This weekend MOH was off on one of his long bike rides, so when I saw that the London Makers Market was taking place just down the road I thought it worth a trip. And I wasn’t disappointed. I even managed to dodge the rain.
I was prepared for all weathers though, but still managed to catch the sun a bit - I wasn’t quite expecting that. As I walked through Greenwich Park, it felt odd to be on what was my usual route to work, and so feeling the novelty I purposefully took more of the route. And it was good to see the familiar views.
I couldn’t help but stop and admire this lily which was almost as tall as me - isn’t it gorgeous?
I was hoping that the ‘special’ gate in the flowerbeds would be open, it isn’t always - but today it was. It’s my most favourite way to get in and out of Greenwich Park, and the view of the Queen’s House is one of the reasons why.
But it’s also a great view looking back towards the Observatory. As you can see by now the sun was out and Greenwich looks even more glorious in the sun.
The London Makers Market
The market is taking place on the first weekend of the month in the colonnades of one of the iconic buildings which is part of the Old Royal Naval College, and just one building away from where my office is - not that I’ve seen that for a while. It was great to see a good selection of artisan products from small businesses and social enterprises.
Unsurprisingly I left with a few purchases.
These moon and half moon earrings by Pivot appealed to me because they’re asymmetrical, and I immediately thought they’d be a good match for my asymmetrical bob. I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by their back story. Pivot are a social enterprise who make jewellery with people experiencing homelessness, helping them to pivot their lives. The products can be made in hostels and every piece of jewellery bought takes their makers one step closer to leaving the hostel.
Great designs and a really great initiative.
I also left with a selection of greetings cards. I am the type of person that has a stash of cards, which comes in useful when birthdays creep up on me - and because I often see the perfect card for someone at the opposite time of year to when their birthday is. The first set below is by Maria Zvaric who specialises in watercolour, loving bold colours and botanical illustrations; the second set are by Mari Burkinshaw who specialises in hand-drawn and painted elements which often include animals, nature and vintage finds.
My card supply is well and truly stocked up - and beautifully so too. I’ll be looking out for future markets to check out even more of these small artisan businesses, certain that I’ll discover some more fabulous finds.
