Northcross Road Market

[DaveR]

The cheese stall is outstanding, and I'm also a big fan of the Blackbird bakery. The other stalls...not so much. In particular, ED has no shortage of quirky independent shops selling interesting and decorative stuff (I'm told - it's all the same rubbish to me) so less demnd for broadly the same stuff in the market.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Tapas and sherry - yum.

[sophiesofa]

katie1997 Wrote:

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> Blinkeyblonck - I think any stall offering

> pancakes with a variety of fillings would go down

> well. Especially if it was placed next to the

> lovely coffee stall too. Quick (and inexpensive)

> to produce, and they feel like a treat when

> someone else makes them for you. In fact, I'm

> tempted to set up my own stall now :)

>

> Best of luck.

Another vote for pancakes. Great idea Katie!

[Threadhead]

Just before Christmas one of the stallholders was mugged of her days taking at the end of Saturday trading. The rest of the traders and shops on NCR had a whip round for her (organised, I think, by very friendly Tom who runs the furniture stall) - great example of a community, no?

[DulwichFox]

Perhaps I should just set up my own stall or stalls..

I have enough Books mainly Technical but also novels for a Book Stall..

I have enough Computer Accesories / Cables / PCIs / Sound/Graphics Boards / Flat screens Etc for a Computer Stall.

Plus I can service PCs

I have enough Photographs / Frames / Mounts / For a Photographic Stall.

Plus I can cut photo mounts and frame up Pictures up to A3+.

I have enough Tat for a Tat Stall.

But I live just off of the market and there is no prefrence for locals

when it comes to obtaining a pitch.. Even though there is supposed to be places available.

[maxxi]

Together with the food stalls mentioned I have to say I regularly use Sparkes' van for fantastic Label Anglais chicken (better than anything from W Rose) and their Clonakilty White & Black puddings are wonderful. Also a fan of the little Italian stall sometimes there selling hot/spicy and fennel-flavoured salamis. Agree with praise for the cheese stall, Blackbird, pies, dumplings etc. all good.

For new stalls - would be nice to see stalls offering fresh local produce - I know honey is made locally and sold in delis and I know people are trying to arrange to swap surplus fruit/veg on the forum so why not a community stall(s) which could be leased out by the week as and when local people had a surplus to offer. Doesn't matter if it's somebody's overabundance of damsons/apples/tomatoes etc. or the jam/juice/chutney they make from it - if there's a desire for it then it can be done.

[milliemum]

The bakery stall and the olive stalls are very good and I walk down there especially for a weekend treat most Saturdays. I enjoy pottering round the market myself and would be sorry to see it go.

[Otta]

I always had a little dream of opening a pancake stall / shop in somewhere that people were willing to part with cash for not a lot.

First thought of it whilst working un Guildford years ago, but Dulwich strikes me as the perfect place.

As Jeremy suggested, a kid if savoury and sweet would be good.

I'll never have the guts to do something like this, but I do believe it could be a winner for someone who took the plunge.

[eucalyptus]

Actually, I had a friend staying from Highgate for the weekend and we looked at the market in North Corss Road before having some coffee.... it was only when we were walking back later that we realised some of the stalls were facing the road! I said to him, that jewellery looks gorgeous and he said 'too late, I'm hungry' so we repaired to the EDT for a roast.

So I think the facing the road thing doesn't work much.

[Tarot]

That is how they have always operated in East lane market.

[Blinkeyblonck]

Thanks to those who replied to my questions. Pancakes and waffles etc sounds like a plan!

I'm interested in local produce as well, perhaps looking in to the 'local surplus and swaps' idea in some profitable way. Great ideas!

I'll get thinking because it would be so great to be part of the market. I do know what you're saying about 'twee-ness'- I think beautiful East Dulwich is a little inclined to this. Just as long as we don't get a Cath Kidston opening, I think we're safe! So, if i go ahead, I'l attempt to avoid 'twee' and also all the other gripes put forward. To those who do have gripes with the market, I see your point but I really think that having a problem with this local convenience is better helped by finding positive alternatives don't you think? Moaning about the lack of pavement space and the 'tat' won't change a thing, just annoy people. Suggest something you'd like better!! Also, don't forget that you could be living in one of the many areas of London not lucky enough to have East Dulwich's charms, community and creativity. Of course you could always move to Newham, plenty of pavement space there.

