Two Fairs, Some Lovely Finds & A Trip To Stamford

An Old Letter Tidy

This pretty letter holder was one of our finds at the Northampton Vintage Fair which took place at 

St Matthews earlier this month. Stalls were set up inside the parish centre and outside on the lawn in the walled garden.

A Lovely Summer Scene From The 30s

I really liked the cheerful cover of this girls' annual and it has some lovely drawings inside.

30s Rural Life 

 This lovely old mohair bear dressed in her best spotty frock was found hiding on one of the stalls outside, she has made herself very much at home.

Found At The Fair

 The rooms inside were transformed by the stall holders and their displays.

The Small Sales Room Before The Off

The stalls on the lawn formed the 'vintage market' which looked great bathed in the afternoon sun (having survived the early morning gusts and a midday downpour). 

The Vintage Market

Many thanks to all the stall holders who valiantly struggled through the morning gloom, the weather could have been kinder, I think we all spent several hours looking skywards.

After The Rain Had Passed

One of the stalls on the lawn was piled high with vintage textiles and on another there was a full set of caravan curtains from the 50s.

Grab A Yard

Embroidered linens and costume jewellery can always be found at our fairs and a number of specialist stalls join us at the fair's various destinations.

Brooches!

Inside a great collection of telephones from the 70s/80s and lighting from the 60s attracted a lot of attention.

As Seen In The Sweeney

Original kitchenalia and domestic wares from the mid-century are always well represented at our fairs and all sorts of things can be sourced (I found some lovely French enamel at the Jubilee Fair in Stamford last year). I would like to say that one can find "everything but the kitchen sink" at our fairs however that would be untrue as .....

Smith's Clocks & Everything But The Kitchen Sink 

....... we did indeed have a vintage sage green sink on display at one of our visits to Market Harborough (courtesy of Vicky from the Nostalgic Kitchen who will be with us when we return to The Three Swans in June).

The 30s Cottage Garden

Here is another find, a lovely summer scene, this time found on the lid of a small toffee tin from the 30s. The idealised cottage garden (resplendent with delphiniums) and 'crinoline ladies' were used extensively in 1930s design and hand-crafts.

Time For Tea

We found this large teapot on one of the stalls inside the hall, it would bring a touch of nostalgia to a summer fete and would looked great teamed with some yellow, blue and green 'utility ware'. 

 Vintage Wool Rugs

Old wool rugs retain their vibrant colours and look great in period homes and add a touch of vintage style to modern interiors. I spotted these very cheerful rugs on Jo from Lost Property Vintage's stall and took them home along with the painting.

A Lovely Oil On Canvas From Lost Property Vintage

I spotted the cushion a couple of days before the fair when I called into Antiquities in Northampton, fashioned from a silk handkerchief a long time ago. Roses looked beautiful in June and will be seen at their best in a few weeks time.

Yellow Hybrid Teas

All of the homemade cakes in the  'old style' tea-room had been enjoyed by half past two and we had to resort to the local supermarket's stock of doughnuts. Our special guests were the  Mayor and Mayoress of Northampton who opened the fair and greeted the everyone in the queue that had formed at the door.

The Home Guard Maintained Good Order

We were also joined by members of the Pitsford Home Guard who visited us during the afternoon, having attended another function earlier in the day they decided to call into the fair on their way home. The day passed quickly and before long it was time to draw the fair to a close. The sun shone down as the stalls were packed away, by the time I took down the last of the bunting draped around the church it had formed a glorious pink sunset (bringing with it the promise of a warmer day ahead as in "red sky at night").

One Of The Stalls At Olney

With little time for rest we headed for Buckinghamshire for the following Saturday's Olney Vintage Fair when we gathered inside the Church Hall of St Peter & St Paul.

50s America Comes To Olney

This fabulous bag from the 1950s found a new arm to hang from and the bold red hat was snapped up quickly.

A Theatrical Red Hat

Once again the elements struck, last Saturday was unusually cold for the middle of May and the rain made several unwelcome appearances.

Pearls A Plenty 

A new stall holder, joined us at Olney for the first time and her range of cards looked fabulous and it was great to see vintage inspired cards designed for men!

