London is home to many world renowned markets, and it is with great pleasure that I can say I made it to the Spitalfields Market on Sunday just gone.Long before I left Oz, I made a concerted effort to seek out my friends who had lived or travelled in England, to give me useful tips and information about where to go and what to see- and I am so glad now that I did that little bit of research, and am extremely grateful to those who assisted me!
It was my marvellous friend, Mrs. Marla P, who pointed me in the direction of the Spitalfields Market. I remember rambling on to her, in Idi Bidi on Brunswick street, only days before my departure about wanting to check out the Camden Markets, but she was quick to point me in the direction of Spitalfields, saying it was her favourite of all...and now I can see why.
In contrast to the Camden Markets, there are far less touristy-types making their pilgramages, and so you can actually browse without fighting for a viewing position of the goods in the stalls, the produce it's self is varied as well as being really good quality, and the venue where the market is held is clean, tidy and relatively well organised.
The vintage section was especially fabulous- I even managed to find an almost identical replica of a black, beaded vintage handbag (which I found at Episode on Brunswick's Sydney Road before a trip to Tasmania) that I took with me to New Zealand in the winter of 2008- a bag that captivated the nation! The one I found in Spitalfields was in far better condition than my own, and sadly, I didn't have the £ to purchase it- but it's cool to know that there is another one out there somewhere, eh?
My first of two purchases for the day was a 1951 publication of a collection of John Donne's poetry whose Elizabethian prose I studied in Year 12 Literature, and have a particular love for- and whose published works are particularly hard to find, and so I snapped this little gem up for £3! And the second purchase was from Square Pie- an incrediously, scrumdidiliumptious combination of a Beef and Guiness pie (yes Kim- a guiness pie! Bought it thinking of you!), teamed with mushy peas (actually sooo good), mash and gravy... but I'm going back, I tells you, to buy out a selection of Bansky block prints. Oh to have been paid the previous week!
They will be mine, oh yes, they will be mine.
3 comments:
Ange! Just wanted to say whats up and that it is a pleasure reading your blog - sounds like you are having an awesome time.
Stay Classy innit.
Aye Guinness Pie
I still have images of that bag being swung around in that British pub in Queenstown the night we got snowed in... there was definitely a passenger behind that wheel!
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