Arsenal Football Club

This week we find outabout one of London's most interesting streets –Portobello Road, which is especially famous for itsSaturday market. We'll look at the language of markets andshopping. First, we'll hear from Jonathan, who is a dealerthere. He sells old maps. Listen to him describe what it'slike there. He'll talk about the stalls – small shops withan open front or stands where things are sold. They sellantiques – old objects like furniture or decorations whichsome people like to collect. And junk – things that peopledon't want anymore and have thrown out, but others mightlike to buy. Listen out for those words now.
　　 JonathanWell Portobello Road is a wonderful place to go if you wantto wander round antique stalls, junk stalls. You never knowquite what you're going to find. Every stall sellsdifferent things, there must be well over a hundreddifferent dealers and shops. So there's plenty to see anddo and it's great fun for a day out.
　　Jackie:  So what makes Portobello Road special –different from any other street where you can go shopping?
　　This time, listen out for these expressions:
　　 Chain stores – big, well-known shops which have stores inmany places and tend to sell the same kinds of products. Anexample of a chain is MacDonald's or Burger King, they arechains which have similar restaurants all over the world.
　　Traders – in this context are the people who have marketstalls or shops and who are selling.
　　 Merchandise – is the product they're selling, whether it'sfood, clothes, antiques,or anything else.
　　Now as you listen to Jonathan, try to answer this question:
　　What's the difference between Portobello Road and othershopping streets?
　　JonathanThe real difference you'll notice is the lack of big chainstores. The area has a semi-protected status so you get alot of small traders in there who would never be able toafford to run a shop anywhere else. So you'll getcompletely unique shops and stalls selling very, veryunusual merchandise. It's unlike any other street in Londonand is well worth a visit.
　　Jackie:  Did you get the answer? The difference isit's not just full of big chains, selling the same thingsas everywhere else. There are smaller shops, selling thingsthat are 'unique' – different, unusual.
　　What kinds of things? You'll hear the word 'memento', whichmeans a small thing that you keep to remind you ofsomething. And you'll hear the word'bric-a-brac' – Jonathan will explain what that means.
　　 JonathanAnything and everything! I mean, there are some stalls andthere are some shops which are very expensive and they willhave wonderful furniture or paintings and then there willbe a stall that will be selling what we would call in thiscountry 'bric-a-brac' and that can be anything from alittle cup, to a tin, to a glass, to a toy, you name it!
　　And that is the great thing about going to Portobello Road,is that you're never sure what you're going to find. For afew pounds you'll come away with a lovely memento of Londonand something, probably, that's almost unique.