Wednesday 18 December 2013

Columbia Road at Christmas: Heaven and Hell


It is almost Christmas, hurrah! Work is winding down and everyone here is pondering if the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre really will have live penguins on show as part of its Xmas festivities.

To get a Christmas tree that wasn’t vastly overpriced we headed off to Columbia Road Flower Market last Sunday and were met with a wonderland of winteryness.  I love the smell of Christmas trees and can happily sit by one for ages taking it all in, so was in heaven as there were several forests at either end of the market. There was loads of choice and it was cheap as our 6ft one cost £35, I also then felt super butch flinging it over my shoulder and carrying it back to the car

The whole market was pimped up for Xmas and it is a great place to go if you need hyacinths, Poinsettias or bits of twig...my additional aspirations had been to sneak a couple of large cordylines in the car whilst we were there, but we got so laden up with trees and flowers that we will need a special January trip J

I have been coming to Columbia road for a long time and love it as it is the place for cheap, good plants as there is loads of variety. Over the last few years the shops either side have also got a lot better with some really interesting artisty things to wander through. Our big discovery of the year was Jimbob art

There are many aspects of the market which are heavenly such as the plants (obviously!) and flowers...it’s also a great trip out as we have our favourite things and will always stop for hot calamari and salt beef bagels. It is also so random how it is this fabulous road in the middle of a bit of a gritty estatey area as it is proper east end London and the traders have the banter to go with it (although Im sure they are all post ex-public school people who put it on for the punters). However parking can be a real pain, and there are now so many people there that it gets a bit of a scrum....particularly hellish bits are when overly determined mothers with pushchairs jab your feet or people with bikes try to squeeze by with ‘out of my way bitch’ eyes.... Im also hoping it won’t become a victim of its own success as it is attracting more and more tourists and day trippers who are more interested in the coffee and nick nacks than the plants which will eventually push up rents and change things.

However if you love plants and flowers then go! Especially if you need to flood your house with Christmas!

4 comments:

  1. We've never been but have always pondered on going. One Saturday we'll muster the courage to wake up extra early so we can see this market in the flesh!

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    1. you must you would love it! what else to do on a Sunday? although with Crewes Hill close to you I guess they probably have the same type of bargains.....

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  2. Columbia Road was supposed to be my destination on our second full day in London (September 2012) however it was also a record setting day for rainfall so I abandoned that idea and instead spent a great deal of time at Harrods. I wish things had happened differently.

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    1. Well it gives you a good reason to come back!!

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