Comments on: A Farewell to Spitalfields

By: Peter Martin

Peter Martin — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 10:35:54 +0000

MY DAD JOHNY (BOY BOY) MARTIN USED TO BUY FROM THE FIELDS AND BRING IT ALL WAY BACK TO FARNHAM SURREY IN HES OLD BEDFORD (1947) LORRIE, WHEN DANNY GREW SAID ABOUT THE JELLIED EELS FROM TEDDIE MYERS REMINDED ME OF DAD, HE LOVED THEM SO MUCH WE USED TO GO TO PETTICOAT LANE AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH TO HAVE EELS AND SHELLFISH FROM HES MATE TEDDIE, I USED TO NICK THE BREAD AS A LITTLE BOY AND PUT SPICY VINEGAR ON IT AND HE WOULD TELL ME OFF JOKINGLY , HE ALWAYS SAID :HOW YOU GOING SON:
MY DADS DAD USED TO BUY FROM THERE AS WELL MOSTLY FROM SALESMAN IN THE PUB I BELIEVE “THE GUN” GREAT TIMES

By: Barry Cheal

Barry Cheal — Wed, 26 Dec 2018 20:37:45 +0000

I worked for Harry Nathan for about six months in 1968 and then worked for his accountants Andrews and Collins 1969 to 1979. At Nathan’s I knew Johnnys Hayes and Holt; Joe Pollock; Johnny Templeman and more.
I knew many people in the Market, Freddie and Michael Jenkins; David Sharpley/Harry Scott; David/Stuart Kira; too many to name. How true what other people have said that it was a unique place full of great characters and had and incredible atmosphere.
On Friday lunchtime I used to drink in the Golden Heart, initially Bob and Mary were the licensees and the later Dennis and Sandra tookover. The Heart was an incredible pub on a Friday lunchtime.
Great people and memories I will never forget.

By: steve

steve — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 16:03:29 +0000

I wonder if Michael Jenkins could contact me via this ?

By: Alan Racheter

Alan Racheter — Sun, 23 Nov 2014 21:48:55 +0000

Spital Square was deserted at the weekends. There was a functional stables with blacksmith in Folgate Street well into the late 1950s. Not many homes in the area had their own phones then and the telephone boxes were situated in Spital Square by the side of the Central Foundation School. The surgery of Dr Brian Desmond Lascelles was in Spital Square also.

By: Melvyn Hyams

Melvyn Hyams — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 19:36:27 +0000

Wow, I’m amazed, just looking round the Internet at the “old East End”, and came upon this site!!
My family were in Spitalfields Market for many years, I too worked there when I left school in 1960. We were at 36, Brushfield Street, next door to the “Blue Cafe”. My Grandfather was nicknamed Doctor Hyams, because he used to “doctor” the samples to make them look good !!!
I have many happy memories from those days, fun with all the porters and drivers, the banter etc. I did my growing up there (very quickly!” The hustle and bustle is something I will never forget.
I seem to recall that there was someone who had a fruit business in Southend (I think) called Vic Chandler, and the Vic Chandler in the TV adverts for the gambling site, looks so much like him, I wondered if it may be his son. Anyone know?

By: 新作バレエ信頼

新作バレエ信頼 — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 08:49:02 +0000

Heya i am for the primary time here. I found this board and
I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something again and aid others such as you
aided me.

By: Ralph Silverstein

Ralph Silverstein — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 19:22:52 +0000

