each other and not afraid to argue.

It's less tense and more friendly as the morning wares on and its always fun to visit and observe people from around the world haggle over the value of an item without the aid of a common language.  The traders vary from dedicated specialists who can talk at length about their stock and its value, to more general dealers in all kinds of things from Dinky toys, to old dental equipment and jewellery.  Some of the traders are professionals who also trade at other antique markets in and around London, while a few of the characters here are semi-retired and trading here as much for the fun as to make a living.

The downturn in the antiques trade generally and the upheavals the market has faced in past years have taken some toll, but Bermondsey Market is still a unique and special place and one well worth visiting if only to get a glimpse into another and very different world.

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

Land. They’re not making any more of it, or so we’re told, and in cities even less so – which can make finding a decent garden a challenging proposition. A small, shaded backyard, a long thin strip or a balcony are the most that many would-be urban gardeners can hope for and such unyielding sites often demand a radical approach in order to succeed. A vertical garden could well be the answer, according to garden designer Daniel Bell. He should know, since he is the man responsible for the magnificent ‘living wall’ at the Athenaeum Hotel on Piccadilly, as well as numerous others across London, Europe and further afield.

The Athneaeum’s vertical garden has been delighting hotel guests and passers-by since 2009, when Daniel and his team installed the Patrick Blanc design, and they return four times a year to keep the ten-storey high wallscape in trim. Routine maintenance jobs include weeding out excess volunteers – “we allow wild flowers to stay for a while as we don’t want it to look too manicured”, Daniel explains. Pollution from the busy roadside is another issue, requiring occasional replacements of plants such as choisya which die off after a couple of years or so, while on the other end of the scale less sensitive souls like solanum need to be kept in check.  

 Pruning follows the same seasonal patterns as in horizontal horticulture but other routine tasks like mulching are irrelevant, as are many of the usual tools – “secateurs, kitchen scissors and a staple gun are pretty much all we need up here”, says Daniel, “it’s a low-maintenance garden really, if you consider how much time a comparably sized flower border would require.”

 Gardening ten-storeys above pavement level in central London however requires a bit of forward planning – and a head for heights. The former is simply a matter of logistics and making sure new plants arrive at the same time as the cherry picker; the latter is more of problem for Daniel, who suffers from vertigo. Luckily his passion for plants trumps any misgivings he may have about aerial gardening – “provided I just keep looking at the plants, I’m OK. I get by!”

 For Daniel, plants are one of the main attractions of gardening vertically. “It’s such an interesting way of working,” he enthuses, “It’s really opened me up to plants I hadn’t used before as a designer. Things like Stephanandra incisa, and Iris confusa. Plus you can put a garden absolutely anywhere and that’s really fun!” Daniel proves that last point both at his previous home in Sweden, where he installed a vertical garden inside the dining room walls, and in his latest commissions, which include an underground car park in north London, and a roof garden on the 25^th floor of the new Trump Towers in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

 It’s the versatility of vertical gardening that makes it so relevant to urban sites – low light levels aren’t a problem since there are many shade-loving plants to choose from (Daniel mentions ferns and pachysandra as just two examples), and lack of cultivatable land isn’t an issue since plants are grown hydroponically. London’s warm microclimate opens up the choice of plants even further: “it’s practically tropical compared to Sweden!” notes Daniel, who likes to use as many different plants as he can. One of his favourite subjects for vertical planting are fuschias: “they are fabulous. In London gardens they can start flowering in April, May and they will go right through with only a short dormant period. And you can eat the flowers as well!”

 For those wanting to have a go at vertical gardening, Daniel suggests starting with a small project, planting lavender. He recommends using a simple double-layered felt, made into pockets (this is where the staple gun comes in handy). Carefully pick off all the compost from the plant and make sure the roots touch the felt at all times. “Don’t be tempted to use any soil at all”, warns Daniel, “keep the felt moist and the plant will root into the felt, no problem.” Feed with a liquid food every so often. It is also easy to raise seeds and strike cuttings in the felt, so developing a vertical garden need not be an expensive proposition. For inspiration, simply hop on a number 38, 22, 19 or 14 bus between Hyde Park Corner and Piccadilly Circus, nip up to the top deck and hope that you get stuck in traffic just outside number 116 … you’ll have a ringside view of the finest vertical garden in London.

www.athenaeumhotel.com   T: 020 799 3464

www.danielbell.se

Middlesex Street, Wentworth Street (and adjacent streets), E1
Tube: Aldgate (Metropolitan, Circle),
Aldgate East (District, Hammersmith & City),
Liverpool Street (Circle, Central, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan)
Rail: Liverpool Street
Open: All streets Sunday 9am-2pm,
Wentworth Street only Monday-Friday 10am-2.30pm
(shops, fruit and veg and a reduced amount of clothing and general stalls)

