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MALLS & MARKETS
 Bluewater. Europes largest and most innovative leisure destination
Bluewater consists of three distinct malls, Rose Gallery, Thames Walk and Guild Hall, each with their own break out 'Village'. The Wintergarden, the food court is situated at the Rose Gallery, The Water Circus extending from Thames Walk offers great family restuarants, while The Village is accessible via the Guild Hall and provides a finer dining option. - Toilets - for adults, children, families and special needs are located throughout Bluewater in the Welcome Halls and Villages
- Parent/Child Rooms - for parents to feed and change their children are located throughout Bluewater in the Welcome Halls and Villages.
- Telephones - coin and card telephones are located on the Lower level of the mall at the Welcome Halls.
- Comfortable Seating - Seating is provided within the toilets and parent/child rooms for Guests to rest and relax.
- Cafes - Refreshments are available at every Welcome Hall but don't worry, as wherever you are at Bluewater you are never more than 70 metres from a Cappuccino!
- Post Boxes & Postal Services - Post from the pillar/post boxes, located under the stairs in each Welcome Hall, is collected regularly.
- Lifts - Public lifts are conveniently located to assist movement between the two levels and are situated in the Welcome Halls, Villages, and beside the department stores.
- Car Park Access - The Welcome Halls provide access to the multi-storey car parks. Each Welcome Hall is individually themed in the colours Yellow, Red, Blue or Green with 'Critter' icons having been used to help you to remember the exact location and level of where you parked your car.
Bluewater is located at Greenhithe, just two miles from the M25 Junction 2, and between Dartford and Gravesend on the A2 London to Canterbury Road, near Bean Interchange. How are you travelling to Bluewater?
LONDON'S MARKETS
Bustling, busy and full of life, the capital's markets are an integral part of London life. They are great for bargain hunting or just browsing and all sorts of goods are on sale, from CDs to street wear. This is where you can find real individuality - unusual antiques, hand made items and the wildest fashions!
All markets are open year-round, whatever the weather; however opening hours may vary as they are at the discretion of individual stall holders. For smaller items, most market stall holders will only take cash (usually only £ sterling). When buying larger, more expensive items, e.g. antiques, you can ask for a receipt and a written description of the item from the vendor.
Beware of designer goods being sold vastly below the normal price. Although these may be genuinely 'second quality' or ends of ranges, there are some fakes about. And, as you would anywhere, watch your purse/wallet in crowded places.
Occasionally, you will be able to reduce the price by bargaining. In many markets, the very best bargains come at the end of the day, when anything perishable is sold off - so watch out for big bags of bagels, and parcels of fruit and flowers going cheap!
Spitalfields Market
109 Commercial Street, between Lamb and Brushfield Streets, E1 6BG
Nestled in the heart of the The City, in the shadow of Christ Church, Spitalfields Market offers the perfect antidote to out-of-town shopping malls. The stalls in the old covered market are the place to look for something original, of excellent quality and value for money. Sundays are busiest, with over 200 stalls operating, including a specialist organic market. On weekdays between 11:00 and 16:00 the markets' varied stalls are quieter, except at lunchtime, when the choice of eating places attracts the young City crowd. On Fridays, over 50 young designers show their work at the Fashion Market.
Address: 109 Commercial Street, between Lamb and Brushfield Streets, E1 6BG
Nearest Station: Liverpool Street Tube / Rail
Spitalfields Market - Information
Portobello Road Market
Portobello Road, W11 1LU
The famous Portobello Road antiques and flea market in Notting Hill takes place every Saturday although there are also stalls from Monday to Friday. Running from from Chepstow Villas to just under the Westway, it is a colourful, dynamic stretch of London that oozes trendiness and fun.
On Saturday, it's huge, with over 2,000 stalls, selling everything from books to bric-a-brac and lace to Limoges - even fashion and exotic cooking ingredients are on sale. Thousands of people mill around browsing second-hand clothing stalls or choosing outlandish material. For those who have the patience to search, there are some fantastic bargains.
This really is the place to shop-and-eat and then shop some more. It is best to go in the morning, by the afternoon you will find yourself getting a little flustered winding your way through the crowds.
Address: Portobello Road, W11 1LU
Phone: 020 7229 8354
Nearest Station: Notting Hill Gate Tube or Ladbroke Grove Tube
Portobello Road Market - Information
Camden Markets
Camden Lock Place, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AF
Camden Market is actually several markets wrapped into one fun, funky canalside shopping experience. There's a wide array of goods to view ranging from antiques to clothes (vintage and new) crafts, accessories and furnishings. Indeed just about everything and anything you could conceivably want, but probably not need. The main markets to head for are Camden Lock Market, Camden (Buck Street) Market and Camden Antiques Market where you can find a wide variety of goods including clothes, crafts, antiques and jewellery. The best days to go are Saturday and Sunday from 08:00-18:00 - as long as you don't mind crowds; some shops and stalls are also open on weekdays. This is a huge weekend tourist attraction and a great shopping experience, as interesting for the diversity of people as for its mixed bag of stalls and multicultural food on offer. Sundays, in particular, tend to be mega-crowded. Address: Camden Lock Place, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AF
Phone: 020 7485 7963
Timing: From 10:00 to 18:00
Nearest Station: Camden Town Tube
Camden Lock Market - InformationLeadenhall Market
Whittington Avenue, off Gracechurch Street, EC3V 0DR
Leadenhall Market is a restored Victorian covered market that sells traditional game, poultry, fish and meat. It's open Monday to Friday from 07:00-16:00 and the best time to visit is early lunchtime. It is found in Whittington Avenue, off Gracechurch Street, close to the Lloyds of London building and the Bank of England.
A good place for a stroll around, especially at lunchtime when the market is at its most lively, this is the place to come for some of the finest food in London.
Address: Whittington Avenue, off Gracechurch Street, EC3V 0DR
Nearest Station: Monument Tube
Leadenhall Market - Information Columbia Road Market
Columbia Road, Hackney, E2 7RG
Lined with chic boutiques, every Sunday this historic street fills with a bright patchwork of hundreds of flower stalls. Columbia Road is the capital's most colourful and sweet-smelling market. Flowers, shrubs, bedding plants and other horticultural delights are all sale for sale. As well as cut flowers, there are topiary trees, pot plants, bulbs and bouquets on sale, and everything to cater for that English obsession - gardening. The market is open from 08:00-14:00 and there are plenty of attractive cafes and authentic sea-food stalls where you can make a pit-stop.
Address: Columbia Road, Hackney, E2 7RG
Phone: 020 7377 8963
Timing: Sun 8:00 - 14:00
Nearest Station: Bethnal Green Tube / Rail
Columbia Road Market - Information Brick Lane
Brick Lane, E1 6PU
Brick Lane Market is pure East End London, which means Jewish bagel shops, Bangladeshi curry houses, Indian sari silks - and Cockneys crying out their wares. This chaotic, bustling market is half way between jewel and junk heap. It attracts lots of young Londoners, in search of second-hand furniture, unusual clothes and bits of this-and-that. They'll finish with an inexpensive Sunday lunch (probably curry) in a local restaurant. The market is open Sunday early morning to around 14:00. London's Curry Mile also plays host to a number of outdoor festivals as the weather warms up, and this is the street to visit any time of the year for a first-rate Indian or Bangladeshi meal followed by a night of dancing in some of London's best dance venues.
Address: Brick Lane, E1 6PU
Nearest Station: Liverpool Street Tube or Rail / Whitechapel Tube / Aldgate East Tube
Brick Lane - Information
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