If only the weather here was always as sunny as it was for May's Flea Market we could set up outside like they do at St Lawrence Sunday Antiques fair in downtown Toronto. If you missed me on the 26th it was because I was there, looking to see if I could pick up a vintage souvenir that would fit in my suit case. If you are ever in Toronto, I can certainly recommend a  visit - it is a bit pricier than our own Drill Hall Flea Market but over twice the size. 

http://www.stlawrencemarket.com/

Hopefully we'll have a repeat of last weekend's weather this Saturday & Sunday because the Meadow's festival is back http://meadowsfestival.3st.org.uk/, last year I picked up some great bargains from the oxfam stall and bumped into loads of familiar flea market faces. 

JUNE PITCHES

Booking for June the 30th Flea Market will start this Friday June 1st at 10am. 
To book a pitch please call 555 7100 or come into the cafe. Pitches are £15 and to hire one of our trestle tables is £5. 
The phone does get very busy so please just keep trying!
Thanks, 
Stephanie

The story behind the stall

At the centre of Out of the Blue's April Flea Market was Janice Clark's stall. A stall which represented her parents' life. Jack and Irene Clark lived on Dalmeny Street for 50 years and Janice herself since she was 5.  Janice remembers when the Flea Market's venue, Out of the Blue was used for its original purpose, a military drill hall. Due to the sad death of her Mother in August 2011 and her father moving, a clear out of the family home was required.  And while Janice gave many items to charity, there are a few which she wanted to see go to a good home. One such item, a silver teapot, was sold to an elderly couple who appreciated the tea-stained inside, which must have used in so many family situations in the Dalmeny Street house. This was the same house which Janice played with her doll "Patch", Cindy's younger sister. The freckled doll was on sale with her original brownie outfit. Also on sale was a box full of knitting patterns and the needles Janice's mother used. There was also a box full of Janice's father tools, which he worked with daily in his job as an electrician.  And when not working, Jack spent his free time on the bowling green, which was overlooked by the family's house.  His lawn bowls bag, with 4 "JC" engraved bowls, his jersey and all the equipment were in need of a good home. There was a potential sale to a man whose father plays bowls and with "JC" initials. A phone call later resulted in the bowls being the wrong size. However, a few minutes later the items were snapped up by another man, purchased for his father. 

Janice says how she found the whole experience quite cathartic. The stall was full of CDs, 70's ties, plates and books but more importantly, a lot of wonderful memories.  

Words & Photos by Mary O'Connell

Hello flea market enthusiasts! 
If you would like to have a stall at the May 26th Flea Market then give me a call this Friday 27th of April from 10am to book a spot. Call 0131 555 7100 or come in person the the Drill Hall Cafe. Demand for the past 3 markets has been very high so if the phone is busy then please just keep trying. 

Thanks and remember that this Saturday is our next market so come along and browse the varied and interesting items our 2nd hand vendors have to offer!

Charitable Stalls at March's Flea Market by Mary O'Connell

The flea market is all about spotting a bargain, haggling with the stallholders and being delighted with your new purchase. But there can be more behind your new bargain. Some stalls at the flea market are driven by a charitable cause. I spoke to stallholders behind the cause.

The first charity I meet was the Golden Bear Trust. The stall has books and bric-a-brac, but more interestingly has beautiful theatre costumes, which the stallholder can tell the story of each.  This stall is bags of fun for a great cause.  The trust supports people, in particular children, who have experienced or are at risk of trauma from abuse, poverty, oppression and neglect. It aims to make a contribution towards the financial cost of participating in counselling and therapies, the arts, prevention projects and education. 

Moving on to a corner of Out of the Blue, which is jam-packed with clothes, shoes, bags, with a guitar and wet suit thrown in for good measure. The good cause: to collect money for baby Ketut. Ketut is from a mixed British Indonesian family, her mother a former Edinburgh resident. Ketut was born in Indonesia on the 5^th Nov 2011 and spent almost 5 months of her life in different hospitals. She has been treated for meningitis and hydrocephalus and has a cerebral shunt installed. The healthcare in Indonesia is private and expensive and when Ketut’s family started falling behind on medical bills friends of her mother decided to help.

And finally, Powerful Partnerships first took a stall at the October 2011 market. They realise having a stall at the market is not just about making money, but to create awareness of the charity. Powerful Partnerships aims to make a difference by providing opportunities for people with learning difficulties to live rich, diverse, independent and active lives in their own community. 

So the next time you are at the flea market, your new purchase might be supporting good causes in your community. Happy Shopping!

CONTACT DETAILS

Golden Bear Trust: The Chair, Golden Bear Trust, 18 Main St, Eccles, TD5 7QP.

Website is begin developed

Ketut: meizzo@yahoo.com or liztainsh@hotmail.com

Powerful Partnerships: Powerful Partnerships, PO BOX 17407, Edinburgh, EH12 1FZ. info@powerfulpartnership.org.uk

April Flea Market: Pitches sold out within an hour!

It must be some kind of record, from 10 am the phone did not stop ringing and by 11 the April Market was full. Sorry if you didn't get a pitch this time. Watch this space for when May goes on sale. 
The day that the pitches go on sale varies each month depending on what else is going on in the Drill Hall so to be sure to be informed follow the blog, join the email list or contact the cafe on 0131 555 7100 to be added to the list for text message updates! 

April Flea Market: Pitches go on sale Tuesday 27th March

If you would like to book a pitch for the Flea Market on April 28th then please call the cafe on 0131 555 7100 from 10 am on Tuesday the 27th of March. Please call this number only (not any of the office numbers) and please keep trying till you get through as it may be busy! Thanks, Steph