Saturday 27 November 2010

"LEG IT"

I have asked around for some time but I seem to be one of the only people who remembers the stall in Bell Street Market (off Edgeware Road) that sold old Wooden false legs, legs that I suspect were given away by near-by ST Mary's Hospital because they were becoming surplus to NHS needs as they started to use lighter plastic limbs instead.
The Stall sold only false legs and was dripping with them there were so many, big ones, small ones, long ones (you get the picture), the stall was on a corner so was easy to see.
As a yoot I used to go to that and other Markets like the Swiss Cottage one, just to look around at the items. I got the same feeling of wonderment looking at all those old Tat and 'no use' items that other kids got from Disneyland I enjoyed going to Tat markets that much (I went to the Disney monstousity in Florida twice just before my teens).
I also remember how much Nazi regalia used to be sold in markets then, the Jackboots I remember were especially sought after, simply because they were such well made boots that even after spending thirty five years in Warehouses they were still good, strong boots.
You could also buy complete Nazi uniforms for less than £10, the same uniforms would now cost hundreds of Pounds to buy, as would all the extra badges, medals etc. that also originally cost 50p or £1, the stalls selling them looked really odd and out of place given that at that time we were still having stuff like 'Dam Busters' and 'The Great Escape' being hurled at us every Christmas on TV.
 I've just thought, this all ties in with WW2's R.A.F Hero Douglas Bader having a fine pair of Wooden falsies   himself  (the Colditz programme is on Telly I've just turned on as I'm writing) I wonder if that can be classed as being syncronistic or just a coincidence? Or Ive just seen a pattern where there wasnt one, not quite Jesus in a Nan bread but that sort of thing, a bit....
Anyway, back to the False leg Stall and away from those nasty Nazis, if anyone else remembers or knows about any photos of the Leg Stall, please let me know because I would hate to imagine that the strange sight of all those hanging and piled up Wooden legs on the Stall had become forgotten, it was part of the character of the old Market that's 99.9% gone now, sadly.

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