Letters from Marion: London: Fashion Markets

Sunday came too soon and it was the last day of my little London trip - waaaah - so we spent the day wandering around markets and squeezing in some fashion.

We headed to Maltby Street market, also known as Ropewalk, mainly because we'd heard amazing things about the doughnuts! It was a great little street packed with a mixture of stalls and shops tucked away under arches. Little bars, with amazing sounding cocktails, could be found beneath archways, spilling out onto the streets for those who like a tipple with their lunch.

The smells as you wander around are absolutely amazing. They all mingle together and entice you to find their origin. It's bumbling and bustling and as people walk by with their wares all you want to do is find one for your own.

There was sausage rolls and scotch eggs...

Crabs and lobsters...

And of course some amazing home-baking...

After wandering up and down and taking in all the sights and smells we made a bee-line for St John's Bakery. We were after doughnuts and we weren't disappointed. I got one filled with the most delicious butterscotch custard and licked sugar coated lips - heaven.

I dug in...

The coffee was also rich and delicious. It was the perfect spot for watching people wandering by, feasting on their market delights.

Filled up on doughnuts we decided to wander back towards south bank and to our delight we stumbled across an exhibition that had been on our hit-list - Liberty in Fashion.

"I was determined not to follow existing fashion, but to create new ones." - Arthur Lasenby Liberty

Held at the Fashion and Textile Museum the exhibition explores the companies impact on fashion since 1875. You are taken back in time, seeing oriental influences, art nouveau accents and art deco inspiration, right up to the iconic floral and paisley prints that are recognisable today.

The show was brought together to celebrate Liberty's 140th anniversary. It's a huge collection and as you wander around you can pick out your favourite from each era.