When the cranes pulled into the tiny streets surrounding Golden Square in central London, we had less than 24 hours to transform the patch of green into a Welsh Farmers’ Market to mark St David’s Day. After days of rain, it was actually sunny⦠famous last words! As the stalls were erected, electric cables laid, generators winched into place and display fridges wheeled under stall tarpaulins, the stair-rod rain arrived and continued to bucket it down well into the night. Â
Trudging home with soggy feet but our spirits high, we all prayed for sunshine the following day for the actual event. We werenât to be disappointed; at 5.30am as we hand-delivered hampers overflowing with Welsh delicacies to London-based radio stations, we were overjoyed to see the sun come out as the day broke.
Later that morning, as Westminster City Council completed their stringent environmental health checks of the 21 stalls, Londoners flocked to sample the lamb, soups, fudge, brownies, sausages, smoked meat, pate, cheese and a plethora of other award-winning food on offer; stocking up on every possible edible item, in time for St Davidâs Day on 1 March. The market was buzzing from start to finish with many of the producers selling out before the dayâs end.
