Rough Guide to Portobello

For this task I had to re-visit my area and start analysing and describing items that caught my eye. 

First, I began by unravelling the history of Portobello's topsy-turvy road. 

 Portobello Market - West London - Notting Hill Gate Station - THE ROYAL BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA.

 

Notting Hill is a desirable district for the rich and famous where extravagant houses and high-end shops attract the fashion forward youth of today. Located in the heart of Notting Hill, Portobello Road stands out from afar with its bubblegum houses and chaotic street stalls that stretch for almost two miles. On a Saturday the road becomes heaving, with people of all ages, origins and backgrounds flocking to visit the famous Market. However this tourist attraction was not always home to such a vibrant atmosphere.

PAST AND PRESENT:

In the 1800s if someone had offered you property in Notting Hill you would almost certainly have turned it down due to the fact that there were three times as many pigs living there as there were people. Many pig farmers resided in Notting Hill when they were kicked out of Marble Arch and thus the name Potteries and Piggeries came about. In the early 19th Century the local soil around the area was majority clay and was thus perfect for bricklayers to make bricks and tiles for the growing population. 

In 1740 Portobello Road was merely Green's Lane, a road that connected a farm up to Kensal Green. It was named Portobello Farm after Admiral Edward Vernon successfully captured the Spanish town of Puerto Bello during a war between Spain and Great Britain. Greens Lane then became known as the more exotic sounding Portobello Road, allowing it to become the haven that it is now. Instead of orchards and sparse greenery encapsulating the country lane, the road became alive with industry, with shops and markets stalls set up to accommodate the wealthy inhabitants of Paddington and Notting Hill.  

The area has since flourished, with the road appealing to all communities and nationalities; where a fish and chip shop settles on one side of the road there are delectable bakeries, Ultimate falafel stalls and Jamaican cuisine being sold on the other. Its character is also built up by the higgledy-piggledy architecture surrounding the road, which juxtaposes the elegant white terrace houses of Notting Hill. The street is rather cartoon like, with shops and houses sandwiched together like sardines in a can adding to its homely appeal.

Many of the shops are named after the events that took place during the Spanish War with pubs naming themselves the 'Portobello Star' after the events at sea and an Antique Arcade called after the Admiral himself. It is such a distinct and crazy street where you will find the locals gossiping and the regulars turning up for mouth-watering grub. 

MAIN ATTRACTIONS:

Home to Food, Fashion, Antiques, Old and New Goods, it is hard to pinpoint the main attraction in visiting the area. The general buzz on a Saturday has to be the main appeal for me, where market stalls are cram-packed with beautiful jewellery, fur, bric-a-brac and exquisite antiques. There are many second hand stores and vintage pieces for the fashion conscious allowing them to turn Grandma's goodies into coveted clothes. During the week there are numerous fruit and vegetable stalls with fresh produce at reasonable prices. There are also cakes, cheese, fish and bread on offer. It is a joy to be there witnessing the stall owners calling out prices and always willing to throw in an extra apple for good measure. In never-changing true Brit style there is lively banter and heckling from the stall owners; the odd wolf-whistle and un-intelligible chants, and a comforting reminder that old traditions stand the test of time. Plus if you want to walk home with a recipe of ingredients for the perfect Sunday Roast stick it out til the end of the day where you'll hear 'Everything for a paaaand...Getcha veggies for a paaand' and all goods with be boxed up and sold to you for one English pound.

MUST: The most delectable cupcakes ever. Race to the front of the queue to sample the most amazing UK's first Red Velvet cupcake

Portobello Road is also home to fame since being featured in the hit musical 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks' and due to the massive success of Richard Curtis' screenplay 'Notting Hill'. Thousands of tourists travel far and wide to visit the iconic blue door where Rhys Ifans paraded in his cotton itsy-bitsies and the traveller's bookshop where Hugh Grant famously flicked that floppy fringe out of his eyes as Julia Roberts entered his shop.

Another attraction could be visiting the oldest movie theatre 'the Electric Cinema' which lights up neon blue at night.  

WHO LIVES/WORKS/VISITS...

Fashionistas, trend-setters, teddy boys, young politicians and artsy folk live in the affluent area of Notting Hill due to its hip reputation. People of all ages come and visit; there are avid enthusiasts, David Dickinson's bargain buyers and camera laden tourists all hoping to get the typical photo underneath the 'Portobello Road' sign. It's a happening area that attracts teens, locals and fantastically dressed men and women. The most famous inhabitant of Notting Hill has to be George Orwell; writer of 'Animal Farm' and the nightmarish 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'. Passers-by can see the plaque on his house in which he lived in 1927 on arrival to Portobello Road.

Can I live here please???