Comments on: Jimmy Huddart, Spitalfields Market Porter

By: Stan Katz

Stan Katz — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 17:33:20 +0000

I am trying to trace the name of Porter 735 as I have his Badge.

By: Stuart Dalton

Stuart Dalton — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 15:53:11 +0000

Lovely story, Jimmy and so nice to read about Percy (my Great Uncle!) and how he took you under his wing 🙂
I still miss those days in Bow, great memories having spent the best part of 20 years working there with lots of wonderful characters!

By: Bailey Jones

Bailey Jones — Sun, 05 May 2019 07:59:21 +0000

So sad the porters have lost their hard won status.

By: Robin

Robin — Sat, 04 May 2019 16:55:59 +0000

Wonderful story, thank you GA and Jimmy Huddart. Union work is proud, dignified work, for the greater community, as this great story shows.

By: Jonathon Greeen

Jonathon Greeen — Sat, 04 May 2019 16:36:27 +0000

PS. I looked cotchel up in the English Dialect Dictionary. It states (in 1907):

COTCHEL, sb. Brks. Mid. Sus. I.W. Written cotchil
Mid. [ko·tʃl.] Of grain: an odd quantity or measure;
an inexact quantity; a sack partly full; a residue.
Brks.1 w.Mid. Any sack of corn which appears to contain less
than four bushels may be alluded to as a cotchil.

By: Jonathon Greeen

Jonathon Greeen — Sat, 04 May 2019 16:31:24 +0000

Cotchel (bag): thank you for solving a problem I have been chewing over since c. 1980. A friend of mine encountered the term in prison, where a fellow inmate described himself as ‘well cotchelled up’. The context made the meaning clear enough, i.e. in posession of everything he required, but the origins defeated them (and me). Now we know. Though a deeper etymology would be grraefully received.

By: Richard

Richard — Sat, 04 May 2019 16:21:28 +0000

Enjoyed the story. A person to be admired. Thanks

By: Di Corry

Di Corry — Sat, 04 May 2019 13:25:59 +0000

A lovely story and Jimmy looks so proud in his apron.
My late brother John worked for Harry and Elsie Jones who had an amazing fruit and veg stall in Mare Street, Hackney. They only sold the best produce and no doubt were early morning visitors to Spitalfields Market.
I can remember my brother arriving home on a Saturday evening with brown paper bags full of fresh and unusual fruits that Harry sold.
There was a great shellfish stall close to Harrys so crabs, scallops and prawns (sold by the pint) were often a Saturday evening tea. Happy days indeed.

By: JOHN WATTS

JOHN WATTS — Sat, 04 May 2019 05:45:06 +0000

Thanks for a very interesting read.
My Father was a lifelong Porter in Covent Garden. He was the Chairman of
the Porters Union there, he often spoke to me about his ‘Brothers’ in Spitalfields and
how they had a common cause to get better pay and conditions.

The ‘Cotchel’ was an absolute God send for us East End Kids, to have all that fruit and veg
growing up, s0 lucky.

There’s nothing like working in a market and the fruit markets are the best of all, I worked in
both, a great way of life and as good an education in the ways of the world than any
university.