My Market Weekender-Bender

When I’m feeling a bit down, useless or agitated, there’s nothing I like better than a proper market binge. After a busy month in September, I finally got my hands on the market scene last weekend. And there’s nothing I recommend more!

STOP ONE: BRIXTON FOOD FEST

The first stop came in perfect time for our grumbling tums, as Brixton Station Road Market turned into a multicultural haven for food. The festival had been running all week (Cocktail Wednesday was on earlier in the week, needless to say I was gutted to miss that one), but this very special international event had been opened by the Mayor of Lambeth, Mark Bennett.

You said it Brixton!

While the BF went straight for the pulled pork burger, I was delighted to find The Bounty of Mimir’s Well, a table of what seemed to be magical preserves and jams. Presented with the choice of trying the light kiwi jam or the dark kiwi jam, I was dared by Feaghall, the creative mind behind it all, to try the dark. Quite frankly the easiest dare I have ever accepted, the flavours and textures in this gorgeous thing are surely enough to swing a jam-hater’s mind. I would take this forfeit in spin the bottle any day!

The lovely people at The Bounty of Mimir's Well

STOP TWO: CRAFTY FOX

A couple streets down was one of my favourite markets of all time, Crafty Fox at the Dogstar Pub. What I love about this place is that I always discover something I never had before, and the creativity over the three floors really does force you to challenge your own imagination. In a nice, inviting way of course!

The usual foxy character welcomes us outside the Dogstar

Working from the top down, I was delighted to find Blonde Fox Vintage amongst the printing workshops. Very tempted by their Christmas jumpers, they had a sparkling offer of genuine vintage delights, which oozed temptation from every rail (vintage is to ILM as chocolate is to…ILM). Talking of temptation, down one flight of stairs were the fabulous Teas Knees who have been popping up at the market since it began. Resisting the generously sized cream teas, I chose a Sticky Toffee Cupcake for only £2.

Yes, I had it with a pint of Blue Moon. I was in a pub after all!

The next thing to almost flaw me was one of my most exciting discoveries of the day; Caleigh-Ill and their Russian Owl Dolls. Mesmerised by their dark, vibrant designs, I had to tear myself away from their stall. All their work is brilliant!

ILM BOUGHT:

Robin Ring by Kirstin Stride

For £10, this is the cutest thing I have ever seen. If Robins aren’t for you, designer Kirstin offers all kinds of little birds – and if you don’t like birds, she does other things too.

Bird Sticker by Birds in Hats

I love finding Birds in Hats at Crafty Fox as – well, there’s just nothing better than a bird in a hat. Designer Alice Tams was literally sitting by her stall designing one of her Christmas birds which was a great little insight into her process. I troubled her to by a £1 BIH sticker, which is now perching proudly on my laptop, under my I Love Markets sticker – TRUE STORY.



Virgo Constellation Card by Sabrina Kaici



I almost jumped up and down in excitement when I got to Sabrina's stall. As a bit of a moon, star and constellation freak myself, Sabrina showed me what her amazing moon print looked like under the tablecloth; the answer was it GLOWS IN THE DARK. Apologies for letting my inner geek out, but I was devastated to have already gone past my budget to purchase this. I instead opted for one of her lovely constellation cards, at a very affordable £2.50. She does all the constellations, so go see her if you have a friend’s birthday coming up (or get your own constellation… for yourself… like I did).

STOP THREE: VINTAGE KILO SALE

A quick sleep at the end of the day, and I was ready to get up on a sunny Sunday morning and make my way down to York Hall in Bethnal Green for October’s Vintage Kilo Sale. ILM readers will already know my emotions towards this worthy event, which charges you vintage by the weight, rather than the item (£15 a kilo). Enjoying the vintage shockers as much as I did the little gems of finds, I finally managed to get my Christmas jumper!

For £15 a kilo, I must have got this jumper for a couple of pounds!

STOP FOUR: VILLAGE GREEN MARKET

This pic of Signature Brew's stall does not do the length of their queue justice!

Closing off the weekend was a bus ride to Hackney Downs and joining the newly born Village Green Market, which is ran by our friends the Creative Network Partners. October meant OKTOBERFEST and a celebration of German food and drink. I was absolutely staggered to see the queue for Signature Brew, who were offering beautiful ales for a modest £4.50. Beautiful however must have been an understatement as the queue literally snaked around the market – suggesting to me that this was by far the most popular find of my market weekend. Although we didn’t make the queue, I fulfilled my need for beer by indulging in this delicious Lager and Lime Bunt Cake, which was only £1.50!

Delicious Lager and Lime Bunt Cake

Making my way through all the individual and pretty crafts and fashions, I found a pop-up shop housing beautiful products from a number of independent designers. The range also included our very own Juan is Dead.