Petticoat Lane was renamed Middlesex Street back in 1830, but the name has stuck largely because this main thoroughfare and the streets leading from it have remained a place for the sale of clothing – what used to be called the ‘rag trade’.  The glass and steel towers of the city now loom in the distance but these modest streets are still home to one of London’s most famous street markets, although now rivalled by Brick Lane and Spitalfields which are both within walking distance.  
    Despite the competition, Petticoat Lane is still impressively big and busy on a Sunday, when thousands of people flock to the market from Liverpool Street Station to buy a cheap outfit or just soak up the atmosphere.  The streets are lined with hundreds of stalls, concentrating mainly on new clothing, shoes and accessories.  Just the sheer amount of people selling shirts or ties is enough to send you into option paralysis.  Price-busting multi-packs of knickers, socks and boxer shorts are everywhere, and there is a massive volume of ladies dresses and separates.  Although most of the clothing is basic street fashion, there are enough well-made and stylish garments to make a trip here worthwhile.  One stall to look out for is the specialist in French Connection seconds and end-of-lines on Wentworth Street, which is popular on a Sunday and is also a feature of Roman Road Market on a Saturday.  

    In places Petticoat Lane resembles the rag market of Victorian times with stalls selling crumpled nylon clothing in large piles for just £1 and an ever changing flow of the East End’s poor sifting through the piles for a bargain.  Many of the traders call out for business with one shouting ‘So cheap you’ll buy it for someone you don’t like’, while another just hollowed ‘cheap, cheap, cheap…’ like a demented canary.  There is more to the market than just clothing however, with quite a few toy stalls selling cheap and tacky plastic stuff for the kids with the occasional quality item showing up here if you’re lucky.  As with everything at Petticoat Lane it’s a matter of looking around.  Petticoat Lane is a good place to find cheap luggage and bags with lots of stalls offering bargains.  In addition, there are always one or two decent shoe stalls offering fashionable and cheap footwear for as little as £20 a pair.

        Petticoat Lane is also well known for the international textile shops, which sell everything from African wax prints to Indian sari fabric.  The prices are very competitive so you can easily afford to do some fairly dramatic curtain-swagging or make yourself a sumptuous dress or skirt.  The Middlesex Road end of the market is also a magnet for demonstrators – the people whose job it is to flog us the fragile hope that our lives will be better if we can shred, shine or sharpen something five seconds quicker.  Few can resist the power of the patter.  Mr Euro-Tool, Mr Shine-Wipe or Mr Borner V-Slicer are performers in the old tradition, so watch, admire and learn.  The evangelists at the Liverpool Station end of Middlesex Street might not have such funky props, but the sales message is just as heartfelt: their energetic sing-songs are now a market staple on a Sunday.
    Although Sundays is the main day for Petticoat Lane, there is a much smaller weekday market that caters for the locals with a limited selection of clothing, fruit and veg and other staples.  The weekday market is a shadow of the Sunday event and only occupies a small part of Wentworth Street.

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

Twitter: @LocalMakers_
Insta: localmakersmarket
www.localmakers.uk
Regular events from April to December

Local Makers is fairly new to the London market scene and are a welcome addition with their enthusiasm and energy.  The markets started in Wanstead, but have now expanded to include Dalston and Hackney Wick.  

The venues vary but the quality of the traders is always very high with some of great local makers offering unique clothes, framed original prints and cards, handmade jewellery and accessories, craft beer, naturally made toiletries and of course more succulents than you can point a cactus at!  The markets take place from the spring until Christmas and are always well publicised on their website and through social media.

It’s great to visit a market run with such generosity with no entry fee and a great little vegan pop-up café offering all kinds of homemade treats. Check out their website for details of the forthcoming events - they are definitely worth making a special effort to visit.

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

www.popupvintagefairs.co.uk
info@popupvintagefairs.co.uk
Twitter & Instagram: @Pop_Up_Vintage
Facebook/popupvintagefairs

Pop Up Vintage Fairs London was founded by fashion enthusiast Maxine Stonehill in 2011 and was voted ‘Best London Vintage Fair’ for three consecutive years in the Vintage Guide to London Awards. They have since won a place in the hearts of London’s vintage hunters.  ‘Pop Up’ is an appropriate name, as the fairs takes place about once a month at a number of grand venues across the city including Wilton’s Music Hall, St Stephens Hampstead, Walthamstow Assembly Hall and Alexandra Palace.
 

The great thing about the Alexandra Palace event is that it runs alongside a large antiques and collectables fair in the vast Great Hall.  There’s a different vibe to the two fairs with the fashionable Pop Up crowd rubbing shoulders with antique enthusiasts looking for anything from train memorabilia to antique clocks.  Of course there’s some cross over with Pop Up Vintage Fairs’ traders selling everything from vintage fashion to mid-century retro homeware so there is something for everyone to enjoy!
 

Whatever Pop Up event you chose, you’re sure to have a great time and find some of the best vintage traders and the kind of glamorous customers that seem to be a walking advertisement for the retro lifestyle.  Take a look at their website to find out about forthcoming events.

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