Sometimes I love my flea markets big but other times small ones do just the trick. When I first learned of the Clocktower Market in Greenwich I was ecstatic to have yet another reason to head East and spend time there. Greenwich has such a charming village feel and this small but quality flea market on its High Street only adds to the area's appeal.

Not all of the stalls were filled but the vendors who were there were friendly and helpful. I always find it interesting to overhear them chatting amongst each other about how "things aren't how they used to be" and how slow business is these days. It's literally the same conversation at every flea market and antique fair that I got to. I wonder how much of it is true or if they're just trying to indirectly guilt me into buying something. Either way, I appreciate them and all of the vintage treasures they share with us day in and day out. The goods for sale were varied though I did notice that winter coats and fur hats were a major deal for obvious reasons. I, of course, ended up buying a black sequin blazer for twenty quid (that's "bucks" talk in UK English) regardless of actually needing a winter coat! What can I say, it made me feel like a disco diva and that feeling is hard to resist.

Though tempted by a pair of suitcases (DIY side table?) we left with just my blazer and a funky piece for the shop. The market was perfectly manageable and non-exhaustive which is definitely key considering that just around the corner you've got Greenwich Market, Greenwich Park, the Royal Maritime Museum, and the Observatory. Lots of fun to be had!

Hover over each image for the caption

Last week I shared the things I bought at Sunbury Antiques Market via show & tell. Now it's time for a market memo!

Sunbury is held at Kempton Park Racecourse on the second and last Tuesday of the month and since I'm currently a quasi stay-at-home wife, I was lucky to be able to make the one and a half hour trek down there. I've always wanted to be one of those people who can go vintage hunting any ol' day of the week, or better yet, be one of those people who do it as their job. We'll see what I can come up with to make the latter a reality but for now I feel a little ridiculous getting to do this stuff mid-week. How did my desk job day-dreams actually happen?!? Oh yeah, Joe's desk job got moved overseas but I think it's safe to say that we're both winning here :)

Back to the market...Sunbury opens at 6:30am and goes until 2pm. It makes for a very early day but I'd much rather shop in the wee hours anyway when the air is crisp, my energy tank is full and I can go at a leisurely pace. As soon as I walked in I knew that the trek down there was worth it. There were more vendors within stones throw than I'd seen at any other market in London thus far. I did a little dance and carried along to see what I would find. Similar to the Rose Bowl Flea Market, vendors are spread out all over the parking lot and the outside ring of the stadium. What's nice about Sunbury is that they also have two indoor areas which came in handy when the weather turned and continued shopping required shelter from the scattered rain.

I found the market to be very easy to shop based on what you're looking for though it's still worth it to weave in and out of all of the areas if you have the time. The vendors were knowledgeable about their products, prices were fair, and the atmosphere was light-hearted. It was actually the most fun I've had photographing at a flea market since each vendor was happy to let me take a snap (very unlike Paris's Vanves Market, that was like pulling teeth!). Some vendors even joked about receiving royalties while another suggested I take photos of him wrapped in the fur coats he was selling. I should have taken him up on that. Next time.

See a few more photos + captions here!