Sunday Morning, and I’m not talking Sunday morning “I woke up at 3pm because it’s Sunday and I throw caution to the wind on the weekend because that’s essentially what I’m living for”. I’m talking 5am Sunday morning. The likelihood is you’re stumbling around, kind of near to your home but still with a long, challenging journey ahead. You’ve most likely acquired some fried chicken and enduring the battle of keeping balance or keeping chips. Unfortunately the latter is sacrificed leaving a trail of your BNO (Big Night Out) behind you. No shame. However Sunday mornings aren’t summarized as “Complete Bants” during the WhatsApp group debrief for everyone. Some people are grafting, some people have been up since 04:30am preparing for a day of hard graft. Where will you find these people? They don’t exist you might say, they’re insane, you can cry. Yet you’ll find them, and you’ll find them on none other than Columbia Road. Just like death and taxes, in blistering sunshine or that bizarre rain (the kind that hurts but you don’t want to say anything and sound pathetic so you let it cut away at your face) they’re there, every Sunday. Your typical market street scene but it’s protected by a charming jungle of greens to meander down. But what makes this market different to other markets? The traders, friendly as a pie with an additional topping of cheeky. Chipper from 8am right through to the end. They’ll make you feel like you’re the only girl in the world. That is until someone else comes along to look at the hydrangeas. The Columbia Road flower market is the perfect juxtaposition. Pitch holders bellowing “fourforafiverlove” in amongst a gorgeous oasis of delicate flowers and plants. Famous for foliage, it has some of the most exotic plants and flowers on offer, you’ll think you’ve been transported to Kew Gardens, but the East End colloquialisms will bring you back.
Columbia road offers so much more than just being a flower market. It is complimented by quaint shops, antiques and Deli’s, there are treasures to be found throughout. After the hustle and bustle along with lengthy negotiations (Negotiations worthy of The Apprentice, Lord Sugar would probably, definitely hire you) with east end market holders and decisions whether to play it safe and get the Amaryllis or to throw the rule book out and buy the Banana Tree. Why not settle down and let an Indie folk duo playing a Ukulele and a Banjo serenade you with some original material? You’ve worked hard today, sit on the curb, guilt free and relax with a glass of red from the local bar, Painters and Stationers. Soak in the ambiance, whilst guarding your Banana Tree that is going to bring your home to life and it was the right decision. You sit back and your only thought is “This is how you do Sundays” well that and maybe “Joan in Accounts is going to be so impressed when I bring in a homemade, home grown Banana loaf, so she went on Masterchef, big deal.” Meanwhile our fragile feeling friends from before are probably five episodes deep in a Netflix series they’re not even enjoying, questioning whether or not to order a Dominos.
Top Tip
At around 4 o’clock traders are tired, understandably they want to pack up and go home which means the sale is on. This is prime time to pick up some bargains, Orchids for a pound, two bunches of flowers for a pound, its carnage. You’ll think you’ve pulled off the biggest hustle of the day and in fairness you probably have.
erlyons 