Jorge Playing Poker, Ceramic Tile by Juan is Dead, £12

I rounded off the day with another quick shot of vintage (it’s like caffeine to me), by popping into Smoking Gun Vintage, which was another interior shop space incorporated into the Village Green. This really brought out my inner magpie as I was captivated by all the sparkle from all those decades ago; for a small space, the geniuses behind the shop squeezed a lot of treasures inside. The BF wouldn’t let me buy anymore vintage though… I don’t blame him. 

All that marketeering and I didn’t even get a hangover!


Hollye Murphy

Soho Flea Market 2013

Design and lifestyle blogger, Geraldine Tan visits the Soho Flea Market and shares her stand-out stall holders!

Today, after work, I was determined to have a daughter-mother day. Especially since my dear daughter had only just returned from her one week holiday to Mallorca with her best friend and family.

We decided to explore the Soho Flea Market together. This is an annual Summer market selling vintage furniture and new designs in London’s Dean Street. The weather was looking up. Summer had arrived at last !

My daughter’s eyes lit up when she saw the Meringue Girl’s stall. The stall was run by Alex and Stacey, both trained chefs who have catered for major celebrity clients like Vogue and Alexander Mc Queen.

The Meringues came in a range of infused flavours such as Pistachio/Rosewater, Lavendar, Passion fruit, Raspberry, Lemongrass/Ginger, Matcha and coconut.

My daughter had an Ultimate Eton Mess which comprised of the meringues combined with fresh strawberries, vanilla cream, coulis and freeze dried raspberries. It was so delicious, she had a second helping.

The next stall that caught my eye was Roam which sold bespoke 100% Scottish cashmere blankets and knitted accessories.

We bought the blue bear and pink bird, after feeling how soft and comforting they were. The blankets were also heavenly.

As we strolled down the street, there were amazing bursts of vibrant colours. I love how these shades of blues and greens combine to stunning effect.

If you are looking for a colourful floral lampshade, then The Baobab Tree is the place to visit.

Set up by Heidi Awford, these bespoke pieces of home furnishings are made from collected vintage fabrics dating from the 1950s onwards.

I love signage and typography, so was instantly drawn to the Something Or Other stall. The clean cut lines of the black and white perspex alphabets above would be perfect for a Contemporary Scandinavian interior.

One of the vintage letters above would be perfect for styling a corner or used to create an interesting vignette.

These ties from Emma Ashford were so colourful and fun, I simply had to take a shot. They are designed by Emma Fenton Villar.

Hope my husband doesn’t read this, as my daughter has purchased the yellow Rosie Lea Goldfish silk tie with the teapots for Father’s day.

Well, my dear daughter didn’t leave the market empty handed. She got the Bear sweatshirt above from a wonderful brand Monster Threads that we so happily discovered. The designer for this item is Jan Avendano, a Canadian graphic designer from Toronto.

Monster Threads is an Australian art print apparel label. The illustrations for their clothing are created by a carefully curated group of leading Australian and international artists.

My son got the T-shirt above, designed by Patricio Betteo, an illustrator from Mexico City.

The prints from Eight Bear by Katie Viggers were also one of our favourite finds. I couldn’t decide between the bear or the bird print but finally settled for the bear. Which one do you like?

These blocks by Eight Bear are so beautiful. I think too beautiful to play with. I would display them proudly on a shelf. This is the prototype, they will be produced for sale in the coming weeks.

I hope you have enjoyed following us on our jaunt through the soho flea market. I can’t wait to go again next year. The great weather was the icing on the cake.

Wishing you all a wonderful week.x

Geraldine Tan, visit her blog, Little Big Bell.

LONDON has lots of fab weekly markets, click here to discover them.

See the I Love Markets events calender to see upcoming special market events!   

P.s, check out Made In Chelsea stars, Caggie Dunlop and Proudlock both stalling! 

 

Fleas Please: Angel Flea Market

What I love about flea markets is that they recognise all markets are different, and bring that all together under one roof (or sky, if it’s outside). They define the word eclectic and have the capacity to draw different audiences, communities, stallholders together. You can get your beautifully handmade designer-maker products, sift through wardrobes full of vintage and rummage through strange piles of who-knows-what.. and that’s exactly what I did at Angel Flea Market on Sunday 19^th May.

The sun was shining over the Candid Café courtyard and the atmosphere reflected it. The market, which had taken over Candid Arts Trust for the day, was brimming with families, individuals and casual passers-by who happened to be taking a stroll through Angel on this sunny Sunday.  This reiterates my sentiments exactly; flea markets are great because they can and do attract individuals from all walks, all captivated by the magic of the stories behind the stalls.

