Shopping Bessemer Road Market back in the 1980s/90s

Unemployment and low wages meant shopping for Christmas involved trips over to Bessemer Road Market before it turned into a Car Boot Sales in search of bargains when our kids were younger. Back then, it was the land of the knock off goods were you could stretch the pound in your pocket a little bit further.

The weeks leading up to Christmas the market would be packed with major traffic jams we were lucky to live close so a nice walk to Bessemer Road. Back then, it was a massive market with lots of clothes stalls and others and with the kids young, they were happy before they turn their nose up, as they became more street cred with what they would wear. Maybe because we stopped shopping there the market slowly changed to a Car Boot a major downgrade.

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It was not my favourite of places to shop when it was busy but I like the butcher who sold from his lorry who I remember buying half a sheep and that was fun to carry back home. A large crowd would stand around, as he would give the patter before launching into a sale “anyone want some beef. I have some find topside here” the crowd would get excited and then he would shout, “Wait a minute how about some chicken breasts, yours for a fiver” showing a box and the hands would shoot up it was fun to observe and buy sometimes.

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One of the real reasons to be over the market was to look for toys and that meant Phillip Saunders Market stall again working out of a massive lorry. The crowds standing there would be huge all waiting but he had the gift of the gob with his self-assured style sucking you in and building up the high end toys with toys you may not want but after is selling patter your hand is up.

It was great fun to watch, take part. His technique was to sell you stuff you didn’t want “look I have one box of these to sell, give me a fiver” of course, they would be snapped up. Maybe an hour later he would find another box.

The choose offering would see a field of hands shot up with money in hoping to attract one of the sales assistant who themselves have to fight their way through the crowd to make the sale while the crowd push forward looking to catch their eye. If you missed out that time around there were no need to worry, that toy would come around repeatedly.

In a way, I miss the hustle and bustle of the market but with the wife in a wheelchair, it would be a nightmare to get around just like when the boys were in pushchairs.