Handmade Greeting Cards

 Recently I have found shopping for cards a disappointing matter (having exhausted the imagination of M&S) so it was especially nice to have such a fine collection at the fair.

A Bird In Her Nest

Accessories such as these sparkling evening bags are always popular when the fair visits Olney, one of the stalls had a crate full of them as well as an Indonesian mask and the lovely American bag mentioned earlier.

 Sparkling Evening Bags

It is strange how taste in terms of dress and attire has changed through the years. Hats were very much part of everyday life  before the second great war of the 20th Century but were quickly abandoned by subsequent generations.

Hats Galore

Clothes have fitted in well at our fairs and a small number of stalls join us when the fair gathers together.

Clothes From Dulcie Britain

Vicky from Dulcie Britain and Jade from The Siren Vintage joined us for the day. The afternoon drew to a close and goodbyes were exchanged and sights were set on Stamford.

Our Third Visit To Stamford

The fair will be visiting Stamford Arts Centre on 25th May. It is a wonderful and spacious venue and there will be two rooms full of stalls waiting for everyone who comes along on the day. There will be a three day long 'Antiques Fair' taking place in the nearby Meadows over the Bank Holiday weekend so there will be much to please.

The Way To The Fair

Here is a view of the Arts Centre when approached from St Georges Street. I popped over to Stamford today to put up a few posters in preparation for the fair next Saturday. I called into some great antique shops which I will write about in more detail about in a few days when I visit again.

Christopher Pye - 3 St Leonard's Street

I will mention Christopher Pye Antiques as I spent some time talking with the helpful and friendly proprietor who specialises in English and European furniture. It is just a few yards walk from where the fair will be taking place and is well worth a visit.

We look forward to seeing you at Stamford, best wishes for the week ahead and for the forthcoming Bank  Holiday.

A Trip To Brackley & Saturday's Northampton Vintage Fair

Unit 60 At Brackley Antique Cellar

 I visited the wonderful Brackley Antiques Cellar last week, they have just won Homes & Antiques Best Antique Centre In The UK 2013! What a 'coup' for Northamptonshire. There are over one hundred and sixty independent dealers in total and it is a great place to spend a few hours.

Baskets & Books At Brackley

The centre displays a wide range of of tradtional antiques (furniture, ceramics, glassware, weaponry, rustic pieces and curios) as well as much that will be of interest to lovers of 'vintage' from homewares and ephemera to textiles and clothes.

Worcester Ware, A Polish Doll & An Old Sign

I think that magazine capture the style and glamour of their time, they also reflect something about the prevailing concerns of the time such as this copy of Marie-Claire published in post-war France in the 1940s.

 Marie-Claire From The 40s - Peace In Europe

I particularly liked units which had been set out as themed 'rooms' such as this display (I found the copy of Marie-Claire on the other side of the black trunk and tea-tray).

Subtle Tones & Interesting Things

This eclectic mix including a duck and top hat caught my eye.

A Study In Yellow & Black

Vicky from 'Vicky Loves Vintage' has created a very cosy corner, the nursing chair has been covered in a beautiful vintage fabric.

'Vicky Loves Vintage'

It was good to see posters for the forthcoming fairs in Northampton and Olney on display. I am busy  preparing for Saturday's Fair in Northampton where the Mayor and Mayoress will be joining us for the day, as guests of honour they will open the fair at 11am and will be having a stall to raise funds for the Mayoral charities, Meagan's Flutterby Fund and Northamptonshire Sea Cadets. 

See You At The Fairs!

The fair in Northampton will be taking place at St Matthews which is situated in the Kingsley area about one mile from the town centre. The stalls and 'old style' tea-room will be set up inside the Parish Centre and if the weather is kind there will be lots more stalls outside on the lawn.

St Matthews Northampton 

We love returning to St Matthews because it is were we held our first ever fair and we have such a lot of fun at the Vintage Jumbles each January and July. If the weather is good please do bring a picnic as the lawn is surrounded by a lovely stone wall and is a safe place for children to play.

See You At The Fair

We look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday and fingers crossed for wonderfully warm weather. The fair inside the hall will take place regardless of the weather so please do come along and join us.

The 10th Northampton Vintage Fair

Best wishes for the Bank Holiday weekend and see you at the fair.

