Monday is THE ANTIQUE MARKET at Jubilee Market, Covent Garden.  IT IS ALWAYS MONDAY.  I was on my way to meet up with two business chaps and wandered through the Market.  I CAN SMELL an antique market.  I have been here many, many times before, so I thought I would divert my path and see what was being offered.

I was really amazed by what I saw.  The PICKERS from the countryside were unpacking their goods they had collected to bring to market, and it was the best merchandise I had seen in this market in years.  In fact, it was more fun than PORTOBELLO ROAD which has become such a tourist sight.

I carry my camera with me in my case wherever I go.  So, out it came, and the shutter started clicking away. I am all packed to return home in the morning, so I wasn’t temped to buy, but I was really quite amazed at the quantity of good stuff on the tables.

There was a full box of Pratt Pot Lids–perfect, every one of them!   I haven’t seen that many of them in years.

IF YOU ARE AROUND JUBILEE MARKET ON MONDAYS, pop in and take a look around.  Who knows you might find your granny’s china that your Aunt Bessie sold out from under you.  I really enjoyed myself.  The action starts about 8:00 and winds down by 2:00 in the afternoon.

Fun.

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

Let me introduce MY READERS to HILARY KASHDEN at PORTOBELLO ROAD.  Hilary and her husband MICHAEL are the great PEWTER AUTHORITIES on PORTOBELLO ROAD.  I have known them for many, many years.  They have found fabulous antiques for my collection which I treasure.  They have been some of the few remaining real antique dealers on PORTOBELLO ROAD.

Now,  times have changed for this antique market.  There are fewer and fewer antique dealers.  The copper lady has died.  The fabulous brass dealer has died, and her husband has moved back to Holland.  Gradually, little by little, the world of antiques on PORTOBELLO ROAD has changed into a market for hip clothes, Afghanistani jewelry, reproductions, and souvenir items.   The market is changing, so much that the world of hats, funky blouses and skirts, plastic bracelets, and reproduction pub signs has replaced fine antiques.

Today, I rushed to PORTOBELLO RAOD to say UNTIL JANUARY to my friends HILARY AND MICHAEL KASHDEN and a few other dealers whom I have known year after year.  When I stood before HILARY’S STALL, I was stunned.  There was Hillary in a HAT, of course, with a few pieces of fabulous pewter, but selling period clothing.  SHE WAS NOW A MILLINER.  My heart missed a beat, and then I smiled from ear to ear.  NOW, FOR SURE, I SAW FIRST HAND THE CHANGING WORLD OF PORTOBELLO ROAD.

Hilary gave me a big hug, and we started to talk.  SHE HAD RE-INVENTED HERSELF.  No one wanted or could afford pewter anymore on the street, so she would sell period clothing.  She hadworked in the fashion industry, so she decided to do it again.  I was proud of her.  She had loved the MARKET for so many years, she wasn’t about to be driven off Portobello just because the taste of the times had changed.  She was staying in the market with her hats, huge smiles, and absolutely lovely personality no matter what it took.

My mother used to say as she got older  IF YOU DON’T REINVENT YOURSELF, YOU WILL DIE IN THE CUPBOARD A VERY LONELY PERSON.  She taught me that the ABILITY to reinvent onself is a sign of intelligence.  Well, HILARY is certainly intelligent.  But she is more than that;  she is a real HUMAN BEING with the most marvelous soul.

I will always be going to PORTOBELLO ROAD to see Hilary and Michael.  I don’ think I will be buying 50′s fur capes, but I will be visiting two of the nicest people I have ever known.  I wish them luck in their new adventure.  For me, they are the personality that keeps PORTOBELLO ROAD a fun place to gather.

I am posting a few photos of Hilary.  You will see all her moods in these images.  She will “rip a strip off me” when she clicks onto my blog and sees these photos.  But I think my readers will see the fabulous personality behind that marvelous face.

GO TO PORTOBELLO ROAD and say HELLO for Thomas Moore to my friends HILARY AND MICHAEL KASHDEN.  You will never forget meeting them.  You might want to buy a vintage fur cape or hat at her stall.

Oh, I do love London.  Even the many changing faces of London.  Wow!  Sometimes, I find it difficult to change, but I do make an effort.

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com

Everyone likes to go to a market.  There is something in all of us that likes a good deal, something rare, that one item we have been looking for.  I have been going to PORTOBELLO ROAD on Saturday morning for years.  My wife and I have known many of the dealers over the years.  Some of them have become really good friends like Mr. and Mrs. Kashdan, the pewter people.

The Danish couple who handled fabulous brass are gone now;  my silver dealer has died.  But the SEAL DEALER is still going strong, and I love to learn about all his new offerings.  I have bought several early intaglios and seals from him.

The secret to PORTOBELLO ROAD is to get there early.  I try to be wandering down the street by 9:00 am before the mobs arrive.  I start at the top of the road where I check to see that I have some cash on me.  Many of the dealers have a network where someone has a credit card machine, but you can’t count on that.  But, at the bottom of the road, there is a bank HSBC where you will find cash points.  But most dealers like cash.  Never a check unless you are a regular customer.

I love the PEWTER LADY.  She and her husband have been on the street for years.  They have fabulous pewter, and they know their stuff.  People from all over the world come to consult with them including me.  Hilary is a wonderful personality whose smile just draws you in.  She always has wonderful things to say–bits of wonderful gossip.  I love her.  Mr. Kashdan is well read and a scholar.  Great admiration for him.  They are my friends.

The shops are still filled with fabulous glass, porcelain, and fabrics.  I found the most fabulous French 19th century shawl last year that my wife wears over and over.  It really is fantastic.  It wasn’t a bargain, but whatever it cost is insignificant to the enjoyment she receives from wearing it.

Even though the LACE LADY is gone now, there is still a lot of lace in the shops.  Sporting items, old socer balls, fabulous old flags, wonderful Victorian silver, and carpets fill the shops.

All the reproductions bother me, but they are inexpensive so people who come just to have a look can buy a souvenir.  There are numerous Asian jewelry dealers with strings and strings of semi-previous stones at really good prices. There are two brothers who have Tibetan and Pakistani jewelry who are very knowledgeable.  I like them very much.  They have family ties in their homelands where they acquire good quality stones.  They are hard-working and are building wonderful lives for themselves and for their families here in England.

You need 2/3 hours to cover the street even if you are just looking.  If you have friends in the stalls, you will be there all day.  I know I will spend most of the day chatting on the street–after all, I could talk to the wrong number for half an hour.  When you reach the bottom, there is a great pub where I get a warm drink and a pub lunch which is always good.

I can’t say I have found any masterpieces on Portobello Road, but I have purchased a lot of household silver which I like a lot more than the flatware we find in our department stores at home. I love those big forks and knives which my children grew up with.

But, hey, going to PORTOBELLO ROAD is SATURDAY MORING IN LONDON for me.  It is where I find my friends, talk about the antique market, and meet younger dealers.  Let me tell you, I rather be there than shopping in Knightsbridge.  I think you will enjoy it immensely.  I hope so.

Goodness, this is fun.  You will hear every language on the planet–and a lot of ITALIAN.

Wonderful.

Thomas Moore   email:  TMooreSr@me.com    Telephone:  801.791.9918

http://www.londonconnection.com