The Charm of Dalston
When I thought about what I would write in this article I hated the idea of myself sounding like a middle class Dalstonite, who finds the lovely, little, foreign shops selling strange and intriguing oddities so 'charming' and 'cultural'. Having said that, after observing Dalston and the surrounding area with a vaguely journalistic eye, I fear I cannot avoid it.
For those, of which there are probably few, who aren't familiar with the area, it is the slightly gritty and bedraggled yet charming area into which trendy people have been seeping over the years because Shoreditch is saturated. It has a large Afro-Carribbean community, and further along the road, up in Stokey, huge Turkish and, even further on towards Stamford Hill, Jewish communities.
Ridley Road Market on a sunny September day is like being on some sort of lovely drug that involves zero nausea, nor disturbing images in the corner of your eye. Almost everyone was really friendly - it didn't feel like London anymore. Some stall owners would usher us in and not only allow us to take pictures, but would start posing for the camera, inviting the attention. Others acted all shy or blasé, but then conceded, either giving a reluctant grin or looking comically suspicious. And one or two dismissed us at first sight.
These stalls and shops are pretty cool. Most of them are family-run and have been around for ages. I guess they must do OK because in the current 'economic climate' they seem pretty pleased to be doing what they're doing.
There are shops made almost entirely out of hanging fabrics, or that have every kind of wig, weave or doo rag you could want. Stalls that sell fish, fruit, dodgy watches and Tupac t-shirts. It's sad to think that unless we keep buying from places like these, the big conglomerates may finally have the last laugh.
Some shops along Kingsland Road have been there for years and years. William Gee Ltd, near the big Oxfam, has had the same window display of ribbons for decades and is still going. Nearby is a DIY shop, Kiss the Corner, which has been family-run for the last 17 years. Before that, it was on Broadway Market, another road that once flourished with small independent family-owned businesses. One that is still going is the pie and mash shop, F. Cooks, if you want a taste of old fashioned East end cuisine.
Somewhere that's definitely worth a look is the weekly car boot sale towards Stoke Newington. Every Sunday, the playground of Princess May primary school fills with unwanted junk. But one person's junk is another's treasure. You can get framed pictures of kittens, Kiss badges, £2 vintage dresses, maps of the Wild West, battered Polaroid cameras, Star Trek memorabilia, electronics, old porn magazines, exercise equipment and loads of other stuff that you didn't realise you needed until you saw it.
For a more compressed collection of random stuff, there is Eldica Vinyl and Retro just off Kingsland Road on Bradbury Street. DJs from all over the world visit there for their wonderful and eclectic collection of records. They also sell the usual kitsch stuff like old fashioned phones, record players, vintage floral and african print clothes.
I guess, really, despite how much of a dweeb you can sound if you go on about how cool, arty and cultural Dalston is, the area is a great place to explore and there's a lot to do. It's been described as a bigger Peckham - with charm. Having grown up in Peckham and now moved to Stoke Newington, I'd say that's pretty accurate, and I'm glad it's being appreciated.
Words by Evie Jeffreys, Photos by Scott Cullen
http://www.sweetandsound.co.uk/october/thecharmofdalston.html
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