Markets

Phil Taylor

Say "London" and many people think "markets", thanks to some famous films over the years. Most people know of Portobello Road (from Mary Poppins and Notting Hill) and perhaps Borough market, which has been used as a location for many films including Bridget Jones' Diary. Of course these markets were and are real, and make a great place for a weekend day out. But they should only be thought of as an introduction - somewhere to start your market experiences. There are many many more markets to be discovered around the UK, and there are several main types:

- wholesale markets (for restaurants and shops to buy their supplies at - usually open early in the morning)
- normal "fruit and veg." (vegetable) markets
- bric-a-brac or flea markets (selling almost anything)
- farmer's markets (where farmers and food makers sell their produce directly to the public)
- flower markets etc.

However, there are also lots of occasional, special themed markets which we'll look at later. But first let's start off at some of the more well-known markets of London before we roam further to discover some of the lesser known but no less fascinating spots around the UK.

London Markets

One of the best places in London for food (perhaps for a picnic) is the farmer's market at Borough Market on a Friday afternoon or Saturday. There are also some good restaurants and food shops in the area too. Another great one if you prefer to stay north of the river is the farmer's market in Islington.

Somewhere not so famous but a nice place to walk around is Columbia Road Flower Market, which runs on Sunday mornings. There are some good cafes for breakfast in this area too. From here you can walk down Brick Lane which is famous for curry and a great bric-a-brac market on Sundays.

Covent Garden no longer has a real market, and is really aimed at tourists now, but to see what it used to be like in the days Alfred Hitchcock used it in his films, head over instead to Spitalfields Market. On a Sunday here you can buy art, crafts, books and much more - as well as fruit and vegetables of course.

The Tsukiji of London is Billingsgate fish market which starts at 5am, and is open to the public. Another early and very historic market is Smithfields meat market. It's open from 4am, and the local pubs are allowed to sell beer with breakfast, from 6 o'clock in the morning! To the north, Camden Market is another famous one. It is perhaps a little crowded and touristy these days, but still good for cheap clothes, collectibles, music and souvenirs on Saturdays and Sundays.

If you walk around almost any area in central London on weekday mornings, you'll probably come across some very down-to-earth markets. These are great places to buy your supplies and to see some interesting London characters! There are usually markets around Edgware Road (W2), Leather Lane (EC1), Whitechapel (E1), Walthamstow (E17), Brixton (SW1), East Street (SE17), Fulham (SW6) and Shepherd's Bush (W12).

Other market towns

A lot of towns in England are known as "market towns": some even have the word as part of their name (for example Market Harborough in Leicestershire, or Market Drayton in Shropshire). These are small towns which, unlike villages, were historically allowed to hold markets, often in a special market square or "marketplace". Nowadays too, these towns often have markets at least once a week. Local newspapers and websites list the days and times.

Themed markets

Themed markets are often the most interesting. In late November and early December there are many Christmas markets all over the country. There is a German style one in Birmingham, and another famous one in Lincoln. Many cities including Edinburgh, York, Durham, and Bath hold Christmas markets around the old cathedral areas, which look very beautiful at this time of year decorated with Christmas trees and lights. These markets often have a Victorian theme too - sellers dress in old-fashioned clothes, groups sing carols and there are traditional crafts and hot snacks on sale. Rochester (in Kent) holds a well-known "Dickensian Christmas market".

Market English and customs

At many markets, especially the more simple fruit and veg markets, you might find it hard to understand the very quick, loud calls of the sellers who often shout out the prices of their goods to try to entice passersby to make a purchase. For example, what might at first sound like "Getcha bananas ear, luvlee narnas! Too-pounda-pounda bana-nas!" is actually "Get your bananas here, lovely bananas! 2 pound(s) (for) a pound of bananas!" meaning that you can buy 1 pound (about 500 grams) of bananas for 1 pound. Although, by law, sellers must now use metric measurements (kilos and grams), many might still like to use the older system of pounds and ounces.
Stall keepers usually call women "love" and men "mate", and if customers seem interested, stall holders will often try the hard sell, perhaps saying "OK luv, I've got some luvlee apples ﾔere too, ﾔow about it?" ("Would you like to buy some apples too madam?" in standard English). If you're not interested you can just say "Not today thanks" or "That's OK"

When you ask for something at this kind of market, you don't need to worry about being too polite - just use simple expressions like "2 kilos of apples please" or "How much are the lemons?" Remember that it's not usual to ask for discounts (or "haggle") at most kinds of markets, except at bric-a-brac markets where people are selling used goods.