Let’s draw Spitalfields Market - Saturday 14 October 2017

Drawing by Cathryn Worrell

In October, we will meet to sketch in and around Spitalfields Market.

Spitalfields has a long history as a Roman cemetery, a priory, and later as a hub for the weaving and silk making trade. There's been a market on the site for over 350 years. In 1991 the wholesale fruit and vegetable market was redeveloped into shops, cafes and restaurants. Read more about what's on in the market here: http://www.spitalfields.co.uk/

The day is free of charge and there’s no need to book, just turn up with your own art kit.

Goat sculpture, Bishops Square

Key times and meeting points for the day:

· 11am - Meet by the Goat Sculpture in Bishops Square/ Brushfield Street

· 1pm - meet again in the same place

· 3:30pm - meet again in the same place

(If there's heavy rain we'll meet just inside the entrance to the market on Bishops Square next to Patisserie Valerie.)

· Afterwards at about 4pm we'll go to Patisserie Valerie for anyone who wants a coffee and a chat or to continue drawing.

Drawing possibilities include:

The market building

· The market building (inside and out).

Christ Church

· Christ Church on Commercial Street, designed by the architect, Nicholas Hawksmoor.

· Brick Lane – around the corner from the church.

· Weavers houses in Norton Folgate (north of the market behind Carluccio's) and in and around Fournier Street (next to the Church).

· Elder Gardens on the north side of the market – a small gated garden with benches, which offers some respite from the busy market.

· This is a very busy area at weekends so there'll also be plenty of opportunities to sketch (lots of) people.

If it's raining, indoor sketching options include inside the market and sketching from inside one of the nearby cafes. There’s also a parade of shops on Bishopsgate that is under cover. Unfortunately, the church is closed on Saturdays but the cafe next door should be open.

Practical Information:

Lunch: There are lots of cafes, restaurants and food trucks in and around the market, as well as a big selection of curry houses on nearby Brick Lane.

Toilets: There are some public toilets near the eastern entrance to the market, inside Liverpool Street Station (you’ll need 30p in coins to enter) and lots of nearby cafes have toilets but you might need to be a customer to use them so please check.

Getting here: The nearest station is Liverpool Street, for mainline trains and underground, or Shoreditch High Street for overground. Lots of buses stop on Bishopsgate, including 42, 149, 242, 344 and 388. The 67 bus stops on Commercial Street. You can find more information about how to get to the market and a map here: http://www.spitalfields.co.uk/getting-here2/

The day is organised by Cathryn Worrell and Daniel Lloyd-Morgan.

Let’s draw Spitalfields Market - Saturday 14 October 2017