Comments on: At Queens Market

By: Simon Thomas

Simon Thomas — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 06:31:46 +0000

Really interesting seeing the images of the market and the recollections of people working and living near it. I remember visiting the market regularly as a child during Saturdays and my schoolewas near it. I am interested in the James Sinclair Point tower block that was built in the early 70s but demolished onlt a couple of decades later.

If anyone has any memories (or more importantly any images) of the tower, please let me know as I am trying to gather as much information as possible for my research.

Many thanks and kind regards,

Simon

By: jim ..sharp

jim ..sharp — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 04:01:50 +0000

I am 86 I worked in Queens Rd. market in 19 48/9 on an unlicenced barrow on Saturdays .I had to keep the Barrow moving or get booked. I worked for one of the ‘wide’ boys around at that time .He was known as ‘Dicky’. I lived in Tudor Rd across from the alley way next to the synagogue and when the Hammers were playing sold the fruit left over from the market .At the same time I charged a penny to look after bikes in my back yard. I vividly remember a ‘confidence’ man outside the hotel on the corner of Queens rd. Well dressed with his ‘Anthony Eden’ hat and posh accent he would sell small bottles of evil smelling liquid that would cure a hangover and varicos veins. He would dash into the pub for a spirit only to return and start again. He had a wonderful ‘gift of the gab’ and I remember his line of patter even today. Queens Rd market was a valuable part of my East End education

By: fahim chaudhry

fahim chaudhry — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 17:04:56 +0000

A lovely and enjoyable article.

Thank you.

Queens market is a lovely market and needs the councils support and the traders support to continue to flourish and keep being busy.

We need to advertise the market further afield and need more variety inside the market too.

Nowadays the youngest hold their noses as if they’ve never smelt meat before. Its fresh fish, meat and chicken.

By: Jean Gaffin

Jean Gaffin — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 08:43:17 +0000

A very nostalgic piece for me. Born in Queens Road Market in 1936, then evacuated with sister’s local school to Oxford, dad’s carpet shop with a market stall outside and our home within was bombed. We returned once dad came back from army service abroad to live in another part of West Ham (Forest Gate) and I went to Stratford Grammar E.15. My first job as a teenager was selling end bits of carpet in the stall dad had in the Market. Many friends from the old Upton Park Synagogue had stalls, as did loads of wonderful fruit and veg sellers and lots else besides. It was a wonderful old fashioned street market. Couple of years back I organised a walk, led by Rachel Kolsky, of the area and felt that Queens Market was too different to compare to my memories. An unexpected treat was that Ahmadiyya community who now have their Mosque in the old Synagogue were so very welcoming to us.

By: Susan Diamond

Susan Diamond — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 07:25:03 +0000

My great grandparents, grandparents and aunts and uncles had shops and stalls in the original Queens Road Market starting in 1911, until 1950’s. The remaining cousin left in the 1960’s. I feel for the present market traders and glad to hear and see it is still thriving although away from the
original market. Sorry to hear about Walthamstow market it used to be a wonderful market with shops alongside it.

By: Aktar Hussain

Aktar Hussain — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 22:27:38 +0000

Love this market. The sounds, the shouting, the smells, mix of people, stuff on sale… it’s real grit. It’s international without the branded nonsense.

I’ve given up shopping at supermarkets and now shop at Queen’s and a few local shops which suits me much better.

The council’s fight against the traders is silly. Just because the Mayor doesn’t shop there doesn’t mean thousands of others have to be moved on. Suppose it’s the land price issue.

Queen’s Market is like a sponge to the local area. You can feel the heart of Newham.

By: Debra Dycaico

Debra Dycaico — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 20:03:36 +0000

This was a very interesting and enlightening piece. I live in San Diego, Ca but I will definitely try to visit it the next time that I am in London. I definitely endorse the stance of buying fresh food from local vendors. Thank you for the piece and the great photos.

By: Vivian Archer

Vivian Archer — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 13:27:33 +0000

Great that you did this. Newham Bookshop is just further down the road stocking all Spitalfields Life books.

By: Greg Tingey

Greg Tingey — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 07:17:27 +0000

A PROPER fruit-&-Veg market.
Unlike my local one (Walthamstow High St) which has declined rapidly of late ….

By: Valerie-Jael

Valerie-Jael — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 05:34:45 +0000

Glad to hear that people managed to save the market – well done! It looks so bright and lively, good luck to all stallholders, old and new, and hope the owners fix the roof soon! Valerie