Old Spitalfields Thursday Antique and Vintage Market

Thursday is antiques day at Spitalfields antiques market. The covered forecourt of the modernized market offers up the usual range of fur stoles and tureens of 'retro' cutlery, but there are many diamonds to be found in the rough. Turn up at 8am to fight off the antiques dealers for the best pieces, which on our last visit ranged from a late Georgian chaise lounge (reasonable at £400) and bronze art deco mirrors.  After the early morning rush, the rest of the day is quieter if you just fancy an idle browse. There's a plethora of antique furniture still available at 3pm, and often at more favourable prices as traders decide to cut losses: we saw 4 red dining chairs dating from the 1950s for just £60, and two silver-plated salad servers for a tenner. The traders are chatty and happy to advise on the condition and age of the goods they're selling. Head to Wayne Lawrence's shop for a mesmerising collection of Victorian screens and 1930s steam-trunks to find your slice of vintage memorabilia.