Kingston Magical Market

Everyone knows that Kingston upon Thames has been home to a bustling market for centuries, dating back over 800 years. But perhaps you didn’t know that nestling between the florist and the fishmonger, the baker and the butcher, there’s an altogether stranger world, where nothing is quite as it seems. Where mythical creatures and even the odd monster come from far and wide to trade their wondrous wares. Usually beyond the sight of us mere mortals, you can now see this enchanted bazaar using the techno-sorcery of augmented reality and the creative imaginations of the children of this borough.

We would love to see pictures of you enjoying the trail and using our app to bring your creation to life, so please share these with us by emailing joelle.fry@kingstonfirst.co.uk or using the hashtag #KingstonMagicalMarket and tagging @InKingstonUK on social media.

Kingston First are delighted to welcome you to the Magical Market of Kingston Town. Discover the 12 mythical, magical market sellers designed by children living in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. As you wander through the streets of our town look out for the large stickers which will transport you into a hidden magical world.

Beginning at the 'Out of Order' installation of red phone boxes, this app-based trail is your portal to discover a hidden world.

Download the app by clicking on the download links below.

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How to use the app

Once you have downloaded the app, find the first sticker near the red telephone boxes and:

Point your camera at the creature on the sticker.
Fill the frame with the patterned background section for the best results.
Press the scan button and hold as still as you can.
Wait for the creature to appear.
Press the 'Place Me!' button in the bottom left-hand corner.
Scan the floor as instructed.
Meet the creature! Remember you can walk around them.
If you want to, take a photo. Why not share using #KingstonMagicalMarket and tagging @InKingstonUK ?
Next to the creature find the clue to continue the trail…
Meet all 12 Magical Market sellers of Kingston Town.

Tips and hints

Make sure you give the app permission to use your camera, so it can see the triggers!
Image recognition works best in good light. If the light is low, use the flash button in the top right hand corner of the frame to use your phone’s torch function.
Hold the phone as still as you can to give it the best chance of reading the image.
Remove any leaves or other objects from the sticker to make sure your camera can see it properly.
If the image scanning doesn’t work, scan the QR code on the sticker, either using the app or your phone’s camera.

Click on the trail map to make it bigger or click here to open it in another window.

Meanie

Purveyor of Spooky Bug-filled Pancakes

Imagined and designed by Archie
Age 7

Deathsplash

Purveyor of Mystery Potions

Imagined and designed by Fergus
Age 13

Elfie Holly

Purveyor of Wishes

Imagined and designed by Luca
Age 7

skylar

Skylar

Purveyor of Peculiar Pets

Imagined and designed by Emily
Age 9

mr spikey

Mr Spikey

Purveyor of Energy Generated from Rubbish

Imagined and designed by Lucia
Age 7

magic wolf

Magic Wolf

Purveyor of Merry Go Round Rides

Imagined and designed by Jack
Age 4

dragon fox

Dragon Fox

Purveyor of Jars of Fire Ferrets

Imagined and designed by Olivia
Age 8 ½

frankenfly

Frankenfly

Purveyor of Sorcery Supplies

Imagined and designed by Dylan
Age 7

rona rainbow

Rona Rainbow

Purveyor of Magic Clouds for Zapping Covid

Imagined and designed by Julia
Age 5

undertail

Undertail

Purveyor of Magical Bones to Help People Who Need New Bones

Imagined and designed by Reshae
Age 9

rocky

Rocky

Purveyor of Magical Golden and Diamond Spears to Help in Emergencies

Imagined and designed by Dziugas
Age 9½

mr barlow

Mr Barlow

Purveyor of Unicorn, Sprite and Pixie Derived Delicacies

Imagined and designed by Margot
Age 10

You can see all of the competition entries we received by clicking here to go to our gallery.

Augmented Reality enhances our real world surroundings by overlaying computer generated digital content such as videos, animations, sounds and graphics.

It uses the camera and screen of a smartphone, tablet or special AR glasses to ‘place’ objects in the real world, allowing for 360 degree exploration and lots of opportunity to learn and have fun.

Thank you to every child who entered the competition to design a Magical Market seller for this experience. All of the entries were amazing and you can view them all in our gallery here.

Thank you and congratulations to all our featured artists. Archie, Age 7 - creator of Meanie, Dylan, Age 7 - creator of Frankenfly, Dziugas, Age 9½ - creator of Rocky, Emily, Age 9 - creator of Skylar, Fergus, Age 13 - creator of Deathsplash, Jack, Age 4 - creator of Magic Wolf, Julia, Age 5 - creator of Rona Rainbow, Luca, Age 8 - creator of Elfie Holly, Lucia, Age 7 - creator of Mr Spikey, Margot, Age 10 - creator of Mr Barlow, Olivia, Age 8½ - creator of Dragon Fox and Reshae, Age 9 - creator of Undertail.

And all the mysterious creatures of the Magical Market of Kingston Town for allowing mere mortals to see them.

Thank you to our partners and local supporters for making the trail happen. Neil Jakeman - Animation, Be Curious - Graphic Design, Edward Mackay & John Canfield - Character Verses, Chloe Miller Smith & Edward Mackay - Curation, St Andrew’s and St Mark’s C of E Junior School, Knollmead Primary School and Kingston Library.