Down at Portobello Market today, there’s little evidence of the effects of the awful London riots that took place earlier this week. You will have no doubt known about the disturbances on Portobello Road itself, as well as to some restaurants and pubs on Ledbury Road and nearby (such as the attack on The Ledbury – more details from the Evening Standard) as rioters swept across many areas of the capital on Tuesday evening.
Today, the street is as busy as any other regular Friday but with a slight twist. Operation Cup of Tea is taking place on Portobello Market, with free cups of tea (and the occasional biscuit or two!) being served by a very helpful group of volunteers. Starting at 1oam this morning and taking place until 5pm (so if you’re reading this now, there’s still a couple of hours to go!) this is a great local community response, and very well done to those individuals and businesses involved.
The leaflet being handed out
If you’ve popped down during the day, I hope you enjoyed it (and the busy Portobello Market) as much as I did! You can find out a little more about the event from the Portobello and Golborne Road markets Facebook page.
Operation Cup of Tea is also a general response movement to the riots that is now also a charity to help raise money for those affected by them. Check out the website and their Facebook page for more details.
