Roll up! Roll up! Before Covent Garden was a glitzy tourist hub, London's oldest piazza housed a fruit and veg market bustling with locals - and life
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COVENT GARDEN FLOWER SHOW 1951
Hard-working porters haul towering piles of baskets on their heads.
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BASKETS OF WARES
Baskets contained goods to sell.
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WORKERS TAKE A BREAK
Workers at the market catch up on their daily newspaper in a quick break.
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CARTING RACES
The porters also raced their carts around the streets surrounding the market as part of the Flower Show.
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REAL-LIFE ELIZA DOOLITTLE
Lady flower sellers like this one inspired George Bernard Shaw's tale of a Covent Garden common flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, falling for the well to do Henry Higgins in his hit musical Pygmalion.
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CHOOSING BLOOMS
A lady considers which flowers to buy.
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QUEUING TO REGISTER
A wholesaler registers his customers; Only registered traders were allowed to buy from his limited stock of tomatoes in 1950.
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JUICY RED TOMATOES
Some of the Greengrocers had been queuing for over two hours to obtain supplies and these customers in turn also had to wait.
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FRESH VEG FROM THE EARTH
These days the shops at Covent Garden sell expensive perfumes and boutique clothes, but in 1948 they sold humble British fruit and veg.
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DRINKING GAMES AT THE MARKET
In the days before street entertainers wooed the tourists, these locals took part in a fun drinking game at the Market's annual flower show.
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FLOWER SELLER
Wrapped up in a shawl, market sellers come prepared for any weather.
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CHERRY DELIGHTS
Beautiful boxes of cherries, delicious!
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BARROW BOY
A barrow boy feels the strain of his heavy load.
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TAKING A PAUSE
Stall owners - like those today - had to get up at the crack of dawn to set up. This one enjoys a moment's peace before the customers arrive.
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PEARLY KINGS AND QUEENS VISIT
Cockneys arrive for the Flower Show held at the market in 1951.
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PEARLY KINGS AND QUEENS VISIT
Cockneys arrive for the Flower Show held at the market in 1951.
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BASKET CARRYING... TO CRASHING
Porters were amazingly strong... but accidents did occasionally occur! Oh well, picking up apples is all part of market life!
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HOME TIME FOR MARKET STALL HOLDERS
After a busy day, market stall owners are glad to get home and put their feet up with a cuppa.
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