small items. A stall with second-hand clothes on a rail and boxes of china and kitchen utensils could prove useful, and a large banner advertising home-made organic dog biscuits seemed a ‘must visit’ for Caroline and Anna.
‘We’ll go there later, darling,’ Anna whispered to Caroline, ‘but I need some fruit and veg first.’
‘Good morning!’ said the stallholder, a man in his fifties with a serious expression. ‘Looking for apples? Wrong time of year, really, but there are some New Zealand Coxes if you must have apples.’
Anna smiled shyly. In the part of London where she had lived there’d been no neighbourhood market and she wasn’t used to banter. ‘Yes, please. About five.’
‘It’s about half-ten, actually, my love, but we won’t split hairs.’ Seeing him put five apples into a bag told Anna that beneath his lugubrious expression the man actually had a very dry sense of humour. ‘Now, what else can I sell you? Got some lovely grapes? Spuds?’
With Caroline taking up one hand, Anna didn’t let herself get too carried away but moved on to the fish stall. Here every sort of fish seemed to be on sale and judging by the queue of people, it was obviously extremely popular. She overheard the pretty girl scooping up mussels and putting them into a bag saying that the stallholder had been up at three in the morning to get the fish from Brixham. When her turn came, she bought two fillets of sole and put them on top of the apples.
While she was moving away a man with a child on his shoulders stepped on her foot. He had a huge black beard and a hand-knitted jumper that nearly reached his knees. The child, his fingers entwined in the man’s dark curls, wore a hat made up of concentric circles of startling bright colours and wailed loudly as his father nearly toppled over Anna.
‘Sorry, mate! Must mind me big feet. I never saw you!’ The man was mortified. The child was lifted off his shoulders so he could apologise properly, and then the little boy had to pat Caroline.
‘I’m Aidan,’ the man introduced himself. ‘You’re new here, aren’t you? Thought so. We would have recognised you by the dog.’
Anna laughed. ‘I am new, but I’m beginning to feel I’ve lived here long enough to know a few people.’
‘That’s what’s good about this area. Now, if you fancy circle dancing, or Five Rhythms dancing, it’s on at the Institute on Wednesdays, during termtime.’
‘It does sound … fascinating, but I’m a bit busy just now.’ What on earth was circle dancing? She must ask Chloe.
‘Well, the new term starts in just over a fortnight’s time. It’s very good exercise, although you probably don’t need help getting that with her.’ He smiled down at Caroline. ‘I make musical instruments, by the way.’
‘If ever I need a lute, I’ll get in touch,’ Anna promised solemnly and the man laughed.
‘Come on, Ocean.’ He heaved the little boy back on to his shoulders and went striding off through the crowds.
Anna watched him fondly before moving on to the cheese counter, which did, she was pleased to note for the sake of the continuity of the ages, sell butter.
Accustomed as she was to London supermarkets, with, she thought, every possible cheese, Anna found herself mystified. There were cheeses here that she had never heard of. The man behind the counter, wearing a white coat and hat, smiled helpfully.
Anna drew a deep breath. ‘I’d like something soft but strong.’
The man laughed. ‘Right, what about this camembert? Have a taste?’
By the time Anna had tasted quite a few cheeses, and filled her bags with rather more than was possibly wise, the fact that she hadn’t had breakfast was no longer a problem.
She was just on her way to the WI stall, to see whether (if she balanced her shopping carefully) she could manage to fit a small carrot cake on top of everything else, when a car backfired.
It took several seconds for Anna to work out what had happened. At
‘We’ll go there later, darling,’ Anna whispered to Caroline, ‘but I need some fruit and veg first.’
‘Good morning!’ said the stallholder, a man in his fifties with a serious expression. ‘Looking for apples? Wrong time of year, really, but there are some New Zealand Coxes if you must have apples.’
Anna smiled shyly. In the part of London where she had lived there’d been no neighbourhood market and she wasn’t used to banter. ‘Yes, please. About five.’
‘It’s about half-ten, actually, my love, but we won’t split hairs.’ Seeing him put five apples into a bag told Anna that beneath his lugubrious expression the man actually had a very dry sense of humour. ‘Now, what else can I sell you? Got some lovely grapes? Spuds?’
With Caroline taking up one hand, Anna didn’t let herself get too carried away but moved on to the fish stall. Here every sort of fish seemed to be on sale and judging by the queue of people, it was obviously extremely popular. She overheard the pretty girl scooping up mussels and putting them into a bag saying that the stallholder had been up at three in the morning to get the fish from Brixham. When her turn came, she bought two fillets of sole and put them on top of the apples.
While she was moving away a man with a child on his shoulders stepped on her foot. He had a huge black beard and a hand-knitted jumper that nearly reached his knees. The child, his fingers entwined in the man’s dark curls, wore a hat made up of concentric circles of startling bright colours and wailed loudly as his father nearly toppled over Anna.
‘Sorry, mate! Must mind me big feet. I never saw you!’ The man was mortified. The child was lifted off his shoulders so he could apologise properly, and then the little boy had to pat Caroline.
‘I’m Aidan,’ the man introduced himself. ‘You’re new here, aren’t you? Thought so. We would have recognised you by the dog.’
Anna laughed. ‘I am new, but I’m beginning to feel I’ve lived here long enough to know a few people.’
‘That’s what’s good about this area. Now, if you fancy circle dancing, or Five Rhythms dancing, it’s on at the Institute on Wednesdays, during termtime.’
‘It does sound … fascinating, but I’m a bit busy just now.’ What on earth was circle dancing? She must ask Chloe.
‘Well, the new term starts in just over a fortnight’s time. It’s very good exercise, although you probably don’t need help getting that with her.’ He smiled down at Caroline. ‘I make musical instruments, by the way.’
‘If ever I need a lute, I’ll get in touch,’ Anna promised solemnly and the man laughed.
‘Come on, Ocean.’ He heaved the little boy back on to his shoulders and went striding off through the crowds.
Anna watched him fondly before moving on to the cheese counter, which did, she was pleased to note for the sake of the continuity of the ages, sell butter.
Accustomed as she was to London supermarkets, with, she thought, every possible cheese, Anna found herself mystified. There were cheeses here that she had never heard of. The man behind the counter, wearing a white coat and hat, smiled helpfully.
Anna drew a deep breath. ‘I’d like something soft but strong.’
The man laughed. ‘Right, what about this camembert? Have a taste?’
By the time Anna had tasted quite a few cheeses, and filled her bags with rather more than was possibly wise, the fact that she hadn’t had breakfast was no longer a problem.
She was just on her way to the WI stall, to see whether (if she balanced her shopping carefully) she could manage to fit a small carrot cake on top of everything else, when a car backfired.
It took several seconds for Anna to work out what had happened. At
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