A look back at London Poppy Day at Leadenhall Market, from the Roberts London film originally published on 31 October 2014.

An evening arrival in the City

Our Leadenhall Market Poppy Day 2014 film begins outside, with the Shard visible beyond a City street. Modern buildings rise around us, but the destination is a very different London setting: the covered lanes, decorated shopfronts and glass roof of the market.

I have come to make a donation and get a poppy to wear until Remembrance Day. In the introduction, I describe armed forces volunteers collecting around London’s railway and Underground stations. The original film was published on 31 October 2014; its description identifies the London Poppy Day event as Thursday 30 October.

A poppy for the appeal

The little red poppy becomes a recurring detail in the film. After getting one, I hold it up against the illuminated market before fixing it to my lapel. The camera moves between that small symbol and the much larger space around it.

This was a visit connected with the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. The evening also brought people together to enjoy music, with uniformed personnel, volunteers and visitors sharing the market. The footage records that particular 2014 gathering, rather than a guide to a later event.

Beneath Leadenhall Market’s glass roof

Once inside the arcade, the view opens up along the cobbled walkway. Warm lights pick out the shop windows and painted ironwork, while the roof draws your eye down the length of the market. It is a place where looking upwards is as rewarding as looking into the shops.

The market’s own historical tour traces its origins to the fourteenth century and records Sir Horace Jones’s redevelopment in 1881. That Victorian setting gives this evening walk its character. In the film, I pause to appreciate the contrast between the market and the modern City outside.

Harry Potter in an ordinary London passage

The Harry Potter connection is another reason to explore. Leadenhall Market was a location for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and I point out the optician’s associated with the Leaky Cauldron entrance. A seemingly ordinary shopfront becomes a stop for film fans.

Earlier in the walk, I mention overhearing a child realise that the market is real and ask what else from Harry Potter might be real too. It is a lovely observation about seeing a familiar screen location in everyday use, with people walking past on their way through London.

Meat hooks and a family connection

For me, the market has a connection beyond the films. In the narration, I explain that my ancestors, only a few generations back, were butchers who traded here. Looking around with a camera gives me a moment to imagine how different their working day would have been.

Old meat hooks remain above the shopfronts, and the camera looks up to record them. Those details prompt thoughts of the noise, smells and banter of the meat market. Meanwhile, the people around us are enjoying the shops, food and evening drinks in the same setting.

London Poppy Day at the market

A London Poppy Day banner stretches across the lane, with a crowd gathering behind it. The event sits within the market’s usual evening activity: people coming for a drink encounter the entertainment alongside those who have arrived for the appeal.

In my commentary, I explain that I chose Leadenhall instead of the celebrity event at Covent Garden. Here, the focus is on the armed forces and the local gathering. I am pleased to see City businesses hosting the evening, and the film stays to watch what happens next.

The pipe band stops people in their tracks

The performance becomes the centre of the film. Pipers and drummers fill the covered market with music as people stand around them. Several spectators raise their phones to record, just as I am doing with the camera.

There is a long stretch of live performance footage, giving the musicians more than a brief passing appearance. The ornate columns and illuminated shops make an unusual backdrop to the band. Applause and the surrounding crowd keep the sequence grounded in the evening, rather than making it feel like an empty architectural tour.

A gathering beneath the arcade

Later views show uniformed personnel and other visitors among the tables beneath the roof. The market has become a place to meet, listen and spend time together. Wider shots let us see that social side of the evening as well as the performance.

I finish glad that I filmed this part of London Poppy Day. Watch the original video below for the walk, commentary and pipe band. For another view of this distinctive setting, see our Leadenhall Market Christmas visit in 2015.

Watch the original 2014 film

Historical background: Leadenhall Market’s official walking tour.