The Vauxhall Art Car Boot Fair in Brick Lane doesn’t start till Sunday June 8, at noon, but if you’re really serious about snapping up bargains and just-for-the-day works direct from more than 80 big-name British artists you’ll want to start queuing, oh, now. To be fair, not every artist is huge, and prices aren’t uniformly of the ‘so nuts they’re bound to attract squirrels’ variety (works typically range from £10 to £1,000, say the organisers).
You’ll also have the novel pleasure of buying direct from the artists themselves, while they get to enjoy the novelty of flogging their work out of the boot of a new or classic Vauxhall car in Brick Lane Yard, away from the constraints of the established gallery system. Food from Cock'n'Bull rotisserie, Electric Dog and St John Bread and Wine will keep everyone's energy up. If you can't find an affordable masterpiece you can try your luck in the charity tent, which will be giving away plenty of art prizes and designer handbags, as well as hosting celebrity DJ sets from the likes of Patsy Palmer. Tickets cannot be bought in advance – just turn up.