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The market's multi-ethnic food and fabric stalls are a vibrant sea of colour, with an eclectic mix of household items, music, fresh food and fashion from across the world.ÌýAcross the market, trestle tables teem with exotic fruit and vegetables with names like dudhi, eddo and arbi. Others display brightly garish jewellery and accessories that are tried on by chattering locals of different generations and cultures.Ìý

The large covered space, next to Upton Park station is made up of stalls, kiosks and shops around its perimeter and opens every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. In its century old history it has welcomed small business entrepreneurs of diverse cultures and backgrounds to create what James Fergusson, author of Kandahar Cockney, described as "one of London’s best kept secrets – an extraordinary shopping experience". Bangladeshis, Africans, Pakistanis, Caribbeans, Indians, Middle Eastern and Eastern Europeans are among the market's 415,000 yearly visitors.ÌýAs such the market is a centre where different communities can express their identities and explore others.Ìý

Stall holder Danny Woodards can trace five generations of family history in Queens Market and he is fiercely proud of the place.Ìý"There's much diversity in this market, and harmony. I've been here since I was eight.ÌýWe had the Jewish community, the Afro-Caribbean community, the Asian community. My family's stood here with all them and we've never had one bit of trouble."

Working man's market

Despite its vibrant atmosphere, several stall holders mentioned the poor state of cleanliness in the market and acknowledge that it needs to be renovated. Newham Council, who currently manages the market, has launched a number of initiatives including Operation Street Pride to tackle problems of waste disposal. There will also be an £85 million invested to redevelop the market "to ensure that the area is well placed to benefit from the opportunities that the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will bring".ÌýSome traders look forward to embracing a new modern environment along with new business possibilities. Others however, fear that council plans may lead to the market losing its identity, affordable prices and trading opportunities, spelling the end of what market shop manager Manish Patel calls the "working man's market".ÌýNewham Mayor, Sir Robin Wales, responded: "We are trying hard and trying to do the right thing. We are retaining the market and making it a much nicer place.ÌýSecond rate facilities are not good enough for the people of Newham."

Queens Market, Newham

Value and sustainability

Customers don't only flock to Queens market to buy products that are not available elsewhere. One of the key successes is the affordable price. Customers can take home scoops of food at incredibly good value and further bargains can also be made by bartering with traders.

Queens market and shop traders are committed to serve the local community and they do so by responding directly to local demand. Changes in the local community have therefore had a direct impact on the markets selling habits and sustainable sourcing of food. Callaloo, a spinach-like vegetable that originated in Trinidad and Tobago, is a common ingredient of various traditional Caribbean dishes. There is such a high demand for it that wholesalers have started sourcing it from locals who now grow the vegetable in allotments in Stratford.

Olympic spirit: 'the world under one roof'

The major appeal of London to the International Olympic Committee was how the city's communities reflect the proclaimed "Olympic spirit of mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play". Friends of Queens Market secretary, Pauline Rowe, believes that the market's shops and stalls reflect these values in no small way. "The unity in this market is clear, stall holders don't ever think about the fact they're from different communities. It doesn't apply here."

As a recent New Economics Foundation report stated: "The Mayor of London has dubbed London a world in one city. In many ways Queens Market is a world in one market".