July 2013
You observe the endless stalls on either sides
of the street. You want to buy the vegetables, the cameos, the antique prints,
but you prefer staring, enjoying the comfort of your seat. Suddenly, you notice
a tall man wearing a blue shirt and carrying his jacket over his left shoulder.
He turns around and scrutinises the camera through his blue eyes. Have you
recognised him?
Portobello Market, made famous by Hugh
Grant’s wandering through the road of the same name in the romantic comedy Notting Hill, counts among the most
popular West London destinations for tourists and locals. It is notably famous
for displaying one of the world’s largest selections of antiques and
collectibles.
We deliberately arrived when the hustle,
haggle and crowds were at their liveliest, on a late Saturday morning. Portobello
streches for over more than one mile: you first come across antiques and bric-a-brac
to notice fruit and vegetables sold around the Elgin Crescent crossing. The rest
of the market is devoted to cheap toys or batteries and second hand clothes.
The shop managers on the two sides of the road take advantage of the Saturday
market to stay open and attract customers.
Our recorder often went unnoticed, so we
had the opportunity to register many private conversations and accents. The
loudest sellers were definitely those who offered meal deals. In fact, the food
corner looked so mouth-watering that Clarisa and I couldn’t resist the
temptation to have lunch in the street.
Portobello hosts by far one of the busiest
markets I’ve ever seen, sometimes you can barely move and we often lost track
of each other! On your journey, you are accompanied by several live bands and
bizarre performers, but the sonic memory I will probably keep in mind is the
one of this stallholder selling old records and vinyls, singing out loud over
the tunes he was playing.
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