Portobello Market London - A Very Real "Otherworldly" World

By Margret Gunnarsdottir

I never meant to buy anything! So how come I returned from the

Portobello market to my especially chosen cheap hotel with two

exquisite (and much too expensive) 200 years old candlesticks?

I didn't have any object at home older than 10 years...

I blame it on the otherworldly atmosphere. I blame it on the

friendly and interesting faces of the stall owners. I blame it on

my travel companion who kicked me in the side and said: "Come on,

you know you want it!"

If you love browsing, especially older things, you should really

pamper yourself and visit this extraordinary place in London,

Portobello Market, Notting Hill: http://www.portobelloroad.co.uk/

It is said to be the biggest antique market in the world. Over

1500 shops and stalls selling everything you can possibly think of

- IF the thing is old. And most of them belong to the Portobello

Antique Dealers Association. Be prepared to enter another world!

When?

The market itself is open on Saturdays but the shops on the

Portobello Road are of course open six days a week.

Early on Saturday mornings, at about 5:30 am you'll see the place

awaken. The Antique dealers deal among themselves and some of them

even come from other countries to attend.

Most of the stall owners are there at 8:00 and around 9:00 the

Londoners and travellers like you and me are already there with

curious faces and excitement shining in their eyes. The market is

very much alive and will remain so until late in the afternoon.

How?

Portobello Road lies 3 kilometres west of Marble Arch and it is

very easy to get there. If you take the underground you can exit

at Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City) or Notting Hill Gate

(Central, Circle and District trains).

What

When browsing this extremely interesting market you will notice

things that'll cost you from just a few pounds up to several

thousand pounds... depending on what you are looking at. So what

attracts you? Candlesticks? Books? Articles made of glass?

Watches? Jewelry? Silverware and cutlery? Wonderful old

telephones? Victorian furniture? Clothes? Or simply some fruit

and vegetables? (Not antique though...)

I've already admitted it. I did buy something although I didn't

mean to. Honestly. I saw these beautiful 200 years old bronze

candlesticks at stall nr. 155 where Mrs. Elizabeth Pullman kindly

assured me that yes, they were original and yes, they were

exquisite. I finally decided that these were the candlesticks of

my life when I found out that Mrs. Pullman was Danish and had been

attending her stall every Saturday for the last 30 years. Don't

ask my why. I just decided.

Code of Practice

Mrs. Pullman was keen to educate this strange Icelandic traveller

and told me among other things about the Antiques Dealers

Association Code of Practice. A most interesting reading:

http://www.portobelloroad.co.uk/aboutpada.asp

And of course I got a detailed description of my candlesticks on

my receipt as it says in the Code of Practice along with the

price, where they were bought etc.

My beautiful and memorable candlesticks now have their place of

honor in my apartment and every time I look at them I recall with

much joy this funny little world, real but otherworldly of the

Portobello market and stall nr. 155.

Margret Gunnarsdottir is an Icelandic information professional and

tour leader in various countries in Europe.

Margret offers passionate, independent travelers to London an excellent

and easy way to organize their trips and travels through her website

Europe Toolbars. Click here to grab your London toolbar!

http://www.europetoolbars.com

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