Forget the British high street and the big fashion houses – make the most of the markets on your doorsteps around England, even in York, and especially in our capital city!
Before you blow that entire loan on takeaways, train journeys and tiresome bills, bring your bartering skills to the fore and embrace the atmosphere of the market, taking part in a more ethical and exciting way to trade. In a world of one-click ordering, the efficiency of Amazon Prime and the weekly Ocado delivery, the British marketplace is a magical world in which a wonderful diversity of cuisine, creativity, couture and culture is enabled to mingle, to be displayed, and to be shared. In opting out of mass-produced products, you can support individual artisans, sub-cultures and traders.
You don’t have to travel far: York itself has much to offer. Look out for the annual festive St. Nicholas Fayre in the heart of Parliament Street in the city centre as you tackle your Christmas shopping list this year and let yourself be assaulted by the range of gift ideas and the smell of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts. Although a highlight of the calendar, this is just one market held in York where foodies can delight in barbecued venison and boar, craft-lovers can peruse a proliferation of stalls specialising in jewellery, knitwear, leather and pottery to name a few. Buskers perform in their element, and even the keen historian can wander over to the re-created medieval market in Barley Hall. It is worth looking out for advertising for vintage fairs, similar bazaars and pop-up events throughout the year, for example at Easter. This summer the York International Food market brought us Rastafarians and jerk chicken alongside French crepes in the sunshine. Keep an eye on http://www.whatsonyork.com/ for details for your diary!
Forget the institutionalised punk trends put forward by big fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy and Versace – real punk fashion started with safety pins and Vivienne Westwood’s little sex shop on the King’s Road…Here the internet can be a useful tool for sharing goods. Hit www.rebelsmarket.com for pieces by small businesses – the tattoo and skull print knickers by Monsterdam, and a somewhat worrying Hannibal Lector mask by Jaded Minx are just two examples of a range of styles with a punky twist; from burlesque and goth-wear to hipster or hippy chic.
Head to London for more inspiration (worth a special trip for a fruitful trawling session) to the mainstay locations for the market-lover – to Spitalfields, Portobello, and Camden Town. Nowhere is such an assortment one-off fashion and lifestyle accessories so accessible and affordable, and essentially, jumbled! This is the level playing field of fashions in which the consumer is in charge. In easy reach of Spitalfields, Petticoat Lane and the Columbia Road flower market is Brick Lane – an essential stop if the combination of the bazaar and Indian cuisine appeals. The Facebook page ‘I Love Markets’ provides updates and inspiration for days out in London for other marketophiles.