London has its moments. Traditionally if you tread on the lines instead of the squares, you get eaten by bears. Well, according to A.A.Milne anyway. Only in Islington do they give them defensive equipment in case you fight back...

This bear was part of a variety of bits of junk being sold from benches in the lanes just off Upper Street. I like junk shops, junk stalls, "antique" markets, and auction houses. The prices here are every bit as outrageous as you'd expect for North London on a Saturday morning, but at least there's plenty to poke around in.

My favourite discovery of the day was a rather nice miniature chest of drawers in mahogany, and perhaps two feet high. The price tag was about £220 which seemed rather low for a well made bit of furniture like that, but it turned out to be an elaborately disguised commode (they're more normally hidden away in footstools) for which there is no demand whatsoever. Not even from me.