[PipD]

Blinkeyblonck, I??ve recently moved from Nottingham and the city centre has a farmer??s market every month and a German Christmas market each year. The most popular stalls (and by popular I mean all day queues) are the pancake/waffle, German Sausage and Ostrich burger (and assorted ostrich meat). If you did the latter I??d keep you in business single handedly! Chorizo and sherry would do mind you ??

[maxxi]

... and soups! Gazpacho/vichyssoise/chilled watercress etc in summer, fresh oxtail/mulligatawny/chicken etc in winter - and not the crap that comes in cartons.

[Sue]

eucalyptus Wrote:

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>

> So I think the facing the road thing doesn't work

> much.

xxxxx

It's a bit strange because it's half and half at the moment.

[Sam Toucan]

The cool think about markets is that they are casual and haphazard, you never know what you might find. Strolling through a market has a more relaxed vibe than going into a series of shops.

Reading the above posts... too many rules / regulations / controls being discussed IMO. Getting stalls of a particualr type to group together, getting more of this and less of that. Just let the market evolve in its own way.

[the-e-dealer]

I've got loads of Tat.

[Ridgley]

There are stalls that do have tat and they are very over priced, the market does not really cater for a lot of people it is quite limited. As for your post in suggesting any stall ideas how about more exotic food stall Falafels are very popular I think that will go down very well.

It a hit were I work in Brick Lane.

[Sue]

Ridgley Wrote:

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> There are stalls that do have tat and they are

> very over priced,

xxxxxxx

I guess people must be paying those "over priced" prices round here, however, or the stalls would disappear.

I think it would be a pity if the market became a mass of stalls selling cheap tat, like Petticoat Lane. There's a balance to be struck, I feel.

Personally I like having the expensive stalls there, even if I can rarely afford to buy anything from them.

[Otta]

I guess people must be paying those "over priced" prices round here, however, or the stalls would disappear.

Ha, I think I've said this on here before, but I know the owner of a shop in Dulwich, who, some years back, told me "I just sell stuff to women with too much time and money that they'll spend a fortune on a cushion". Made me chuckle, and the shop is still going strong.

[DulwichFox]

There is nothing wrong with expensive stalls if goods being sold are worth the prices being charged.

There will always be people with more money than sense.

There are no stalls there that sell essentials..

This is what a Market Stall should look like..

http://stockfood.com/images-pictures/A%20market%20stall%20with%20fruit%20and%20vegetables%20(Mercat%20de%20St.%20Josep%20(Boqueria),%20Las%20Ramblas,%20Barcelona,%20Spain)-295874.jpg

Real Pride shown here..

[Sue]

But Fox, it isn't a fruit and veg market!

I agree they are great, but it isn't what NCR market is supposed to be .... different kettle of fish (so to speak) altogether.

For a time there was a small fruit and veg stall at the bottom of NCR, I always thought it was a bit cheeky considering Prettys was just up the road.

ETA: And there are essentials like bread and cheese, it's just very very expensive bread and cheese. But hey if you want very very cheap bread and cheese you can go to Iceland.

[buntysammy]

personally i think the market is lovely and complements the local shops. healthy competition is good, it keeps everyone on their toes to keep supplying quality goods. Broadway Market in east london is an old haunt of mine - is much bigger and is always packed out on a Saturday. This means the pubs along the road do well and generally the area is busy and more people get to know about it as a nice area. This means more people come, demand goes up and we can see more individual shops open. My old home town has seen most of the local shops close and the high st is almost a ghost town - people shop out of town and have no reason to go into town, very sad. I think anything that encourages people to an area, to get out and about, talk to locals, visit local pubs, restaturants, browse and buy from the stall is a good thing. I think we should encourage it - i would rather buy good local produce than spend my hard earned money in sainsbury!

[DulwichFox]

Sue Wrote:

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> But Fox, it isn't a fruit and veg market!

East Street Market is not a fruit and veg market. but has fruit and veg stalls...

You miss my point...

It was to demonstrate a sense of pride Market Traders can show..

There seems to be no attempt in NCR market to demonstrate such sense of Pride.

I really don't have any real problems with the Market.

It is what it might become if not monitored carefully.

Where are the Fly-Boys doing the 'Find The Lady' trick ? every proper market has one of those. ;-)

[Ridgley]

Sue that fact that you said you can't always afford it prove my point, what is the point having a market just for a few and not for the many. Its seems there are people with more money than sense.

[Ridgley]

Yep totally agree with Dulwichfox overpriced goods that are not worth it. Love the picture of the stall DF