montem primary school, hornsey road: sunday morning boot sale!

underscore_cue

I've just started running the refreshments and tea stall at Montem primary school car boot sale... this boot sale is only small and growing, its a really cozy community affair. A search on here for "montem" didn't return any results so I don't think this has been discussed before. There's a friendly vibe here, the word is the one on bowmans lane near nags head has become an over commercialised monster.. over there they charge the sellers loads, meaning that many people end up paying 18 quid or more just for the right to sell, so its full of scammers and fences. People go there to sell on stolen electronics etc. Last time I walked through it I saw two shouting arguments: one over an apparantly faulty phone and a seperate barney about a duff digibox. You wouldn't get that sort of thing here at Montem. The main attraction is the organiser Geoff's stall - he's got all sorts of useful household items sourced from auctions are warehouses at amazing prices - natural soap for 20p, tiny laptop/glasses screwdrivers 20p! There is someone here selling nice handbags, and apparantly you sometimes get handmade jewellery for sale here too. And of course theres my humble tea stall! today it barely broke even, but I'm hoping that as the boot sale grows, so will the demand for food and drinks. today I was selling fairtrade tea and coffee and three types of rolls: branston and cheese, houmous cheese and chilli, and corned beef + onion. As the weather gets colder, I'm planning on trying some hot dishes (lamb casserole and/or fish dahl with rice) but all that depends on the numbers of people actually coming.... So I'm shamelessly plugging it here. Sorry for being such a scumbag, but I think this is excusable because this really is a great community asset right on our doorstep, its just a sunday hobby for me - and even if I wasn't involved like this, I would still recommend this boot sale to you lot anyway. Its every sunday 7.30am to 1pm (stallholders set up by 7am, £10 flat fee - the rules are "No copy goods, no fags or tobacco") This is the location [N7 7QT](http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?client=opera&rls=en&q=N7+7QT&sourceid=opera&oe=utf-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=London+N7+7QT&gl=uk&ei=FDC2SpCCHeOf4AbojYh9&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1) The single yellow lines and bays on hornsey road are free all sunday, unless arsenal are playing - so be aware! there's no dedicated website as such (one would be a good idea in the future), though the details and organisers contact can be found here: [do find on page "montem" on this link](http://www.carbootsales.org/county/l/london.html) So why not have a gander one of these sundays, and if you do, say hello!

katiejane

just out of interest, did anyone buy a corned beef and onion roll?

underscore_cue

well... no. the branston cheese was the only one that did well.

underscore_cue

do you have any suggestions for next week?

underscore_cue

to be fair, I could have been lucky with a pregnant woman on a sunday morning corned beef crave... Or someone with limited funds who thinks 'I'll buy the corned beef because as well as the roll I'll get a handfull of corned beefy burps through the afternoon at no extra cost'

Ian

My view is that corned beef sandwiches should always be served with brown sauce. That would make them fly off the stall ...

matt

i do love a corned beef and brown sauce butty

underscore_cue

with or without the onions?

minou

I think I'll have a gander! I would recommend you branch out into mulled wine when it gets really nippy out. I went to the N7 city farm last winter and had some, it was ruddy marvellous and only about £1.50 a pop!

Also CAKES. Everyone loves cakes. I buy bananas from the £1 a bowl men as they're always over ripe (the 'nanas, not the men) and perfect for making into banana loaf or muffins.

underscore_cue

Well I was thinking about muffins anyway, mrs cue has said she will bake some - this sunday coming should have some on the menu!

tosscat

Lordy, I thought to you were a lady, or are you a lesbian?

katiejane

muffins are good. what flavour?

I don't eat meat, and I'm just trying to imagine a scenario where it's early sunday morning, but i want stodge but you can't do hot food. How about a tortilla/omelette* baguette.

*@ Colette - help me out here - spellcheck's insisting it's wrong!

underscore_cue

We're here at the moment. Mrs Cue has made chocolate chip muffins today, they're selling much faster than the rolls - and the feedback is good. I've suggested the ripe banana bowls idea and she's going to consider trying that next time. If any one fancies a muffin get yourself down here quick before they all sell out!

underscore_cue

@katiejane your spelling is fine, I think its getting underlined because the yank spelling is omelet. As for doing them, I would need to know the demand is there - its the commitment time wise the night before as well as the cost, need to build this up gently and not get too ambitious too quick!

underscore_cue

oi tosscat just noticed your comment was aimed at me, thought there was a 'lordy' on this thread until I just reread it, no I ain't a lady - and if I'm a lesbian then its the secret lesbian trapped in a man's body variety.. though I'm fascinated now that I gave that impression, I suppose you don't know why yourself though as these things just sort of form in your head without you knowing the reasons

underscore_cue

by the way when the organiser came over and I told him I was on this site, he said mention that 'the real hustle' (tv programme) are looking for people to film (hustling or being hustled - I'm not sure which!) Apparantly they've asked him to spread their email about, its hustle@objectiveproductions.com

Doug

Hi, i live nearby and wanted to know who i should contact about setting up a stall. any ideas?

Thanks

underscore_cue

yeah speak to Geoff -- I've been away in Iran and only just back this week so I havent been doing the stall myself just recently, and I'll be seeing my parents next week so I won't be back at the boot sale till probably the 29th but I've emailed geoff to tell him theres someone else interested.. I'll whisper his email to you so you can drop him a line.