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Post by anxiousoctopus on May 1, 2023 11:22:49 GMT
Saturday 20th May - 10am - 2pm at St Paul's Church and Churchyard, Covent Garden
Early bird tickets sold out in 2 minutes! But tickets will be available at the door as usual. Looks like the rumours of looking for a bigger venue were unfounded, but hopefully they'll have sorted out the accessibility issues some disabled attendees experienced.
Stalls, shows and guests will apparently be announced soon
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Post by anthony40 on May 1, 2023 16:05:30 GMT
Is there a link where we can purchase tickets?
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Post by alece10 on May 1, 2023 16:57:44 GMT
I'd love to go go but everyone I've spoken to who has been in the past has said how crowded it is and the long queues. I'll leave all that to the youngsters.
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Post by anthony40 on May 1, 2023 17:25:31 GMT
Yes Alece10, definitely crowded
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Post by anxiousoctopus on May 1, 2023 19:00:47 GMT
Is there a link where we can purchase tickets? You pay for a ticket on the door - there were some limited early bird tickets but they sold out in 2 mins |
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Post by anthony40 on May 21, 2023 9:30:36 GMT
I was there yesterday.
As the doors opened, the sun czmoe out.
Extremely busy.
Whilst I completely understand why they hold it where they do, as if often the case, it was way overcrowded.
However, unlike last year, this did seen to be a lull better planned in terms of the way the stalls were laid out.
They kept on promoting 'mystic' Su Pollard reading horoscopes
I walked away with a stageful of theatre posters and some programmes to flog on eBay
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Post by digne on May 21, 2023 16:48:46 GMT
I wondered if getting the early bird ticket would make a difference with the overcrowding - it didn't, all it did was ensure that I was towards the front of the mad crush of people at the Les Mis stall.
I agree that it felt a lot better laid out, but it still doesn't help that it's no fun when you've got 50 people all pushing towards one of the tiny stalls. It would be lovely if they could add some sort of small queuing system for each stall - just so that you don't get crushed so badly if you make it towards the front, while everyone behind you is pushing forward in the hope of catching a glimpse of what's on the table.
I wanted to take a quick look at every stall, which meant that I eventually wound up queuing for forty minutes for the Hamilton stall. The Phantom stall looked just as bad, so I only returned to that one once things had calmed down a little.
I still miss the bake off. You never had people push forward like mad just to get a look at a cake.
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Post by anthony40 on May 21, 2023 20:40:00 GMT
I went to one stand and purchase a postcard but ir=t was such a bitch fight to get to the other end of the table that I had to leave the postcard with the man so he didn't think it was my intention to steal lit.
When I got to the other end of the table this selfish young lady wearing a backpack was rifling through a box that I couldn't even get to and texting someone. I gave up and then had to fight my way back to the first half of the table to pay for my postcard.
Theatre programs/brochures- there was no was I was going to get anywhere near that table so I took the bold approach of actually walking behind the table and approached it from the side. They couldn't complain. I bought two.
The posters- a really great, wide selection- some signed, some not- all spread out on a large table inside the church but with people pushing and shoving, they ran the risk of what was there being damaged.
Luckily I knew what I wanted and came prepared with a large cardboard cylinder in a tote bag that I could slide what purchased away safely and easily.
The Menier Chocolate Factory had a stand selling old posters and programs. Disney also had a stall selling this related to The Lion King and Frozen.
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Post by Rory on May 21, 2023 20:54:02 GMT
I went to one stand and purchase a postcard but ir=t was such a bitch fight to get to the other end of the table that I had to leave the postcard with the man so he didn't think it was my intention to steal lit. When I got to the other end of the table this selfish young lady wearing a backpack was rifling through a box that I couldn't even get to and texting someone. I gave up and then had to fight my way back to the first half of the table to pay for my postcard. Theatre programs/brochures- there was no was I was going to get anywhere near that table so I took the bold approach of actually walking behind the table and approached it from the side. They couldn't complain. I bought two. The posters- a really great, wide selection- some signed, some not- all spread out on a large table inside the church but with people pushing and shoving, they ran the risk of what was there being damaged. Luckily I knew what I wanted and came prepared with a large cardboard cylinder in a tote bag that I could slide what purchased away safely and easily. The Menier Chocolate Factory had a stand selling old posters and programs. Disney also had a stall selling this related to The Lion King and Frozen. Were there posters for current shows? |
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Post by anthony40 on May 21, 2023 21:01:50 GMT
Yep.