My brother Ivan told me about this site, which I looked at with interest,nostalgia and a little sadness for although in those were times we worked extremely hard with very long hours, they were also enjoyable,we were young and we were strong. My grandparents were the first of our family in the fruit business running a stall in the lane just in front of Kossofs the bakers. My grandmother ran the stall doing her buying in the fields, during the First World War when our grandfather was in the British army and then through the Second World War despite our grandfather being tragically killed by a land mine that landed on Bank Station in 1941. We opened our shop Buyrite Fruit Stores in South Kensington in August 1955 being in such a high class area we had to supply very fine stock which we brought in the fields six days a week. When the old market closed London lost not only an historic market, but wonderful characters who despite all winds and weather always had a joke, a comment, or just a smile that would make you forget the icy rain running down the back of your neck, And When the old fields closed the fruit business changed and whilst I miss those days I am pleased that I don’t have to fight London’s traffic as well as traffic wardens issuing tickets to hard working people just trying to unload a lorry or van just trying to get a living so although I miss the Fields I am pleased that I have now retired

By: Michael Jenkins

Michael Jenkins — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 07:23:02 +0000

I was and my family several generations of traders in Spitlfields.
Danny Grew was one of our special customers and I would love to speak to him again. Many times he and I would trade.
Spitalfields was my life for so many years and although it closed it the old form in 1991 I miss it so much.
It was part of the London charm that so called progress took away from us. Great shame actually.

By: Ivan Silverstein

Ivan Silverstein — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 00:38:46 +0000

I just stumbled upon this site, it brought back so many memories. My Brothers and I were 3rd generation Greengrocers, we had a shop in South Kensington called Buy-rite and like our Late Father and Grand Parents visited ” The Fields ” six days a week for 35 years. We would arrive at about 0430 each morning with our Lorry, originally a J type Bedford then the famous Bedford TK and finally onto a very posh Renault with a curtain side body, this was considered a luxury because it did away with the need to rope and sheet. Not nice when it was pouring with rain and the ropes were frozen ! I remember Wally the Cart minder who used to hold our pitch in Bell Lane each morning, all for about £3 a week ! By about 0600 we had usually finished our buying , so that meant it was time for a Mug of coffee and a Bagel in Benny Bermans Cafe in Cobb Street , in later years we would go to Dinos
Grill which was run by Peggy and her Son Dino. After this we would go back to the truck to see what firms needed chasing. Everything was ruled by the clock, we had to leave the Market 0700 to beat the traffic.
I think that if I was still in the Fruit Game I would have dropped dead along time ago ! The stress that was caused by having to have an HGV in London was ridiculous. But in those days that was all that I knew, having left school at at 14 to go straight into the family business. I do miss the Characters , the jokes and the banter, health and safety would go mad if they saw what some of the Porters loaded onto a Barrow and then pulled it half a mile to the waiting customer. I remember when the first Fork Lift came to Spitalfields in 1972 suddenly a lot of Porters were not needed. Where it used to take a team of Porters half a day to unload a 40 footer, one Guy with a Fork lift would do it in 20 minutes ! That what they call progress !
We sold Buyrite in 1990 and the shop is now a coffee bar . Greengrocers are a rare and dying breed and the world is a sadder place for it. Best wishes to all who traded in the Fields. Ivan Silverstein

By: D anny Grew ex - Fruiterer & Greengrocer

D anny Grew ex - Fruiterer & Greengrocer — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 06:46:22 +0000

I looked at this, and found myself walking the isles of “The Fields” with the aromas of fresh mint, parsley, cooked beetroot, fresh strawberries and peaches pervading the early morning air. The bustle of the morning trade, the clang and rattle of the hand barrows and the electric carts, the call of the traders, the quip of the porters and the banter of the buyers.
My morning business concluded, it is 6a.m, and I am standing under the clock at Teddy Isaacs Fish stool, eating my daily portion of jellied eels with dry bread. Then its off to “The Gun” for a pint before stopping at Paul Gardeners to pick up my 10×10 and 8×8, ticket card, and carrier bags.

Spitalfields is part of my families history, my ancestors were Huguenot weavers and embroiderers, trading is in our blood, they have been Corn Dealers, Fishmongers, Undertakers, Sundriesmes,Furniture manufacturers, Rope makers, Peruke makers, Gentlemens Barbers and Greengrocers. Our name can be found in the registers of Christ Church Spitalfields, three ancestors becamee “Feemen of The City of London”.