Holidays: Stall or nothing

Sunday Mirror, Jan 23, 2005 by SARAH WHITFIELD KING

BIRMINGHAM

BIRMINGHAM'S Indoor Market is located in the Bullring in the centre of the city and is home to around 100 stalls selling everything from collectors' items and fabrics to books and seafood, including many exotic species of freshly-caught fish.

The market is open Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri - 9am to 5.30pm, Wed - 9am to 2pm and Sat - 9am to 6pm. Details: 0121 643 6261

STAY AT: Elmdon Guest House, Sheldon (0121 742 1626). Double rooms from pounds 45.

SUFFOLK

THE general weekly auction on Mondays at Abbotts Auction Rooms in Campsea Ashe has its roots in the livestock days but is now an unparalleled hunting ground for either browsers or serious collectors. The auction contains Victoriana, household and general furnishings and garden equipment - a myriad of goods. The auction commences at 11 am. Details: 01728 746 323.

STAY AT: Alde Valley Breaks, Sandpit Farm, Bruisyard, Nr Saxmudham, Suffolk (01728 663 445). B&B from pounds 25-pounds 30 per person per night.

GTR MANCHESTER

GORTON Market bric-a-brac sale on the first Monday of each month is a pleasant busy local market with a wide variety of quality goods at sensible prices and friendly personal service. Made up of a covered market hall with lots of indoor shops plus an open market of 96 general stalls selling a great selection of bric-a-brac items from 9am to 4pm.

Situated at the heart of the Gorton Cross Shopping Centre, just south east of the city centre off Hyde Road, the market is easily reached by local public transport and convenient for railway stations and with a large free car park adjacent to the market.

The outdoor market offers a wide choice of fashion wear for all ages as well as knitwear, sportswear, sports footwear and shoes. Household goods include bedding, kitchenware, and small electrical goods, with some fresh fruit and veg too. Details: 0161 2313522.

STAY AT: B&B at the Stay Inn, Salford (0161 907 2277). Double room from pounds 44.50.

SUSSEX

THE Sunday market at Brighton Station Car Park is home to numerous stalls selling music, CDs, antiques, furniture, second- hand clothes, fabrics, fresh fruit and vegetables, meats and general market bric-a- brac. Alternatively visit North Laine, open daily with a series of streets northwest of The Lanes, including Bond, Gardner, Kensington and Sydney Streets which abound with second-hand clothes, record and CD stalls and local craft outlets. The market is open from 6am-2pm. Details: 0906 7112255.

STAY AT: Ambassador Hotel, 23 New Steine, Marine Parade, Brighton (01273 676869). Double rooms from pounds 65.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

THE largest Antiques & Collectors Fair in Europe is at Newark. Renowned for its extraordinary size and the sheer volume of high quality goods on offer, the fair, held at the Newark and Nottinghamshire Showground, is the ultimate in antiques and collectables events. Visitors are able to browse and purchase from the vast array of hand-crafted items available, and with up to 4,000 stalls to choose from you won't come away empty-handed. It's open Saturdays from 9am-4pm. Details: 01636 708146.

STAY AT: Ye Olde Market, 19 Castlegate, Newark (01636 702 255) - five minutes' drive from Newark Showground. Single room B&B pounds 29.50, double/twin room B&B pounds 39.50.

TYNE AND WEAR

ON a Saturday, visit the Tynemouth Antique Flea Market at the Metro station. The stores are crammed with antiques, home-made and vintage jewellery, a selection of home grown plants and a variety of old and classic books. Sunday is slightly different with stalls selling a large selection of arts and crafts, CDs and a wide range of bric-a-brac.

The market is open from 9am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday. Details: Whitley Bay Tourist Information Centre on 0191 200 8535

STAY AT: Stone Cottage, Prestwick Road Ends, Ponteland, Newcastle- Upon- Tyne (01661 823 957). Double rooms from pounds 40.

LONDON

THE East End's Brick Lane Market is a mixture of treasures and trash. Part of the fun is following the side streets to see where they lead and picking the jewels out from the junk.

You'll find things to wear (leather is a speciality) and it's easy to get side-tracked by the many stalls and boxes of collectables. If the aroma from the bagel bakeries don't tempt you, the Bangladeshi restaurants probably will. Expect to find anything from furniture to fruits, kitchenware to kitsch and odd boots to bangles. It's open on Sundays from early morning until about 2pm. Details 020 7377 8963

STAY AT: The Ridgeway Hotel, 115 The Ridgeway, London, E4 (020 8529 1964). Double rooms from pounds 65.

PORTOBELLO Road Market is one of the most famous markets in the world and is internationally recognised for its second-hand and antique sections. The antiques market is held on a Saturday towards the southern end of Portobello Road, near Notting Hill Gate. In addition to the antique stalls there are a whole host of arcades, galleries, shops and cafes open to cater for the flood of visitors.

A recent addition to the Saturday market is the Arts & Crafts section located just off Portobello Road on the Tavistock Piazza. This was created to encourage a range of unique trades and handicrafts. Antiques market is open on Saturday from 8am to 6.30pm. Details: 020 7229 8354.