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14 July 2006

Romford I love this place. [More:]It's not just the sights, but the sounds, the market traders yelling ("Gitchore lahvurly nahnas 'ere, only a pahnd"), the busy-ness of it all, and the smells too, of the fruit stalls, the flower stalls, the stalls selling burgers and mystery-meat sausages.

I love, too, the way everyone totally ignores the fact that the UK is meant to have gone metric years ago. Everything is still sold in pounds, ounces, yards, feet and inches. Some of the traders even call out in old money ("Grapes, only ten bob a pahnd") Fantastic place.
What a lovely set!!!
posted by Specklet 14 July | 14:27
Oh man! I'd love to stroll through there with you, jan. What struck me was how well everyone was dressed. How often is it on? Once a week?
posted by deborah 14 July | 16:03
Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, deborah. Street markets are a great part of English life.
posted by essexjan 14 July | 16:32
I can remember going to these markets. My grandmother used to take me to the ones on the High Road in Woodford Green (Upper left in map.)
She used to live here, in the set of apartments that are over the stores (the series of square roofs that are in the centre of the picture). She lived under the dark grey roof, third from the right. I can remember having to climb a long wrought-iron staircase to get there. In the buildings across the alley (just south of the buildings, where there are a few cars parked) are garages. Her neigbour, Jim, was a chauffeur. He once picked us up at the airport in his Bentley, looking very dignified - made us feel right special! Very old, had two sets of seats in it like a limo. The market we went to was amazing. As I was only 15, I can remember being overawed by the overload of people and smells and (not unpleasant) noise and the thousands of things people had to sell.
In short, love the pics essexjan - obviously they take me back. :))
posted by Zack_Replica 14 July | 20:29
I know exactly where your grandma used to live, my optician is now in that parade of shops and I live just a few miles from there. I didn't know there was ever a market on Woodford High Road, there isn't one now, and I've lived round here for many a year. Is it possible you mean Walthamstow High Street - a very long street market, long and narrow, with stalls on either side?
posted by essexjan 15 July | 02:37
Could very well be... as it's been over two decades since I've been back, it's all a little hazy. The "very long" part sounds familiar, and I've probably got the names mixed up.
posted by Zack_Replica 15 July | 04:28
The tubes are boring me || Inferno d'chewy

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