The Northampton, Market Harborough, Buckingham, Stamford and Olney Vintage Fairs

A Very Busy Three Days & Plans For A Vintage Fair Jubilee Garden Party

2012-02-26T15:33:00.004-08:00

Colours From A Bygone Age

I will start this post with these pretty maps which I guess are from the 50s/60s when roads were much quieter than they are today. I found them when I was in Buckingham on Friday, it was a lovely sunny afternoon and I was visiting the venue for the forthcoming 1st Buckingham Vintage Fair. In between Market Hill and the High Street is a very nice little vintage clothes shop run by Fenella. I found the maps upstairs in 'Fox Vintage'.

Clovelly?

I really liked the colourful images and the prominent ESSO emblem. I also found this wool turtle neck sweater in Fox Vintage, I resisted buying it but will not if it is still there where I go back next week.

I also found a great butchers (strange as I am vegetarian) which sold really good homemade cakes, I took two huge madeira buns filled with cream and jam home.

St Michael Turtle Neck

I handed out a few posters for the fair which is taking place at The Old Town Hall on 1st April and then met with Louise from the Villiers Hotel to view the venue. The very positive way in which the Villiers Hotel (it is they who own and manage the Old Town Hall) have received the fair has been very encouraging. The name Villiers is synonymous with the favourite of King Charles 1 who was made first Duke of Buckingham (an elevation so despised by parts of the country that Civil War and regicide were to follow).

The Old Town Hall In Buckingham

The fair will be taking place upstairs in the grand ballroom. The stalls will be selling original vintage home wares and ephemera, handmade items and vintage clothing and accessories. There will be an old style tea shop for tea and cakes. The Old Town Hall is right in the middle of town.

The Blue Lamp

This lovely old police light hangs outside The Old Gaol Museum in Buckingham which has a wonderful exhibition of work of Flora Thompson of Lark Rise To Candleford fame.

The Old Gaol Museum In Buckingham

The Old Gaol Museum is a stones throw away from the Old Town Hall. Before leaving for Buckingham I made a call to put into action an idea I had been developing for a little while. I arranged a meeting with the manager of the Spinney Hill in Northampton, to take place the following morning.

The Spinney Hill In Northampton

I met with the really friendly, helpful and resourceful Grace. I had a look around and could imagine what the garden of this lovely pub will look like in May. Construction of the Spinney Hill began in 1929 and the building retains most of its 1930s features, lending itself perfectly to our Vintage Fair & Jubilee Garden Party on 26th May. I will provide more details once I have completed the poster. I spent the remainder of the day trying to change the appearance of this blog, I hope you like the changes, there will soon be tabs to enable visitors to navigate around the different fairs and events.

Easter Bunnies

Finally to the third of my very busy three days mentioned in the title of this post. On Thursday I returned to Olney to view the church hall of the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul. I called into one of the towns charity shops and found this little print of rabbits in a spring scene.

St Peter & St Paul Church Rooms In Olney

The pretty church hall of St peter and St Paul, new home to the Olney Vintage Fair, where we will be for the 3rd Olney Vintage Fair on 5th May.

Hope to see you all at one of the fairs soon.

A Day At The Races, Three Dates For Olney & Station 109

2012-02-22T14:36:00.003-08:00

Ready For The Off

Yesterday I arrived in Olney just in time for the start of the famous pancake race, reputedly first run in 1455. The High Street was packed with a happy crowd cheering on the ladies of the town as they ran with frying pan in hand from the Market Square to the finish near the gate of the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul.

St Peter & St Paul In Olney

I followed the race some way behind the winner who completed the historic course in less than a minute.

I was completely taken by this little character who lives in the field next to church yard.

A Shetlander In Bucks

My gloves seemed to be of great interest and I had to tuck them into my pocket. The little pony was so curious yet very gentle, I shared the thought that such ponies used to pull trucks full of coal and ore up the steepest slopes for their living.

