Super Saturday Shopping: Markets

There is nothing more fun than a few hours spent browsing in a local market, often you’ll find weekday professionals indulging their weekend passions. Besides the unexpected products you'll meet some fascinating people; I have met an Hermes executive selling brocante-style French antiques, a brand identity guru with a passion for men’s fashion and a radio presenter who loves mixing up confectionery in her kitchen.

Here are five fabulous markets to check out today;
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North Cross Road Market – SE22 - is a busy hub of street food, fashion crafts and esoteric finds. Look out for the summer must-have brightly patterned shirts from Robin Fashion, perfect for making that style statement at a summer soiree, fudge from Hayley Redmond, the ideal host/ess gift if you are going to friends for supper tonight, and jewellery from jeweller to the stars; Lisa E Moss.

Buy jars of Bee Mercy organic honey, and enjoy some runny honey poured over goats cheese from Moo Town and scout for vintage furniture, pre-loved fashion, brocante bric-a-brac and much more. Check out forthcoming Roullier White blog posts for a more detailed round up of North Cross Road market.

East Street Market is known as ‘the Lane’. One of my most cherished memories is from when I was about five or six, my Father told my mother he was taking me out to buy a paper, which we got and glasses of hot sarsaparilla, we also came back with a little black puppy. Thankfully you can no longer buy pets there, but East Lane is a street market in the old fashioned tradition and great fun, many of the old vendors are still there, today the market is diverse and the atmosphere is busy and jostling. Its great for fruit and vegetables and to hear the market traders tried and tested banter with which they ply their wares.

This Saturday is the randomly occurring Bellenden Street Market; all the events organised by this enterprising group of enterprises prove to be great fun. You do not really need another reason to visit the glorious Bellenden Road, - SE15 - but today there is more reason than ever to run along. I marveled at belts made from recycled bicycle tyres, tucked into cakes from the Macmillian Cancer stall and admired the lengths of vintage fabric outside Threads.

Haynes Lane Collectors' Market is one of London’s best kept secrets, tucked down a turning off Westow Street in Crystal Palace - SE19. This cavernous covered market is a warren of wonders and heaven for lovers of all things vintage. I have a collection of antique books with funny titles: 'Camp Contact', 'Do It Dennis', 'Sand in my Mink' - so I can spend hours in there going through each and every spine. Look out for the lamps and ormolu clocks in Coopers Antiques and Collectibles section.

Brockley Market is a must-go destination for foodies and fans of innovative, forward thinking, entrepreneurial businesses as well as down to earth quality produce. The market is located in the car park of Lewisham College on Lewisham Way - SE4. If you have not been you must go and check out this fabulous festival of food. Whilst you are there grab some handmade Gin and Tonic sorbets from the Ice Cream Union.

See future blogs for more detailed rundowns on each of these markets.

Lawrence’s monthly shopping column appears in the SE Magazines group of publications. Please click here to read on line.