THE ILM STOCKING FILLER!

The Christmas lights are turning up the heat at London's Markets! Londoner's and visitors to London being lavished with Christmas markets, pop-ups and fairs across London. Soak up some festive atmosphere, forget about the commercial high street and get to market for original stocking fillers

SWEET VIEW from Stokey Sundays. Jack Noels illustrations of London's Boroughs.
 
BEARA BEARA from The Sunday-Up Market in Brick Lane- leather bags of love hand crafted in Bolivia.

ELENA HALL from Brixton Market, Handmade and hand knitted jewellery. Made in Brixton with love.

VINTAGE BETTY ZEE from We Make London (Old Spitalfields), Vintage  crafty wonders.

GUILTED AND TWISTED, from Stokey Sundays, jewellery with spunk! Great stocking fillers!

PARDON MY ANTIQUES, from the up-coming Dust Fingers Vintage Night Market.

VILLE DE FLEURS, from Greenwich Market,  Sweet smelling Eco-friendly, natural SkinCare Line. 

CHRISTMAS BITES come in all shapes and sizes at London's Markets. Here's what are tummies are rumbing after! 

FRENCH COMPTE, from Borough Market. For a perfectly cheesy Christmas. Delicious cured meats too!

DOWNLAND PRODUCE, succulent joints of beef, pork and lamb. At Broadway Market, Chatsworth Road and Chapel Street Farmers Market on Sunday 

Capocacciaa Fine Food, at Cally Rd and Haringey Market. Bring a taste of Sardinia this Christmas.

Lottie's Bakery, Camden Lock Market, for festive and fun cake pops!

MARKET PICKS!

Fair Christmas Fayre, Saturday 1st Oxford St

Made with Love Xmas Sale, Sat Dec 8th, Dulwich.

Brixton Makers Xmas Market, Sat 8th Dec, Brixton

Dusty Fingers Vintage Night Market, Tues 18th, Hackney

Christmas Designers Market, Sat 15th, Hackney

View the full market events calender. 



TOTALLY MARKETS TOTALLY LONDON  www.ilovemarkets.com

Wood Street Market -E17

I first stumbled upon Wood Street Market a couple of years ago and fell in love with it’s humble East End charm. One of Walthamstow’s hidden gems, it was built in 1912 and it’s indoor parade of quaint shops have remained virtually untouched.

The past year has seen some major changes in the market, and refurbishments have provided a gentle facelift. But the original charm remains in tact! A flock of new traders have taken over the empty booths, and the market is once again a lively hub of activity.

Thankfully, some of the original traders are still there – selling everything from second hand furniture, collectible antiques and vintage records – while the new residents offer a range of arts and crafts.  Customised and vintage clothes, up-cycled furniture, handmade prints and bespoke cakes are just a few of the things on offer in this little treasure.

GiGi’s Dressing Room offers a beautiful range of carefully selected vintage dresses which can be bought or hired for special occasions. The innovative owner also provides a dressing room service where you can be styled for a night out. A selection of fabulously up-cycled furniture and Decopatch lamps are also on sale under the sparkling piles of vintage jewellery. It's like being in Aladdin’s Cave!

Forsaken Dreams has a great range of retro furniture on offer, all at reasonable prices, as well as some fully stocked racks of vintage clothes. A beautiful selection of handmade cards are also available here, as well as in some of the other shops.

There’s something for the boys too, and once they’ve finished browsing through the piles of records, Carbon 28 will keep them entertained. The design company create ethical hand printed t-shirts and jumpers in a range of cool graphic prints. Their Storm-Trooper art prints would make a great gift for any sci-fi fan, and their DIYnosaur Lamps – a series of build it yourself flat-pack kits – are a touch of genius!

There's lots more on offer, and with new vendors cropping up all the time, it's definitely worth exploring. It's all indoors too, so it's the perfect market for some winter shopping!

When you’re finished, rest your feet in the tea shop or cafe and soak up the friendly atmosphere of the place. A visit to the market makes a perfect afternoon out, and be sure to check out I Love Marketsfor information on up-coming events.

Blog by our roaming market blogger, Amy Exton. Have you registered yet? Come and join us at www.ilovemarkets.com

 

BRICK LANE BITE-SIZE

The many markets of London are splashed with countless things of interest, which to the consumer is a fascinating notion. Tracking through the streets of brick lane and surrounding areas,

the streets are packed with street art, inspired photographers, icons of style, tourists and Londoners. It's not a petite affair - it’s a mass market with many stalls filled with the hustle and bustle of excitement. Welcome to Tower Hamlets home to the mighty Brick Lane! Regular markets include The Sunday-Up Market, Tea Rooms, The Backyard Market, The Vintage Market and the Boiler House as well as street sellers all the way up Brick Lane.

It's very easy to visit all that the area has to offer in one day. We suggest that you start at Spitalfields and work your way over to Brick Lane after. You will come across fashion in many shapes forms and sizes. Velo-Re is a fine example.

You'll also find the hugely popular Embassy Shoes. Beautifully crafted shoes from Lithuania. We love their collection of winter boots! Vintage is vast amongst the stalls within the backyard market and the Sunday up market.

The markets and surrounding areas are intriguing and packed with unique items of interest. From clothing, to Mexican wrestler masks, Brick Lane captures it all! If you're an antiques fan, The Tea Rooms is just the place for you. You'll find it just before the Backyard Market. 

If dainty china turns you on, Plant and Plant may rock your world! We also love Vintage Bus Blinds for a taste of London.

For supporters there are many stalls of interest.  NARCISSUS DESIGN (pictured above) is a design stall specialising in custom-made mirrors, furniture finishes and handmade gilt wallpaper.

We know that you're going to get hungry, that's a given with all the succulent aromas everywhere. Brick Lane is London's curry capital, but save that for the evening! The Brick Lane Boiler House is home to a whole court of food stalls from around the world. 

LA PIADINA PRONTA: Italian food made simple (Italian flat bread) with the best ingredients. The best of Italy brought to you.

And if you're lucky enough to save yourself until you hit the top of Brick Lane, MR SPICY will be waiting for you, with his "Smokin" Caribbean Food.       

I Love Markets brings together London's favourite market areas. Come and join us at, www.ilovemarkets.com

* Special thanks to contributor Effy Williams.