Comments on: Jimmy Huddart, Spitalfields Market Porter https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/03/16/jimmy-huddart-spitalfields-market-porter-xx/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Tue, 18 Mar 2025 13:45:01 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Luigi Pini https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/03/16/jimmy-huddart-spitalfields-market-porter-xx/#comment-1702337 Tue, 18 Mar 2025 13:45:01 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=202592#comment-1702337 This article brings back so many memories of the time I spent in Spitalfields. My parents had a cafe on the corner of Commercial St. and Fashion St.
The family lived above the cafe until 1960 so I was there from birth in 1947. I vividly recall the market traders and porters with their long aprons and I.D. badges among the customers. One on particular comes to mind, he was known as Snowy, probably due to his white hair.
I attended St.Josephs Primary School in Gun St. so was very familiar with the surrounding streets.
The school is gone now but the convent it was attached to is still there in Crisp St. The building no longer a convent but I believe a statue is still in place above one of the doors. It was also a halfway house and soup kitchen.
The market was a lively place with so much activity, Traders vans, porters wooden barrows with iron rimmed wheels made it quite noisy too as the streets had not been covered in asphalt.
I was often sent to the market to buy small baskets of tomatoes and mushrooms for the cafe.
A very interesting childhood, the market, Christchurch Gardens, Fournier St, Brick Lane behind us and just a short walk to Bishopsgate through Artillery passage to a very different world.

]]> By: Cherub https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/03/16/jimmy-huddart-spitalfields-market-porter-xx/#comment-1701706 Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:00:02 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=202592#comment-1701706 I do love an apron and Jimmy’s is really smart 🙂

]]> By: achim https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/03/16/jimmy-huddart-spitalfields-market-porter-xx/#comment-1701672 Sun, 16 Mar 2025 09:23:05 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=202592#comment-1701672 There are so many interesting Spitalfields Market stories. This one is also exciting and shows what unforgettable life lessons a market porter learnt that are still valid today. — All the best to the good Jimmy Huddart! What is he doing today?

Love & Peace
ACHIM

]]> By: Marcia Howard https://spitalfieldslife.com/2025/03/16/jimmy-huddart-spitalfields-market-porter-xx/#comment-1701670 Sun, 16 Mar 2025 09:13:32 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=202592#comment-1701670 A fascinating insight; a tough life but great camaraderie with those who worked there. Loved Jimmy’s pristine ‘Pinny’ but also love his highly polished shoes in the photo above.
Thank you Gentle Author for yet another great piece of social history.

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