Romford Market

This picture is of my home town Romford, taken in 1905. It shows the Market Place as it then was. If you look carefully you can see some cattle on the left. At that time the market was primarily a market where farmers brought their cattle, horses, sheep, chickens etc.

When we first came to live in Romford in 1965 it was no longer a cattle market but a general market. I remember the main bus route went right through the centre of the market.

Today is is a paved area without traffic and sells just about every imaginable commodity in over 300 open air stalls. It is the largest in the country and people come for miles around.

It is now over 750 years old.

Below you will see some photos that I took recently. It was early in the morning before it got busy and unfortunately there is a lot of shadow as it was a bright day.

Whenever we have had American friends to stay (and there have been many, believe me) they just love it and insist on spending a morning or afternoon there.

I could never list the things one can buy there but think of anything from meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, flowers, clothes, bathroom stuff, kitchen utensils, books, videos, C.D.s, plants, haberdashery,curtains, material, eggs, cleaning products, blinds, mirrors. You name it, it's there.

I remember when my children were living at home and we were having so many guests staying one could often go to the market late in the day and buy amazing bargains of gluts of vegetables and soft fruits and the like. Really good when making jam.