Attention girlies — South London’s best car boot is heading north of the river

After a heavy night of drinking, there are only a few things that can drag a city girl out of bed early on a Sunday morning.

You have three options. Steer her in the direction of a hot pastry, offer her a perfectly made iced latte, or suggest a trip to the Peckham Car Boot (PCB).

A South London institution for almost a decade now, sellers and buyers alike have been flocking to a small playground in Peckham to indulge in one of fashion lovers’ most treasured pastimes: vintage shopping.

From crockery and homeware to designer labels and wardrobe staples, there’s not much you can’t find at a car boot.

And while the event has historically been situated south of river (there is already a second established site in Balham), PCB is finally bringing its wares up north.

Starting in September, organisers and couple Erin Murphy and Steven Lopes have revealed that they’ll be hosting sales in East and North, with the promise that ‘if the community shows up we’re here to stay!’

Held every other Sunday, from mid February right through to December, people travel from all over to scan the goodies on offer at Erin and Steven’s car boot at Harris Academy Peckham, just off Bellenden Road.

And now PCB will be pitching up at two new corners of London: George Mitchell School in Leyton and Stoke Newington School in Clissold.

Discussing the new locations, the pair tells Metro that the plan is to run both for three dates and see what the response is — from both prospective sellers and buyers.

In Leyton, the car boot will be open on September 6, October 4, and November 1. And in Clissold, it’ll be September 20, October 18, and November 15.

‘Seven years ago it was a handful of us flogging stuff out the boots of our cars in a school playground in Peckham, and now it’s basically Sunday service for thousands of people across London,’ the organisers tell Metro.

‘Sometimes we stop and look around and think, wow, this actually came from a genuine love of car boots. It was always organic, that hasn’t changed’.

On TikTok, users document their trips to Peckham Car Boot religiously, gleefully queuing with their friends and posting hauls of their most finds the second they get home.

‘There’s something in the ritual of it’ the organisers share.

‘Being chuffed you got your whole outfit secondhand for a fiver, or walked away with a lamp off someone’s nan. Getting a bargain, having a bit of a haggle, that’s such a British thing’.

With such a dedicated following, Erin and Steven made sure to take their time picking the ‘right spot’ in East and North London, revealing it took them two years to secure the sites.

They explain: ‘We’re proud of being organised and staying close to our traders and buyers.

‘And using social media the way we have was on purpose, it moved the car boot into a new era without losing what it’s about’.

With one other location already in Balham, if things go well, this could mean the duo would have four permanent car boot locations across the city.

How does a car boot work?

If you want to get a taste of how a car boot works, here’s everything you’ll need to know beforehand.

A quick disclaimer that not every car boot will operate the same, so it’s best to Google before heading out the door.

At PCB, general admission starts at 11am and costs £1 for entry. But, there is a way to get your hands on the best deals first.

You can purchase an ‘Early Bird’ ticket for £7, which gets you into the car boot at 10am, a whole hour before everyone else.

There’s also the option to get a ‘Head Start’ — this ticket costs £5 and gets you in at 10:30am, 30 minutes before the rest of the hoard.

A few other things to bear in mind.

Always bring exact change for the door (the closest cash point at Peckham Car Boot is opposite Burger King on Peckham road), and if you’re popping out of the site to go for a wee or grab a coffee but want to come back in, make sure to ask for a stamp.

Why not head over to Erin and Steven’s original location in Peckham to see what it’s all about? You’ll find the site on Bellenden Road, in the playground of Harris Academy.

Happy hunting!

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