Dave Twydell, a stallholder in Chapel Market

IT is one of London’s oldest markets, but, like many others struggling since Covid and a changing shopping climate, Chapel Market – or the “The Chap” as it is locally known – is set for a spruce up.

Under plans unveiled by the council and currently out for consultation, they plan to spend £1.6million on planting new trees, planters and creating a new performance canopy to give a focal point to the street, tucked behind Angel tube station.

But for the stallholders and locals who use the market, another major challenge is letting people know they are there.

Ruth Yearley, whose grandfather and father worked on the street, and who now lives there, said the area needed better marketing: “I remember once being in a shop in Angel Central [the shopping centre nearby] and someone asked something and someone said, ‘Oh, there’s a shop in the market’ and the person said, ‘Oh is there a market?’

“That 100 yards away is like a different world. The farmers’ market drags people in. This market needs something to bring them. There’s no flagship stalls, no flagship shops that will get people here.”

And Dave Twydell, 65, who has worked on the market since he was 12, had a starker message for the area: “Use us or lose us!”

Chapel Market

When the Tribune visited last week, the stallholders and regular customers had a range of reasons why the market is quieter than it used to be: it has not recovered from Covid; it is dirty; shopping habits have moved online; the area has become gentrified. But more daunting is the question many do not want to ask: are traditional street markets – with stalls that sell a variety of budget goods – still relevant today in an age of hot food, lunchtime-only markets?

Cheryl Cohen, director of London Farmers’ Markets and part of a team that set up London’s first – in Islington – 23 years ago, said: “Street markets are not doomed! Looking for negativity isn’t going to help them. Chapel Market and Islington farmers’ market keep people shopping in their local community. They are the community. They keep money circulating locally – keep Chapel Market vibrant and money gets spent in local shops too.”

She admitted that while markets are “facing tough times,” the power to keep them relevant lies at the feet of locals: “I would say if you’ve not shopped at Chapel Market, come on down and shop at both markets!”

Melih Dalar of Chapel Market Key Stall

Mr Twydell, the chairman of the Chapel Market Traders’ Association, recalling a golden era of the market, said it once had 60 fruit and veg stalls, including stalls that exclusively sold just bananas or mushrooms, alongside a monkey you could pose with, and a legendary apple fritter stall.

“It’s one of the oldest street markets in London. It’s the history of Islington. To me it’s my whole life, so I’m a bit nostalgic,” he added, his eyes lighting up as he recounted the names of some of the stalls: Wally Bananas, Mickey Mush, and Telly Tomatoes.

“It was just the hustle and bustle of the market. People walked up and down, they looked at quality, they looked at price, and there was always something to cater for all different people.

“I’m fed up with people putting the market down saying it’s not a lot like it used to be – of course it’s not like it used to be, because the people commenting on it are not coming to use it. Don’t let a big part of Islington’s community and heritage die.”

Dean Flynn of Only Fools and Flowers

Mr Twydell has played a part in the council’s proposals for the market, with work set to start in May, but warned that cosmetic changes only go so far: “Any improvement is good, and we’re for it,” he said.

“It’s just a bit like flogging a dead horse at the moment because ideally the way to revamp the market is more traders but you just can’t get the traders. It just seems to be a bit of a dying trade at the moment.”

Ms Cohen suggested the council offer spaces to new starter stalls at a peppercorn or free rent for a month to “get them going” or consider “guest stall spots,” while Ms Yearley, who works in marketing, called for a proper strategy for the market, including an assessment of custom they wanted to bring in and how they planned to do that. She added: “Markets thrive where there are communities who are used to using markets.”

A council spokesperson said: “The aim of the project is to deliver a traditional street market that is fit for the future, which delivers a vibrant, attractive community place and drives local economic activity and social inclusion. The project is funded by the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund Accelerator and Islington Council.

“The project is made up of several different strands, led by different teams in the council working together. We plan to future-proof Chapel Market by improving the facilities and making the area more attractive. We are also working on business support and the recruitment of new traders.”