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Season 2, Episode 6 16:51 running time

Three Market Characters

In this episode, we introduce three real forebears to the fictional Eliza Doolittle who were found over the centuries in Covent Garden's iconic fruit and vegetable market.

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Hosted by

Stephen Fry

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Sound Editing

Viel Richardson

Listen now:
  • Piazza, Covent Garden, London

Corpses and Cucumbers

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Written by

Joanna Clarke

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Performed by

Cassius Konneh

About this story

During the Great Plague of 1665 fruit and veg market traders try new venues away from plague ridden City of London and the demands made on them to sell there. Covent Garden Piazza’s fledgling market begins to flourish.

Delve Deeper

If you like this story and want more information, here are some suggested links:


bkthisandthat has a short history of market gardeners. Read Pepy’s diary entry about learning that people are dying of eating ‘cowcumbers’.

  • Piazza, Covent Garden, London

Cleaning Strawberries

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Written by

Joanna Clarke

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Performed by

Lulu Freeman

About this story

18th-Century strawberry girls walk through the night to bring freshly-picked produce to Covent Garden’s market. But what if those strawberries have got dusty on the way?

Delve Deeper

Want to know more? Try starting here:


London’s Wallace Collection has one of Joshua Reynold’s paintings of a Strawberry Girl (though his girl is younger than the girl in our story). London Overlooked has an article about Strawberry Sellers.

  • Piazza, Covent Garden, London
  • Elephant and Castle, London

Oi! You! Jollocks!

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Written by

Joanna Clarke

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Performed by

Stephen Fry

About this story

Sturdy Irish portresses have become a feature of Covent Garden fruit and veg market in the 19th-Century. They carry ridiculously heavy loads to and from the market. In 1837 one woman accepts an unusual bet.

Delve Deeper

If you like this story and want more information, here are some suggested links:


Covent Garden Memories has a copy of the newspaper that described the Irish porteress’s bet, and a sketch of her. Victorian London has an article of social historian Henry Mayhew’s about Victorian costermongers. Thrillist has more Victorian slang.