The first research trip for my London travel book. I thought I would start with something smaller in scale but fascinating. Piccadilly Market at St. James’s Churchyard on a Tuesday (antique market) was proved to be a perfect choice.
There are about 25 stalls, which are mostly run by friendly older people. The atmosphere is relaxed; no hassle from stallholders and very little bargaining. Yet, it is busy enough to make visitors feel comfortable and welcome to browse around.
One of the stalls I found sells Russian hand-made items such as Russian Dolls and leather bags. Another stall sells collectable cigarette cards and old postcards from all over the world. I tried to look for an old postcard of Hong Kong but the stallholder said they were really popular and she did not have anything in stock. Apparently, most of the postcards from that stall are from 1950’s or earlier. Favourite topics for collectors include cats, dogs and sports.
Visitors can also find clothes, accessories, jewellery, perfume bottles and silver cutlery.