The Coffee Exchange stall. Photo: Jenny Cosgrave

The Coffee Exchange stall at Lewisham market, open every Saturday and located next to the award-winning (more…)

Delicious Choki's of Brockley Photo: Rowan Parkhouse

This week, East London Lines set itself an Easter challenge: to find a new chocolate product different from all the big names brands which fill the shops and supermarkets at this time of year.

And ELL found the perfect Easter tempting goodie very close to home: who would have thought that hand made designer chocolates could be found in the Students Union shop at Goldsmiths College, where ELL is based? (more…)

The Chung-Rowe stall. Photo: Jade Impleton-Jackman

Chung-Rowe sells unique handcrafted jewellery and clothes in the heart of Old Spitalfields Market.

Jackie Chung-Rowe, 30, has sold everything from clothes and bags to scarves and jewellery on her stall for over 8 months. She studied her craft in Seoul, South Korea, before moving to London to do a Masters in Fashion Design. (more…)

Photo:Tobyotter

An unusual tribute marked Mother’s Day in New Addington, on Sunday. Angelia Jordan, a funeral arranger, gave over the window of her shop to photographs of mothers past and present

Angelia Jordan, who works at Rowland Brothers in Central Parade, New Addington, asked people to lend her pictures of their mums so she could display them in the shop window.

Jordan, who lost her mother, June Tarry, two and half years ago, said: “I want as many people as possible to have their mums’ faces up in the display because they are very important people. (more…)

Photo:Hanna Woodside

Tucked away down Deptford High Street you might be surprised to find a brightly painted train carriage, home to the Deptford Project Café.

The café is the first stage in a plan to regenerate the area and sits by the Deptford Project market, which hosts contemporary art installations, live music, and arts and crafts stalls.

Step into the converted South East Trains carriage and you find a bright and airy space with some cool design touches, like a patchwork settee. Everything from the lamps to the chairs have been made by local artists and designers. The food – bruschetta, jerked chicken, home-baked cakes  – is all made with locally sourced ingredients and served on pretty, retro crockery. (more…)

Lama's Pjyamas Buddhist Charity Shop

A new charity shop has opened in Bethnal Green, designed to raise money for the local Buddhist centre.

From jewellery boxes to shoes, and books to jackets, Lama’s Pyjamas relies on the donations of local people to fill its shelves, with profits going to the London Buddhist Centre, just a hundred yards away along Roman Road. (more…)

Kids Love Ink in Deptford

The last thing you would expect to see sandwiched between the job centre and a greengrocers in Deptford High Street is a hip tattoo parlour called “Kids Love Ink”, but in south-east London, you come to expect the unexpected. (more…)

Photo: Katie Dolphin

Nestled in a row of shops along the busy Lee High Road in Lewisham sits Harlequin, (more…)

Love in roses. Photo: Rebel Rebel

At the end of Hackney’s Broadway Market sits a small shop with (more…)

Kyra Pitter at The Fitting Studio

Now entering its fifth year of business, The Fitting Studio is a purple satin adorned temple for the fuller figure woman wanting lingerie that is both stylish and properly fitted.

(more…)