People watching is paramount but I was a little reticent to point the camera for fear of offending anyone. Let it be said, I felt decidedly slim against the locals and simply urbane next to the more citified folk. It was also a dogfest. Everyone seems to take their dog for a walk or their dogs take their humans for a walk. I must admit, I contemplated taking Lily for a jaunt and a follow up swim in the river but thought better of it. Richmond Markets are small, they're local and everything within them has to be hand made by the stall owner although I suspect there are 'cheaters'. The produce is good and local, the crafts . . .well . . .there's always a stall with home knits by grandma and those awful hand towels with crocheted edges. It's no Rocks Market or Nimbin or Byron but it's close and it's cute and it's . . well very Aussie right down to the ubiquitous didgeridoo player (even if he did have blue eyes!).
Malamute pup taking his girl for a walk. There were two about the same age, one with dad and one being carried. So, so, so cute! I hope they know how big they get!
Fuzzy pup. Gorgeous little Malamute. Not so much out of focus as uber fuzzy baby fur!
Didgerie Doo man . . circular breathing means he can inhale and blow at the same time. He was doing fine until a young girl skateboarder came and sat in front of his busker's hat . . .she had questions about aboriginality and wasn't moving until he got stroppy because people couldn't access his collection plate!
Radio personality (station I don't listen to), talk-back host Brian Wiltshire from 2GB fancies himself as a bit of a country and western star. Well he isn't. Despite my absolute hatred of country music, he was flat, loud and singularly unfunny but a group of local pensioners behind me were dancing to Waltzing Matilda and Click Go the Shears. Bless them, they had a ball.
There's always a need for kitch. This lady is examining a range of marble eggs . . now what home would be without one? . . . Mine for starters!
Ugg boots, they're ours, we own them. No American company is going to tell us we can't call them ugg boots any more despite their fancy pants lawyers and copywright wags. No self respecting Australian wears anything else for slippers . . some not so self respecting Australians like them for day wear! Wonder if the lap top comes free if you by 2 pairs?
More typically fete 'ish stuff. Why one would put their eggs in a wooden box rather than the fridge I can only imagine. Country crafts. This lot are tantamount to their crafty cousins, bums in bottles or granny dolls made out of shrivelled apples. Yuk! I am a bit partial to a plain wooden box with a lid however, can hide a multitude of sins!
Sweet treats . . .
Nope its soap! Cupcakes and slabs, they look good enough to eat. Note the typical Aussie pub in the background with tiled walls. These are becoming more and more rare . .as the trendoid cafe style pub takes the fore. I bet they have thong clapping there on the weekends!
Ah, the protea man. Did you know they last about 3 weeks in a vase then you can dry them and they're related to the Macadamia family? Originally from South Africa but King Proteas are very popular here. He thought I was from the press and happy for the publicity. I didn't burst his bubble.
Ahh our yummy mummy . . Koala's for the tourists (it's horrible but they love it). Ink blot T's for the 5-10s and butterflies and stars for the littlies. And her stuff is cheap and all hand made.
Her 'Display' she needs just a little marketing help and she can't spruik to save her life. I helped but couldn't sway a granny being pressured by her granddaughter to purchase the butterfly painting. Nope, granny took her across the way and bought her a schparkly broach (from one of the aforementioned suspected 'cheaters' - looked like cheap foreign jewellery!) Damn and I thought I could sell ice to eskimos . . . losing my touch! This market stuff is pretty hard considering the returns but it keeps her out of trouble!
Hand drawn originals, these are small prints. The original art is available for sale but not through the markets. She really is a talent. This is the 'commercial' stuff but as I said, her charcoal nudes are stunning. (And they're shaped like me! Volulptuous!)
I did buy a couple of Yummy Mummy's cards and some nice scented candles, home made chili jam and worcester sauce. I was going to do a JD expose the weather snuck in and put the kybosh on that! We Aussies aren't good at raincoats and umbrellas!
7 comments:
Looks like you had a great day hanging amongst the bikers and six fingered folk! I did what Yummy Mummy is doing when had tots with T-shirts, cards, painted glassware etc. It's a fun day out and always cover costs even if not rich by the end of the day. Really like that skinny but not scary clown of hers :)
Memories, memories... I helped out on a market stall a time or two in a previous life. It was fun I loved all the banter, but then the serious end of things was not up to me.
You're responsible for ugg boots (by you I mean Oz, not you personally of course)? They have besmirched the Dublin urban-scape for the last couple of years, mainly daytime wear of tanorexic types (overly thin teenage fashion victims smeared in fake tan and speaking with mid-atlantic accents), Sorry, but over this part of the world they have become another symbol of the sort of consumer nonsense I revile.
Looks like a fun day out! That puppy is irresistible ... I'm toast around husky puppies. Must. Have. One. :) That soap made my mouth water and then read it was soap -- oops ... hee hee. YM is very talented!
Anony: I couldn't do it as often as she does but it's a chance for her to promote her 'other' business. It's a countrified affair alright.
GrannyMar: It's not one of our best markets but the people watchng is GOLD!
Oh Thrifty: Who got out of bed on the wrong side? That look is so 2003! No self respecting ugg boot wearer uses them for anything other than slippers. It's considered 'skanky' to wear them as day wear. You can blame Paris Hilton for that 'look'!
Ah Melissa there were loads of lovely dogs. Even two little bulldog pups in a shopping trolley! Definitely a doggy day out! She is talented and busting to do more once her kiddywinks are both in school. (Next year)
Aplologies for the grump. Looks like a good spot BTW.
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