a bohemian lifestyle centered on the
mentality that life should truly be lived
and not trudged through. However, its
past was a little more colourful.
“After one of the wars, Portobello Road
was given licences for traders to start
selling,” says Mark Barr of the Portobello
Road Committee.
“It was one of the places that had the
rule that if it was stolen and it was sold
before sunset, you couldn’t be prosecuted
for it being stolen goods.”
However the illegal street trading
phenomenon of the 1800s will certainly
not be revived any time soon. In fact, of
the markets that were in business back
then, only Portobello Road and Golborne
Road still exist today.
It is almost too easy for an outsider to
discern exactly who the true natives of the
road are, as they affectionately refer to it
as ‘the lane’. They have also turned their
inherent hope for good weather into their
version of a farewell.
“I hope for a day without rain!” they
proclaim as they pack up and return
home – which for some is a few paces
down the road.
So many traders and the most loyal
customers grew up on this street. Stalls
and patronage have been passed on from
generation to generation.
The Market Stalls
While the market takes up quite a stretch
of road, the fact that it still stands out
despite being dwarfed by larger residential and commercial developments, is a
testament to how resilient it can be. Yet,
even the most resilient face trying times.
“I think I would change back to having
more of the little antique traders who
have unfortunately left the market
because of places like All Saints and big
multinational companies that moved into
the area,” says Fox.
There seems to be a general disdain
No need to be caught short when those cold winds blow with a choice of fur coats – knickers optional
for large companies that are trying to
cash in on the magic of Portobello. All
Saints, a high-end clothing store taking
up a corner of the road, takes the brunt of
“Large companies
are squeezing out the
independents. The rich
move in and the poorer
people are forced out”
the negative