| Pitch Owner: Mr and Mrs S Grover Husband and Wife team Pitch Patter: Keep your ears peeled next time you’re there Stall established: 1973 Speciality: Fern Leaf Dill, Rosemary, Purple sage, Sweet Basil, Coriander, Lemon Thyme. “I have been trading for 35 years on Columbia Road. I sell herbs including Fern Leaf Dill, Rosemary, Purple sage, Sweet Basil, Coriander, Lemon Thyme. My father worked in the Romford markets and he came from a family of fruit sellers.” Photography: Elaine Perks |
Pitch Owner: George Pitch Patter:‘Good morning, gardeners. What a lovely day! If it’s raining it’s just an illusion’ ‘Mind the gap’ ‘Eyes down looking’ ‘Help yourself, pay for them of course’ ‘Why have you come?’ ‘Pick out what you like or what you don’t like’ Stall established: 1949 Speciality: Seasonal bedding and perennial plants, such as felicia, scaviola and bidens. George has been on the market since 1949, and his stock is seasonal. From March to July onwards he sells bedding and perennial plants. From July to August he sells pot plants such as felicia, scaviola and bidens. From August to March he sells bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, bluebells, lilies and irises. |
Pitch Owner: Carl Grover Son of Mr and Mrs Grover Pitch Patter: ‘You lucky people’ Stall established: 1972 Speciality: Finest cut flowers ‘I try to have the best flowers in the market and take great pride and effort in my display. I have a list as long as my arm of celebrity clients. One of my earliest memories was coming to the market at Christmas time with my mum and dad - we had a stall outside the school gate. At the end of the day we had filled our Quality Street sweet tin with coins - we were awestruck! Christmas was good that year! The only other street flower market in Europe is in Barcelona, so aren’t we lucky?’ |
Pitch Owner: Dennis, Saffron Flowers Pitch Patter: Keep your ears peeled next time you’re there Stall established: 1973 Speciality: Calla lilies, grand prix roses, avalanche roses, protea roses, amaryllis, hippeastrum, shamrock, chrysanthemum, brassicas. ‘I have been coming to the market for 35 years. The flowers that I sell are exotic. They are top Dutch quality. We sell calla lilies, grand prix roses, avalanche roses, protea roses, amaryllis, hippeastrum, shamrock, chrysanthemum and brassicas.’ |
Pitch Owner: Colin Pitch Patter: Listen out for it next time you’re there Stall established: 1986 Speciality: General Colin, who is Dennis’s right-hand man, has worked on the market for 22 years and counting. Dennis, who was Colin’s best man, describes him as ‘a good worker and cheap to run’. |
Pitch Owner: Ron and Kenny, Rathbone Flowers Pitch Patter: Keep your ears peeled next time you’re there Stall established: 1972 Speciality: Lilies, gerberas, carnations, gladioli, amaryllis, chrysanthemums ‘We have been established for nearly 40 years. We are a father and son partnership. Kenny has been working here since he was a baby. We sell cut flowers including lilies, gerberas, carnations, gladioli, amaryllis and chrysanthemums. The flowers are imported directly from Holland. We get up at 3 am and arrive at Columbia road at 4 am. We also have a flower shop called Rathbone Flowers in Canning Town.’ |
Pitch Owner: Shane and Yvonne, A.E. Harnett & Sons Pitch Patter: Keep your ears peeled next time you’re there Stall established: TBC Speciality: British home-grown bedding and pot plants ‘We sell bedding and pot plants. We grow the plants ourselves at a nursery in Essex, and have been in the plant-growing business for 80 years – it was our grandfather’s business. We were “Grower of the year” finalists in 1997.’ |
Pitch Owner: Yvonne (see left) | Pitch Owner: David Williams Pitch Patter: David insists he is quiet market trader Stall established: 1972 Speciality: British-grown shrubs, perennials, alpines and grasses ‘I have a nursery based in Upminster. I sell shrubs, perennials and alpines and specialise in grasses, and they are all British grown. It’s been a family-run business since 1972.’ |
Pitch Owner: John Pitch Patter: Listen out for it next time you’re there Stall established: 1993 Speciality: Outdoor plants This stall sells outdoor plants – they buy in cheap and sell cheap. The owner has worked on the market for 15 years and has a son of 14, Frankie, who is following in his dad’s footsteps. |
Pitch Owner: Nick Pitch Patter: Listen out for it next time you’re there Speciality: Varies weekly and includes ex-nursery stock. ‘I sell anything cheap. We have ex-nursery stock and different things every week. I have worked on the stalls since I was a child, and my father and my grandfather worked here before me.’ |
Pitch Owner: Irene Pitch Patter: Listen out for it next time you’re there Stall established: 1950 Speciality: Trees; olives, palms, citrus trees, bamboos, seasonal hebes, berberis, box trees. Irene is 79 and has been coming to the market for 50 years. ‘It was my husband’s stall and I started working here as a young lady. We sell olives, palms, citrus trees, bamboos, seasonal hebes, berberis and box trees. These are semi-tropical plants that we can now grow in our gardens. We sell quality so people return.’ |
Pitch Owner: Tony Pitch Patter: Listen out for it next time you’re there Stall established: 1988 Speciality: Orchids, roses, sunflowers and celosias Tony sells everything, and he has been coming to the market for 20 years. |
Pitch Owner: Michael, The Tropical Plant Company Pitch Patter: ‘You lucky people’ Stall established: 1972 Speciality: Tropical plants, orchids, Mediterranean shrubs ‘We specialise in selling indoor and outdoor tropical plants, and we have a specialist orchid stall. We also sell Mediterranean shrubs. This is a family-run business and we have been in Columbia Road for 20 years.’ |
Pitch Owner: Albert Pitch Patter: Listen out for it next time you’re there Speciality: General Albert comes from four generations of flower-sellers, all called Albert. He has worked on the market since he was young, and everything he sells is cheap. |
Pitch Owner: Pitch Patter: ‘As quiet as the plant he grows, he insists Stall established: 1950's Speciality: Herbs sells all kinds of herbs; pineapple sage, cat mint, Moroccan mint, lemon mint and rosemary to name but a few. He grows them in Essex and brings them to Columbia Road to sell. His pitch was his father's before him, and he started selling in market as a young boy. |