A Lovely Day In Leamington

Spring Has Arrived!

I set these hyacinths last August with the hope that they would be in flower in March for 'Vintage in the Park', as I wanted to position one pot either side of the entrance however the cold weather has held everything back, they are now finally in full flower and filling our home with a beautiful fragrance. The conditions were set for the fairs first visit to Royal Leamington Spa.

Summer Flowers & Vintage Ladies

We found this pretty collection of cards and growing guides on one of the stalls when the fair visited Leamington Spa on Sunday. David from 'Paper and Plastics' specialises in presenting original plastic, bakelite and paper ephemera and has a great website and will be with us again when the fair returns to  Market Harborough in June.

Vintage Plastics

These bangles which were part of the display were very eye-catching and date from the 60s and 70s (I think!). Carole from 'Vintage Treasures', who has been nominated in the category 'Best Vintage Shop' in the Homes & Antiques Awards had a stall with us for the first time, the Vintage Treasures shop itself can be found in Hinckley.

'Vintage Treasures'

The Royal Pump Rooms are Grade 2 Listed and were built in the early 1800s and provide us with a great home for the day, the stalls filled the main hall, pretty conservatory and lobby.

The Main Hall - Royal Pump Rooms

The conservatory luxuriated in the natural light which flooded through the large Georgian windows and glass roof, the ceramics, glass and costume jewellery on display looked wonderful.

A Peek Into The Conservatory

Jo from 'Lost Property Vintage' has a stall at many of our fairs and always has a nice selection of original wares and who I must also thank for some of the photos used in this post.

Lost Property Vintage In The Conservatory

The colonnaded front of the Royal Pump Rooms exudes a sense of permanence and undeniable grandeur and we would like to thank everyone who came along on Sunday. The matter of whether to return to Leamington for a second fair was made simple to resolve by the amount of positive comments received from stall holders and guests. The fair will be returning in July or October.

The Path To The Fair

I could not resist popping outside to take a snap of the immaculate green and cream Rolls Royce which pulled up outside the fair.

Grandeur At The Leamington Spa Vintage Fair

I would like to apologise to the ladies who arrived with their pet dogs and who sadly could not come in, dogs are very welcome at our fairs however sometimes venues do not allow them and we of course respect this. I was very happy to see this cute chap on wheels who went home to his new family and many thanks to the kindly gentleman who waited patiently for me to take the picture.

A Very Cute Dog On Wheels

Our stalls selling clothes attracted a lot of attention and looked great in the sumptuous surroundings of the main hall, many thanks to Sarah from 'Hickory Vintage', Vicky from Dulcie Britain and Amy from Hand Me Down Vintage.

Hickory Vintage

There were also some very nice dresses and bags made from lovely original vintage fabrics. Handbags, hats, gloves, accessories and costume jewellery have always been popular and it is great that specialist vintage fashion stalls has become part of the fair in the last few months. 

Lovely Summer Dresses

Statues looked over the fair from the four corners and added to the opulence of the scene.

The Statue Was Not For Sale

It was great to see Debbie from the Brackley Antique Cellar who returned home with this fantastic Noddy money box which is over three feet high! I will write in more detail about the Antique Cellar in a later post,  it is a great place to spend a few hours and has been voted one of the top five centres in the country in the Homes & Antiques Awards 2013! The winner will be announced soon.

"If You Watch The Pennies... "

We found this cute tea-set decorated with seagulls, it is from the Dartmouth Pottery in Devon.

Tea Anyone?

I have always found seagulls and other large sea birds amusing and remember once sheltering from their swooping attacks as I guarded a bag of chips in a quay in Ilfracombe.

Devonshire Pottery

I took some Harrod's bottles which I found in a shop in Kettering along to the fair and they attracted quite a bit lot of attention, I am not sure what they were manufactured to contain but I think they would look nice in a bathroom.

Harrod's At The Fair!

We enjoyed the day in Leamington very much and we hope that you did too. Our next fair is taking place in Northampton at St Matthews, it is where we held our first ever fair and if the weather is good there will lots of stalls outside on the lawn in the walled garden (in addition to the two rooms of stalls inside).

Saturday 4th May

Best wishes and see you at the fair.