Camden Lock and the Gypsy Peg

One year we were on a narrowboat which spent a couple of weeks moored in "Little Venice", London. When visitors came to see us we gave them a trip along the Grand Union canal, through the centre of London Zoo and on to Camden Lock where they have a market at weekends. Here we moored up and jumped off to explore the large number of interesting stalls. In the "Stables Antique Centre", I was casually walking past a furniture stall when I noticed some pegs sitting on an antique dining chair at the front of this stall. I looked at the pegs carefully but they were very ordinary and I was not interested. However, upon looking to the back of the stall I noticed a large brandy glass filled with old Gypsy pegs. I had been searching for years for a Gypsy Peg and so I rushed over to the brandy glass. There were twenty-five pegs with a price tag of £40. I asked the stallholder if I could purchase just one of these pegs and he replied that they came as a lot and he was not prepared to split them. I explained that it was difficult to carry wooden pegs into Australia and I only needed one. He began to get irate and said that they came as "a lot". He went on to say that if I wanted to purchase just one page from a book he wouldn't agree, and this was the same. They came as "a lot". I agreed with him about the book, but couldn't see why he wouldn't just let me have one measly peg ..... but he had dug his heels in and was not going to budge an inch. "Absolutely not!" he reiterated. Dejected, I started to walk away and nervously, from the corner of my mouth, said "I'll give you £3 for just one". Expecting a tirade from him or, at the least, the sensation of a the brandy glass being wrapped around my ear, I was surprised when he rolled his eyes skyward and said "Oh, alright then". I left this stall a very happy man albeit three pounds lighter but I have often regretted not paying the full price and buying the lot!!