Off to market in London

London is alive with 62 street markets. JOHN LEE finds something to suit every taste.

Shoppers can track down Georgian pearls on Portobello Rd, a leather jacket next to an Italian soccer shirt on Petticoat Lane or take a break with a blackberry and yoghurt cake and latte at the outdoor coffee bar at Camden Lock.

There has been a Saturday antique market on Portobello Rd in Notting Hill since the 1870s. It opens at 7 am when the dealers arrive to pick over the trash and treasures being unwrapped at the hundreds of small wooden tables that line the street.

Battered copper cigarette lighters, politically incorrect ivory curios and military badges and buttons are emptied on to black-sheeted tables.

Portobello Rd is for those who like to look and, if the weather is fine, it can be great day out. For those who want to buy, Camden's the place.

Made up of several different markets, including Camden Lock Market, Stables Market and Camden Canal Market, this weekend, North London shopping experience is hard to beat. As with Portobello Rd, there are plenty of antique and not-so-antique goods for sale, especially under the railway bridge arches and in the old stable buildings. But Camden is for the young and trendy, with or without money.

The walk from Camden Town tube station confirms this. The shops on either side of the street are bursting with the latest in disposable fashion, from Japanese animation T-shirts to platform-soled neon runners.

But these are just the appetisers for the main course. The markets at Camden (don't try to find each one because they all link seamlessly) are a smorgasbord of fashion, crafts, food, interior-design ideas, novelties and jewellery. Where else can you find Russian hats, unique glass-beaded necklaces and vintage Canadian boy scout shirts on the same stall?

The only problem is trying to find what you are looking for. Like many of London's large street markets, Camden is not organised in a linear way, so the best way to plan a visit is not to plan at all. Wandering aimlessly is the best way to see as much as possible.

And if you find something you like, make a quick decision and bargain a better price on the spot. It will be much easier than trying to find the same stall again half an hour later.

Like Portobello Rd, Camden is also a great place just to look. But where Notting Hill is good for exploring history through artefacts, Camden is the place to view current trends.

Areas of Camden Lock that used to be reserved for dusty trestle tables selling antiques are now home to structures that can best be described as walk-in art installations: silver-painted, wooden space ships nestle beside orange neon caves dripping with glow-in-the-dark hats and T-shirts.

These unique stalls, targeted at the UK's rave culture, sell clothes that range from cheap copies of ultra-fashionable T-shirts to one-of-a-kind works of clothing, including multicoloured dresses covered with tentacles and bras made from gold-painted dolls' heads.

For a more down-to-earth experience, Petticoat Lane's Sunday market is worth a visit. Once touted as the biggest in Europe, it is difficult to take in the entire market in one day, although that may be more to do with the crush of people than the number of stalls.

Petticoat Lane is where buyer-beware is the key to successful shopping. Specialising in bargain clothes, many of which are copies of famous name brands, Petticoat Lane is the place to buy Abibas, Kelvin Kline and Tommee Hilfiger.

Visitors can pick up a pair of imitation Levis for $30 or simply enjoy the sales patter of some of the most eloquent street-market traders in the world. All prices are negotiable, just don't bother to ask where the goods have come from.

For a return to a more reliable shopping experience, as well as a good place to visit on a rainy day, Old Spitalfields, within walking distance of Petticoat Lane, is one of the best.

Housed in an old meat-market in the shadow of Christ Church, Old Spitalfields is an impressive glass-topped Victorian structure that has undergone extensive renovation since the grizzly trade in animal carcasses was shipped off to a new building.

With 200 stalls, far fewer than either Portobello Rd, Camden or Petticoat Lane, Old Spitalfields nevertheless combines the kaleidoscopic range of goods available at all these markets with a more manageable size and fewer crowds.

Specialising in the original work of young artists, jewellery-makers and fashion designers, Old Spitalfields has stalls selling hand-painted lamp shades for $25, Dr Seuss-style stripy knitted hats for $30 and rough-packed soaps bursting with poppy petals and lemon seeds for less than $10.

But what really makes a visit to Old Spitalfields worth the underground fare is the food. Rejecting its meat-market heritage, there is a section devoted to organic vegetarian produce, where some of the finest and freshest breads and pastries in London sell for a fraction of the price of other gourmet bakers.

The biggest problem is knowing when to stop snacking on the brie and mushroom stuffed buns, the spinach and feta rollovers and the olive and cheese bagels.

Perhaps the best reason to rein in the munchies is the food court. The food selection at many of London's biggest markets ranges from the traditional fried bacon and egg sandwiches of Petticoat Lane to the chilli-filled baked potatoes of Camden.

But Old Spitalfields has its own makeshift food fair with some excellent international dishes on offer for less than the price of a McDonald's Happy Meal. Along with the Mexican, Thai and Greek dishes available, the Indian food stall stands out. Customers can try mild, medium or hot meat and vegetarian curry specials with pilau rice and a nan bread for less than $8.

Shopping is a key ingredient of many holidays, and a trip to London is no exception. But each of its main street markets has something different to offer visitors weary of the generic stores that line Oxford St and other over-visited London shopping areas.

Markets, where looking is as much fun as buying, are what can turn a simple shopping trip in London into a great day out.

CASENOTES:

Portobello Rd

This sprawling antiques and flea market takes place every Saturday from 7 am-6 pm. The stalls run from Chepstow Villas to just under the Westway.

The nearest underground stations are Notting Hill Gate on the Central Line and Ladbroke Grove on the Hammersmith and City Line. From these stations, follow the signs (and the crowds) for the short walk to the market.

Camden

Made up of several markets, including Camden Lock Market, Stables Market and Camden Canal Market, Camden specialises in clothes, crafts, antiques and jewellery.

Some of the indoor stalls are open all week but the best times to visit are Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am-6 pm when all the indoor and outdoor stalls are operating.

The nearest underground stations are Camden Town and Chalk Farm on the Northern Line, from where the markets are clearly signposted.

Petticoat Lane

London's world-famous Sunday market sells clothes and household goods. It is held in Middlesex St and is open from 9 am-2 pm.

The nearest underground station is Liverpool St on the Circle, City and Metropolitan and Hammersmith Lines.

Old Spitalfields

Specialising in jewellery, interior design and original clothing, Old Spitalfields is open every day from 11 am-4 pm. Sunday is the best day to visit when all the market's 200 stalls are operating.

Closest underground stations are Aldgate on the Metropolitan Line, Aldgate East on the Hammersmith and City Line and Liverpool St on the Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City Lines.