One such stall was Oh Squirrel, a beautiful designer-maker brand that uses paper and textiles to create enchanting cards, tags, bags and others. I chatted with Katie Wagstaff, the founder, to see how she got Oh Squirrel started... it turns out from a New Year's resolution. She says:

"I have always made cards and gifts, but never had the time nor the confidence to do it on a larger scale. I dipped my toes in the pond and became hooked. On my first sale, I waited until the customer was a food few yards away before doing starjumps, I was so excited! As I got more interest, I started doing different markets, and that illusive time I struggled to find I made - it's amazing what you can do in a day! At Christmas last year I did Vintage markets in Hampstead, Angel & Spitalfields which were all incredible. However, two of my favourite events to do are very local to my home in Crouch End, which are Barboot and Harringay Market, and I have met so many of my wonderful customers this way."

 

One of Oh Squirrel's market stalls

What I love about Katie’s work is that they really capture the sense of old and new, imaginatively put together to create something lovely – and in essence then becomes another analogy for what the market stands for. Katie shares our love for markets: 

“Being a Yorkshire girl, I was brought up around markets, and some of my fondest childhood memories are of hunting for fabrics and trims on Wakefield market. When I started to sell my products, the first channel I went through was markets, and a year on it still remains my favourite way of selling. I love meeting my customers, and it always surprises me at how broad the spectrum is! It's great to meet other traders too...Markets are so important as it means anyone can start selling without the expensive 'bricks & mortar' commitment, and they are a wonderful tool for building an important sense of community.”

You can visit her beautiful website here.

Some of the lovely Badge Cards for sale by Oh Squirrel

After moving through the bustle of downstairs I was led by twinkling fairylights up to the bright, upper level. There was a definite studio feel here, which was most probably aided by the artworks for sale against the wall, all at a bargaintastic £5 or £10. 

Art for £5, anyone?

There was a lovely eating and seating area, brought to life by the sunlight shining through the coloured glass bottles on every table. Upstairs was where you needed to go if you were in the mood for having a proper dig through the wares of the sellers; seemingly strewn across the floor you could see movie posters next to TV screens next to wires that probably collectively fitted everything and anything – although I didn't envy anyone trying to find the wire the wanted! There was even a box of things for free; although sadly, I didn’t need any ring binders that day!

My triumph of the day was finding a striking 20s-esque bag in exchange for one five pound note. I want to arrange a night on the tiles purely so I have the chance to bring it out in public.

Seller-wise the stalls were a decent £25 and seemed to include the freedom to setup anywhere you liked – stallholders were selling their wares off radiators, on the floor and under tables. But there was nothing chaotic about this; just the vibrant atmosphere that demonstrates what fleas are about, and that draws you in to return again and again. I know I will!

Outside Candid Cafe

http://www.ilovemarkets.co.uk/london/events/angel-flea-market 

http://www.ohsquirrel.co.uk

Hollye Murphy 

Savvy shoppers head to market!

During hard times there really is no better place to shop than at your local markets and that’s where all savvy shoppers should be heading. In my local Sainsbury’s Local they charge me 45p for an apple, down Chapel Market or Brick Lane I can buy a whole bowl full for just £1 and it doesn’t mean quality is compromised either! 

 = 

The price of food has rocketed in supermarkets, but in comparison you feel the squeeze a lot less at the market and prices don’t seem to have increased by the same degree. On Friday I bought two average quality hollow fibre pillows for just £6 from Chapel Market in Islington, London, I don’t think even Primark can compete with that!

The week before I bought a fantastic silk warehouse dress for just £3 from a Portobello street seller on Friday. Not only did it help out a local trader, it also kept me off the high street and saved me from spending £30+ on a new dress that I’d probably only wear twice.

"Shopping at markets fulfils your fix and you don’t get guilt pangs afterwards" 

I’d advise any shopaholic to hit the market next time rather than the High Street and see if you can achieve the same. Look at this gorgeous DKNY skirt i bought at a Brick Lane sample sale, only £10!!

Not only will you buy more for your money, but you’ll also have a cleaner conscience. Getting ripped off on the high street makes you angry!

Another important point worth mentioning is that some traders at design and fashion markets like Spitalifields Market or the Sunday –Up on Brick Lane will also sell their products on the High Street but at a much higher cost. Yesterday I spoke to a stall holder from Celebrity Mirrors. He was selling his lovely compacts at the market for just £10, Harrods are selling them for £25. I cannot encourage people to do this enough!

If i haven’t convinced you yet, here are:

ILM's 5 top reasons why you should head to a market near you!

1. Shopping at markets supports the livelihood of local, real people, which means you’re giving something back to your community.
2. Markets are cheaper. You can find the same stuff as on the high street but at a fraction of the cost.
3. Markets offer an enjoyable and unique shopping experience. Embrace the culture! 
4. Take a bite to eat. How sick is everyone of Prêt a Manger, McDonalds, Eat, bla blab bla -try something different at your local market 
5. Fulfil your need to shop and have a clean conscience!

All you need to do is find out which market to head to? Roman Road, Chapel Market Islington, Leather Lane Market, Petticoat Lane, Camden Markets, Portobello/Goldthorpe Rd, Old Spitalfields, Greenwich, Brick Lane, Broadway Market to name a few, you really are spoiled for choice!