I love market culture. It is such a breathe of fresh air in the shopping world. In the outdoors, milling from one stand to another, stand owners trying to flog you items for so called ' great deals', haggling... its so different to the generic shop - you are back at the roots of trading, face to face with the trader, and showing them the colour of your money. Not to mention the amazing finds. 
We all know London to have Portabello road, home of the Nottinghill film and carnival. We all know Camden market, home of the hippy, the rebel and the spliff! We even know Spiterfields, home of Brick lane and Indian food! But do you really know Columbia Road market? On a Sunday this old flower market comes to life. One of the smaller markets in London, visiting is a lot more relaxed and you don't have the super rush of a block buster market like Portabello. Columbia street market is really quaint and there is something so terribly English about it. I don't exactly know what it is, or why but because it is one of these hidden gems of the city, I feel it has been preserved.
You walk through the center of the flower market but on the sides are amazing little artisan boutiques. A hat shop that has been around since I was born, a vintage china shop with the most gorgeous retro coffee house behind it, a retro inspired hair dressers that makes any gal go crazy! ( in the style of the pink ladies from Grease), a beautiful boutique filled with hand made jewelry and journals in the shabby chic style. There are no limits in this little avenue of creation. It is almost stuck in a time warp or a romantic movie set where you need to wear a little hat, clutch bag and gloves and carry a bouquet of violets or roses and skim through the antique china picking out tea cups heavily decorated in a baroque fashion.... I could go on forever....This is a must visit When in London!
I love Markets in the springtime.
I love Markets in the fall.
I love Markets in the winter when it drizzles,
I love Markets in the summer when it sizzles.
I love Markets every moment,
every moment of the year.
I love Markets, why, oh why do I love Markets?
Because Columbia Road market is so dear.
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