With the countdown to Christmas well and truly on, it’s sometimes a struggle figuring out what your loved ones want. Charlie Bayliss visits East Ham Market Hall in search of the best gifts and goodies on offer for £10 and under.
“East Ham market is a vibrant and cosmopolitan place,” market manager for 11 years Trevor Lazaro tells me as I arrive in search of a festive bargain. “With over 50 stalls, it’s hard to tell you what you can’t find here,” he says.
And he’s not wrong.
After a quick glimpse at the market stalls – everything and anything from electrical goods to fast food – I’ve already spied a variety of ideal stocking fillers and gifts.
My first port of call is Lawler’s Garden Centre. A family run business which has been at East Ham Market Hall for the past 70 years, I’m drawn to it for one reason – Christmas trees.
But the green spruces on offer are a little out of my modest budget, with prices starting at £25.
“Our Christmas trees are the most popular item this time of the year, owner Jon Lawler tells me. “But a potted plant could make a nice alternative for under £10.”
One present down I move on to the Trinket Box. Jerry Khan, who has been working at the stall for the past three years, explains this year’s best seller has been his bracelets at just £1 each.
That’s 10 friends happy I think to myself before he tells me the pure oils have also been popular and come in a range of different aromas. “These gifts are perfect as a simple stocking filler,” he says.
The next stop on my Christmas hunt is Dewan Ali’s AMS Wholesale, which deals in electrical goods.
“The most popular item has to be the tablets,” he quickly tells me – again out of my price range. “But if you’re looking for a bargain under £10, you can’t beat our Bluetooth speakers which start at £8.99.”
Failing that there’s always a phone case, which Mr Ali assures me are popular all year round and cost less than a tenner.
For parents stuck for ideas as to what to get their young ones, a new lunchbox will certainly help quench their appetite for presents.
They’ve been reduced in price at Muhammed Saleem’s stall to help keep the Christmas spirit alive at a mere £6. Also on the stall are an array of wallets – a perfect present for the other half at well under a tenner.
“Forget £10” Ibrahim Patel tells me as I walk towards his stall, “we have watches at under £5, everything from smart for the business people to colourful for the kids. Why look anywhere else?”
With the clock ticking ever closer to Christmas day, it would be crazy not to pay East Ham Market Hall a visit.
With such a variety of different cultures and presents under one roof, and so many for under £10, there is something for everyone to enjoy this Christmas.
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