"To the south of the West Orchard
shopping centre in Coventry, sitting in the shadow of two vast
concrete tower blocks which rise above everything else, is the quiet
street of Market Way. It's out of the way of the big shopping
centres, away from the bustling market and the lines of High Street
stores – indeed, there are very few stores there besides a
Poundland on one side and a titanic BHS on the other. In between
these two retail giants there are silvery metal tables and chairs
dotted around, gathering in pools like gossipy hens, because this is
the place where the street vendors park their carts and ply their
trade for the day.
As you approach from the north, where
Waterstone's and Marks and Spencer do a roaring trade, you can see
the quiet street, forest green wagons arranged on either side like a
caravan stopping for the night. Progressing down the street tickles
your nose with ever-changing scents: the sweet scent of
slightly-undercooked, sugared batter from the donut cart; down to the
warming, meaty smell of pork from the aptly-named Pork of the
Town; quickly after that the
strong smell of the German bratwurst cart's massive central charcoal
fire, always a pleasure to stand by, sausage-in-a-bun in hand, as the
cold days close in; following on once the strong charcoal scent
leaves your sinuses, the falafel cart at the end bringing a touch of
spice to the area, complemented by the freshness of the hummus and
the smell of the herbs and spices used for their herbal teas.
Even
at lunchtime the queues never rise above three or four people,
outnumbered by the pigeons which mill around as aimlessly as the
leaves on the ground and peck at pieces of dropped bread and
biscuits. Compared to the surrounding streets and squares, Market Way
is an oasis of calm, the sound of chattering shoppers in the distance
blending with the blowing wind which hits you like a slap in the
face, and the rustling of the trees and their bright green leaves,
the only things in the street which are tall enough to catch the
light which occasionally breaches the street through the gap between
the tower blocks and the low roof of Poundland."
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