From inside the church I picked up three Back to the Future posted, three Great British Bake Off posters, a To Kill A Mockingbird- all of which are and were not available at the theatre.
At the stands they had some signed, some not.
I picked up a Frozen poster, a signed The Play Goes Wrong poster. There was a Mousetrap poster- again, not available at the theatre.
There were many of past show but again, a bit of a struggle. I definitely saw a & Juliet, a Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Betty Blue Eyes
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Post by Rory on May 21, 2023 21:05:12 GMT
Thanks anthony40. Always keen to pick-up posters for plays but unfortunately these days they are like hen's teeth. I'm amazed they aren't available to buy at the theatres for shows like Cabaret, Streetcar and A Little Life. |
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Post by BVM on May 22, 2023 4:03:27 GMT
God, this sounds like hell on this earth!
They should do a calm version for the over 40’s.
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Post by anxiousoctopus on May 22, 2023 6:49:15 GMT
I was still in mourning over the Only Fools stall not being there (they always went all-out on the themeing) but I managed to get a signed newspaper and an old costume shawl from The Mousetrap. They also had a splat the rat (mouse), which was fun.
The busiest stalls were Les Mis, Phantom, Hamilton, and the old programs stall (which you genuinely couldn’t even see for the crowd). Back To The Future sold out of their merch quite early on, but their George McFly (Ollie Nicholas) had baked a load of cake, brownies and flapjacks to sell and they were delicious.
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Post by Dr Tom on May 22, 2023 10:18:23 GMT
They kept on promoting 'mystic' Su Pollard reading horoscopes Someone must have a story to share about this unique opportunity! |
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Post by anthony40 on May 22, 2023 10:37:15 GMT
Crowds, a Mariachi band, Biggins (he's always there) and Su Pollard reading horoscopes- what more could you ask for an a Saturday morning!
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Post by viserys on May 22, 2023 16:00:48 GMT
Out of curiosity, does anyone know the dates of all the flea markets that have been done so far? Like is there any rhyme or reason to them?
The Broadway Flea Market is always on the last Sunday in September, so it has been easy to time my NY trips to match them and pick up some great stuff. Would love to attend the West End Flea Market at least once as well, but since I need to plan a few months ahead it would be good knowing early when they happen.
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Post by nottobe on May 22, 2023 19:34:07 GMT
I went to this a few years ago and found it to be busy and not my thing. The west end bake off a number of years ago at the church just near the Queens Theatre was much better as it was quieter and more relaxed (2016 or 2017?).
Having seen what the Broadway flea market is like I am ver envious ours is not like that in terms of what's on sale as they always have more interesting looking items.
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Post by digne on May 22, 2023 20:03:00 GMT
It's always on May 20 or whatever is closest to it, because that's my birthday and for years I used to get my birthday cake by bringing tupperware to the bake off and walking home with a big assortment of cakes.  Now I don't get to buy cake anymore, but somehow it still always manages to fall on my birthday or the weekend closest to it. |
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Post by sukhavati on May 23, 2023 5:49:00 GMT
Considering there's only one way in and out of St Paul's, perhaps they need to limit the number of people allowed in at a time. Or have timed reservations, plus not have all the good stuff out in the stalls first thing. Would make more sense to distribute things evenly through the day.
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Post by viserys on May 23, 2023 6:30:42 GMT
Broadway Flea Market is spread over two streets by now and yes, the best bits go fast. Some years ago, on my first visit, I strolled into Times Square around 9.45 and people were still setting up stalls and there were only a few visitors around. Last year, I had to line up at my favourite show's stall at 9.30, so I'd be one of the first who could buy when they started selling at 10am (I hadn't expected that, I just wanted to be sure of its location, saw the gaggle already in front of it and decided it was safer to join). It's the nature of flea markets that the best bits are always sold early and first.
And there's a lot of pushing and shoving too, I didn't bother with some stalls because of it. But there were also some fairly easily accessible stalls, some with great goodies like signed posters of closed shows. Personally I'm also happy to just pick up used CDs or playtexts for very little. It empties out in the early afternoon when many visitors start heading for the Sunday afternoon matinees.
Maybe a "one way circuit" along the stalls might help with the West End one. That said, the Broadway Flea Market took several years to grow into what it's now, so I'm hopeful the West End version will keep developing as well.
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