On my "grand tour" I was holding most of my bead dollars for the London antique markets, where I was told I would find "lots to buy" by people who have shopped there - and I was not disappointed. The markets, most of which are organized for one day per week only, were as follows:

Wednesday: Camden Passage. a combination of small arcade stores and outside tables. Vintage and antique beads, most from the European trade and on strung necklaces, especially at Jeanette Judd, #7 Pierpont Arcade, and Dreamtime, #13 Pierpont Arcade.

Thursday: Old Spitalsfield Market. Tables under a large roof and others outside in the lane (photo below). Good selection of European antique & vintage beads, jewelry, watches, etc. with a smattering of African trade items.

Friday: Bermondsey Antique Market. Similar to the first two, about 50 tables of European items, inside and outside stalls. A few vendors were the same ones seen at the other two markets.

Saturday: Portobello Road Antique arcades and tables. The Portobello Road area is huge and jam-packed on Saturdays, but the antiques are clustered around one end, mostly in a maze of indoor arcades packed nose-to-breech. It is difficult to see "everything" in this venue but there were plenty of interesting antique beads to look through. Kay's Beads and Kay's daughter Clair Green were set up outside the Chelsea Galleries arcade (second photo), and they had the best selection of high-end antique Venetian & Czech necklaces. The few sellers with African trade beads had very ordinary items.

Sunday: Stefany took me to a local "car boot" sale - literally a parking lot where people sell out of their car trunks - and we both found a few treasures. This was a fun excursion - an interesting peek at what the Brits put out for yard sales.

Monday: Covent Garden - Again maybe 50 or so tables in a covered market space, with plenty of antique items from the European trade to plow through. This is an upscale venue that has nice places to have breakfast or a tea & scone while waiting for the vendors to finish setting up (they open at 10).

Prices for collectible beads are high in London, with only an occasional "deal" found. It reminded me of Tucson - where you don't go to get good deals, but you find beads you cannot find elsewhere.

I also spent time at some of the museums, and saw a part of Stefany's collection that was being prepared for photography. Thank you, Stefany, for hosting my wonderful visit to London!