Covent Garden is known for being a part of London full of designer shops, and fancy restaurants. Wander around this area and it’s all Chanel, Burberry, and Louis Vuitton as far as the eye can see. But, if you visit on a Monday, you’ll find something quite different from the usual finery.
Every Monday the Apple and Jubilee markets at Covent Garden make way for antiques! Once home to fruit and vegetable sellers back in the day, these markets are usually home to stalls selling handmade wares and lots of touristy kitsch. The antiques you find on Mondays are a refreshing reprieve from what you find the rest of the week. They tend to set up a bit later than most markets, so if you end up there too early, just wait until closer to 11 or 12. I thought that being there around 10:30 would be late, but half the sellers were still setting up their wares.
Most of the sellers are peddling jewellery, silver cutlery and other tableware. You can find the odd stall with some artwork, or other housewares, but it’s almost all the same stuff. I almost bought some vintage Kuba cloth fabrics but was unable to get a hold of Richard before heading home. Maybe they’ll still be there next time? £20 (asking price, which means there’s room to reduce) for Kuba cloth isn’t too bad! Now I just need to find someone selling mali indigo fabrics and I’ll be sorted!
So if you happen to find yourself in the heart of London on a Monday, and wish to look at something other than brand names, why not stop by? Even if you’re not too into antiques, you can still peruse the fancy perfume and tea shops located in the market, or listen to the music! There’s always a musical quartet or some such, playing in the East Collonade of the market. When I first arrived a woman was singing opera! She was amazing!