BRADERIE

It's all action in Lille at the moment as this weekend welcomed the nationally famous 'Braderie de Lille' (where the city basically transforms itself into a giant open air flea market). It takes place every September and about 2 million people show up and expect to be fed.

Its origins lie in tradition when servants could, once a year, sell their and their masters unwanted belongings on the streets to get a little extra cash. Nowadays it's a ramshackle mixture of Made in Generica, the contents of people's attics (So.Much.Cool.Stuff) retro bricabrac at a range of prices and both reasonable and shonky antique dealers.

Tackling just a small portion of the 200km worth of trinket stands meant my sneakers and wallet both got a workout!