How to organise 100 stallholders, helpers and demonstrators and 350 or more guests? Don’t ask me, I don’t bloody know. It seemed to have worked though, despite ever-lengthening round-robin emails from me to all the stallholders, with points 1 to 60 of what to do, what not to do, some of it written in red, bold and an increasing amount written in CAPITALS TO REALLY MAKE SURE THEY HAVE UNDERSTOOD. Yes I have become a market Nazi.
The goodie bags were a mammoth team task; once stuffed and stamped with a marvellous design by Maria Grist, they crowded my bedroom to the point that it looked like Santa’s Grotto. My hair went unbrushed for a week as I couldn’t find anything…
Let me take you on a photographic journey through the Underground Christmas market, a maze of surprises, disasters, pleasure, creativity, Dionysian tipsiness, epicurean chomping, business know-how, festival bonfire hippydom and music.
HandtomouthB sold home made Baileys and buttered rum. Yum!
Urtema Dolphin selling her Goddessences (uplifting sprays using natural oils and coloidal silver) and Creation chocolates. I’ve known Urtema since I met her in Egypt in 2002. Travelling alone with my daughter I was overjoyed to meet another single mother on the road with her son, only a year younger. We spent the next six weeks together, it made travelling so much easier and more enjoyable. Urtema is a brilliant cook and singer, in fact she’s good at whatever she puts her mind to… Her council flat in Brixton is decorated like a magical forest. She impressed the Dragon’s Den panel with her beautifully crafted raw chocolates which have aura transforming properties!
The shed at night: the garden looked very pretty as night fell, twinkling candles and a flickering bonfire.
Is that all? 😉
Aaaaaah should have come back – so much stuff you don't see anywhere else.
Do those stallholders know how lucky they are getting in for free?
Must be fun for the neighbours too.
Looks like a rip roaring success… I'm gutted that despite getting tickets we were not able to make it on the day. Those knitted Christmas trees are brilliant!
Pretty damn amazing, well done!
brilliant! What a lovely memory of a really fantastic day. You see – everyone had a good time – no need to stress. Camp fire, singing, lots of food to eat, lots of things to buy – why limit it to Christmas?!
Brilliant! What great photos. Camp fires, singing around the camp fire, eating and singing around the camp fire – lots to see, do and buy – things to learn: All in One Place!
Congratulations on what looked like a very successful day all round.
Congrats, great job!
Well done you! It looks absolutely brilliant – great variety of products so it seems like it was all very well curated!
It was a brilliant day. I loved it and met loads of great people, and made a wonderful reconnection too. Thanks so much for inviting me to participate. I love your market nazi persona! How could it happen otherwise?
I'm emailing you some pics of mad goodie bag making.
Yes, James – we DO know how lucky we are…. most of us anyway. You must come back next time!
Great day all round.
Bravo, it looks excellent!
Wish I could've been there…
You must have a very large flat! 🙂
Sitting on a log, skoffing a delishoumous bacon sarnie and singing along (well almost) to Jingel bells – I wanted to stay and camp out:) Well done, Ms, true (ex?:) pank style!
This is such an amazing achievement. Bloody well done. Gutted I missed it.
Thanks everybody…it's taken me until today to raise the energy to reply…
The gazebos are still out in the garden…need help to move them.
(The perils of being a single woman)
Rima: I hope you will come to the next one April/May as I love your work.
Brilliant day, food, people – loved it! Amazed by all your hard work x
Looks amazing. I wanted to come but we had booked to go to Paris. Next time though! xx
Well done – what a fantastic idea, so sorry we missed it.
Oh! So sorry I missed this! So want to come to another one of your events soon (as soon as I am not broke anymore and have a job!). Nice to see Scarlet there too – love her blog and silly but just adds to the sense of community to see other bloggers/people you feel you have become a little familiar with! Looks like you had some amazing things being sold -the cupcakes look divine!!! xxx (and may I say you are looking very happy and pretty in that last photo too!)