I first heard about the Portobello road market though the Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks. I didn’t take much notice at that point to be honest, I was probably around six years old and far too interested in the magic of said bedknob to worry about market shopping experiences. 20 years later however by chance I encountered the market for the very first time.
HOW I FOUND THE MARKET
I currently work the 9-5, it’s not that interesting, but it pays for my travels. On the side I also do a bit of freelance graphic and web design. That usually covers my spending money.
One fine day I was due to meet a potential client who wanted a website built. I was well behaved and stayed in the night before, got up early on the day and made my way via the underground to the agreed meeting place. Smartening myself up I rang the door bell and then waited … nothing. I tried again, still nothing. Maybe I was early, or the traffic was bad … 30 minutes later, still nothing. I then tried ringing the clients phone and again, absolutely nothing. I like to think I’m a patient kind of guy, but I have my limits, and in this case it was 45 mins. I decided the potential client wasn’t coming for whatever reason and decided to leave.
On my way from the tube station to the meeting point and in amongst the brightly coloured houses I’d noticed a few market stalls, but nothing major as it was still very early in the morning at that point. On my way back towards the station however more stalls have cropped up and this street was now awash with people. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d stumbled upon at this point, but as I’d made the effort to get up early and come all this way, I thought it’d be a waste to just go straight home again, so I decided to explore.
THE SIGHTS AND SMELLS
It didn’t take me long to establish which market I was currently wandering through, there is a giant sign that says ‘Portobello Market’, so it’s made pretty obvious. Walking along, hundreds of ‘del boys’ and girls’ ply their trade, trying to shift goods in a fashion Lord Sugar would be proud of. Everything is up for grabs, music, art, phone accessories, clothes, memorabilia … the list goes on. Some stall owners are quite forceful and try to guide you by putting their arm around your back, others try turn on the charm or cockney whit. The ones I prefer just let you have a look without feeling they need to engage you the moment you step within 30ft of their stall. I feel more inclined to buy if I’m left to my own devices. All the characters add to the magic of the market though, and even though I didn’t purchase anything from these people, they at least put a smile on my face.
The food stalls smell incredible, even though its early I purchased a chorizo and mozzarella wrap. Not my usual breakfast but it sounded and smelt too good to pass on. Munching on such a delight, I continued my walk and took in some of the sounds as well as sights. Buskers are not uncommon along the sides of the road, some of them aren’t half bad either. If it had been the afternoon, I might have gone into one of the road side pubs and got myself a beer to listen to the musicians with. That’s another great thing about the road the market is on, it’s not just market stalls, but shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs, salons, it’s got the whole shopping experience, just without the lame shopping centre feel (for a painful, sole less shopping experience like that, try Westfield’s down the road in White City).
As the day wore on the road got more and more busy, by lunch time I had reached the end of the road and it was time to leave. I was gutted that the road didn’t go on further, it had a slightly magical feel as if it would go on forever, it was a little hidden oasis in the city. I imagine the sunshine helped with that feeling, but that’s the same with a lot of markets. If you’re planning to go to only one market whilst visiting London, this should be the one you choose, it’s definitely my favorite.
RE-VISIT VALUE
I wouldn’t say the market is a one time only experience. I’ve been back a few times and would happily go again. There’s always different stalls, different buskers etc, so if it’s sunny and the funds are low going back to the market is definitely something you should consider.
Photos by alexhealing, njaminjami and Cristiano Betta
