This is wonderful to see, Albert's Cafe, was my grandfathers, nice to hear his voice after so many years. And see my father delivering the sandwich to the workers. London at its finest, thank you for posting this.
This was so interesting watching this, then suddenly I noticed my late father and grandfather. Just blew me away. I use to go to work with my dad as a child and sit on the flower stand and get tea and a cheese roll from the shop about mid morning. Brought back many happy memories :)
This brought back fond memories for me , I started work there in the Flower Market in the early fifties started with Whittle and Coleman and then Newton's in the covered way, I remember Albert's was in a little room above a shop in Drury Lane, and their crusty rolls filled with fresh cut ham straight off the leg and tea or hot Bovril,
Wonderful, my ancestors were Market Porters and Costers at Covent Garden for over 150 years - all living in St Giles and Bloomsbury - since the 1700's. So sad to see London gone to the Globalists.
Back in the days when thousands of tons of (FRESH) produce came direct from the land mostly on flat or drop sided lorries with canvas sheeted loads 'not stored in chilled warehouses and sent in fridge backed lorries with blown chilled air over it. back then it was picked that day sold in the early hrs nxt morning..thats how fresh. also back then stuff like celery still had soil on the root when open sided boxed and most produce was not wrapped in plastic so it could get air to it and you could smell it. 'any one who remembers the old garden knows the smell of fresh real fresh produce not like the crap we're served up today. back then when a sample bag of potatoes was shot out on a hessian sack the salesman on the stand knew what was a good seller and a bit of soil around it kept it fresh.
I worked in an office as a typist /teleprinter operator in the covent garden market area fn the late 50's, The porters had a great sense of humour, and were very polite as I walked to the office !!!!
Before supermarkets shipped food from all around world. We had home grown food daily, fresh, and ate what was seasonal! No junk food, processed. People were healthy.
Narration by Alun Owen, who, 7 years later, would go on to write the screenplay for The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night". The young man combing his hair in Albert's Cafe looks a bit like Quentin Crisp. Some great old characters in this film.
I thought too it was Quentin Crisp and yes great characters and these musicians were they the ones walking up and down Oxford street making music .....?
My Granddad also had a flower stall at the market and I remember travelling there with my dad in fruit an veg lorry to collect fruit for a stall at Edmonton Green and used to visit my Granddad while I was there. good memories
I have a copy of this film from the TV channel ' Talking pictures'. It is a gem, but not fully edited, the naughty "F" word is used twice, at 7.30 onwards....which makes me laugh.
This is wonderful to see, Albert's Cafe, was my grandfathers, nice to hear his voice after so many years. And see my father delivering the sandwich to the workers. London at its finest, thank you for posting this.
Fascinating of old time Covent Garden ,loved the footage, thank you so much for posting such fond memories ❤
I was born in St Pancras in this very year, Wonderful eye opener on one of the most famous markets anywhere in the world !
This was so interesting watching this, then suddenly I noticed my late father and grandfather. Just blew me away. I use to go to work with my dad as a child and sit on the flower stand and get tea and a cheese roll from the shop about mid morning. Brought back many happy memories :)
Your father wasn't George was he?
That’s fantastic , fills me with emotion thinking about it .
Lovely hardworking people and all nice to each other !
How wonderful to see my Aunt Rosa Barretta buying flowers in the market !!
Amazing film, shows how hard these boys worked, and yet still kept cheerful despite how tired they must have felt.
Thanks for sharing this rare gem.
This brought back fond memories for me , I started work there in the Flower Market in the early fifties started with Whittle and Coleman and then Newton's in the covered way, I remember Albert's was in a little room above a shop in Drury Lane, and their crusty rolls filled with fresh cut ham straight off the leg and tea or hot Bovril,
Wonderful, my ancestors were Market Porters and Costers at Covent Garden for over 150 years - all living in St Giles and Bloomsbury - since the 1700's. So sad to see London gone to the Globalists.
Back in the days when thousands of tons of (FRESH) produce came direct from the land mostly on flat or drop sided lorries with canvas sheeted loads 'not stored in chilled warehouses and sent in fridge backed lorries with blown chilled air over it. back then it was picked that day sold in the early hrs nxt morning..thats how fresh. also back then stuff like celery still had soil on the root when open sided boxed and most produce was not wrapped in plastic so it could get air to it and you could smell it. 'any one who remembers the old garden knows the smell of fresh real fresh produce not like the crap we're served up today. back then when a sample bag of potatoes was shot out on a hessian sack the salesman on the stand knew what was a good seller and a bit of soil around it kept it fresh.
I worked in an office as a typist /teleprinter operator in the covent garden market area fn the late 50's, The porters had a great sense of humour, and were very polite as I walked to the office !!!!
Before supermarkets shipped food from all around world.
We had home grown food daily, fresh, and ate what was seasonal!
No junk food,
processed.
People were healthy.
Narration by Alun Owen, who, 7 years later, would go on to write the screenplay for The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night".
The young man combing his hair in Albert's Cafe looks a bit like Quentin Crisp. Some great old characters in this film.
I thought too it was Quentin Crisp and yes great characters and these musicians were they the ones walking up and down Oxford street making music .....?
I like how most of the porters have a fag hanging out there mouths while working!
Bloody marvellous!
My Granddad also had a flower stall at the market and I remember travelling there with my dad in fruit an veg lorry to collect fruit for a stall at Edmonton Green and used to visit my Granddad while I was there. good memories
This is called Every Day Except Christmas, by Lyndsay Anderson!
This is a beautiful documentary! I had no idea Anderson had done this.
WONDERFUL . I WAS 7YEARS OLD. GREAT DAYS, O TO BE YOUNG AGAIN ?????
I loved the way people weren't acting when the camera was on them.
Even in 1957 people are moaning about the ‘Good old Days!….
I have a copy of this film from the TV channel ' Talking pictures'. It is a gem, but not fully edited, the naughty "F" word is used twice, at 7.30 onwards....which makes me laugh.
All those Cockney Sparras!
Did they ever do a film on the old spitalfields ....cheers
No overweight men there.
Good Old England
18:07 definitely the gay community
Brits working! lolz