Exploring the Cold East

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What do you do on a cold, gray day in the middle of winter? Grab the camera and head to the east end of London to explore a local market and a more 'rustic' part of Regents Canal. My friend Maarit and I made our way to Bank to experience the city without the city boys (they tend to clog the place up). A short walk along the deserted streets to Liverpool Street Station to jump a train north east to Broadway Market, a little East End street between the Regent’s Canal and London Fields.

Broadway Market is an oasis of food, vintage fashion and quirky market stalls. Its only a small market but has a good selection of organic fruit & veg, bread, cheese, fish and that east end classic jellied eel vying with flowers, vintage and handmade fashion. The street is lined with cafe's, pubs and independent stores designed to feed, cloth and beautify. It was much more high end than I thought it would be, which is the charm of east London - funky, genteel and gritty squashed into close proximity.

We grabbed brunch at one of the pubs on the road then wandered the stalls before heading along a section of partially frozen canal to see what street artists had contributed to the local environment. Some great work between Broadway Market and Victoria Park, before we ened the day at Bethnal Green.

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