Spitalfields Antiques Market

A nice new discovery this one. I wrote some time ago that it's often easy to ignore things right on your doorstep. I had heard about this thriving antiques and collectables market, run by Sherman & Waterman every Thursday close to Liverpool Street railway station, but I had never actually made the effort to get up to go.
Well, this morning I levered myself out of bed to arrive for a 7am start. The early bird catches the worm, and all that. And what a surprise I found.... because nothing was ready! Although some 30-40 dealers had arrived, they were still setting up. So it was off to the coffee shop for a pleasant hour sipping a latte or two and reading the newspapers.
When I returned, everything had flipped up a gear and I was forced to do the same. With eyes peeled and sharpened by caffeine, I spotted a number of interesting purchases. These included a rare example of Stuart's 'Dark Crystal' range from the mid-1980s, a uranium glass ball vase that looks like it might from Walsh Walsh's 1930s 'Pompeian' range, and a rather cool Danish wine glass that looks like it would make even the plonkiest bottle of vino taste good.
The total cost? Well, I had to go to the cash machine, but that was only because I was too sleepy to do so before arriving. So £30 can't be bad. As I say, this is a nice new discovery with a buzzy atmosphere and a varied range of stands when it gets going, so I'll certainly be back.