Really Friendly & Loves Gloves

I headed back up to the Church Hall for a cup of tea and noticed this tree, I think it is a Plane Tree, a species much admired by the enigmatic artists Gilbert and George.

Plane Trees On Church Lane

The traditional Shriving Service took place in St Peter and St Pauls, the pancakes were in the Church Hall!

The Church Rooms Of St Peter & St Paul

I liked the way the tables had been dressed with pretty yellow Primulas. Years ago I found myself in the yard of an ancient church in Holdenby in Northants. It must have been early March, the tended grass was a mass of Primula Vulgaris in shades of pink, yellow, white and blue. It was as if someone had conspired to compose a perfect alpine meadow in the heart of England.

Spring Will Soon Be With Us

On my way back to the car parked at the head of the High Street I called in to Chic Boutique at 100a The High Street. The lovely little shop was full of vintage fashion and homewares, I found a pretty Coronation cup and saucer.

Chic Boutique In Olney

I left the bustling High Street of Olney but not before picking up this vintage French plate rack which I found in a charity shop.

A Charity Shop Find

I headed for Rushden and my long overdue visit to Station 109 at the Rushden Antiques Centre.

I spent two and a half hours browsing and chatting to Mike, the infinitely helpful and interesting owner.

A Fine Telephone From Station 109

I particularly liked this old telephone and an old Aquascutum 'dogs-tooth' brown suit, which sadly did not quite fit, as much as I tried to convince myself that it did. A pile of hats caught my eye. Conversation about the Twinwood Festival in August reminded me that I should pursue my interest in learning to dance. I did not return home with my perfect pair of polished tan leather boots but was cheered by an enjoyable day.

Hats Galore Again From Station 109

Lastly but by no means least I have found a new venue for the popular Olney Vintage Fair and have arranged three dates for 2012. More details in my next post! The dates have been added to the list of dates in the side-bar.

I will post again soon as the Northampton fair is less than three weeks away and it will soon be our first fair in Buckingham.

Yesterdays Fair In Harborough

2012-02-12T07:58:00.000-08:00

Lovely Embroidery From Vicky Loves Vintage

Hello everyone, here are some photos from Saturdays Vintage Fair in Market Harborough. As we left a very cold Northampton we entered a winter wonderland. The villages of northern Northamptonshire were shrouded in freezing fog, the trees were covered white and the scene was quite unlike anything I had seen before. As we passed through Kelmarsh the temperature had dropped to minus 15.5 degrees. As we approached Harborough the sun was breaking through, and it was great to see some of our stall holders waiting patiently in their cars.

Vintage Luggage

Once inside the Three Swans was soon a hive of activity as stall holders arrived and began to set up their stalls, it was great meeting old friends and welcoming people selling with us for the first time.

The stalls looked great as I had a quick walk around before the doors opened at 11. The blotter and luggage caught my eye and were displayed by Vicky from Vicky Loves Vintage. (http://vickylovesvintage.co.uk/)

So Colourful Vintage Paper & Plastics

David from Paper and Plastics (http://www.paperandplastics.co.uk/) joined the fair for the first time and the display looked so bright and cheerful.

Love These Telephones From Paper And Plastics

I then spotted some great kitchenalia from Vicky's The Nostalgic Kitchen.

I Remember Using One Of These Irons In The 70s

However I do not recall using one of these gas irons!

Visit The Nostlagic Kitchen (www.thenostalgickitchen.co.uk/)

When the doors opened at 11am a cold blast of air entered the foyer, a small number of people braved the early cold and were warmly greeted. I hope the splendid sight of all the stalls was sufficient reward for braving the chill air and ice covered paths.

Tins Look Great Stacked On Shelves

The slow start soon turned into a steady stream of visitors and by 12.30 the area around the door was crowded as people queued to get in.

I Love Peacock Feathers

Once when were staying at The Hunters Inn in the Heddon Vally on Exmoor there was a peacock perched outside our window in the morning.

Rich Patina From A Bygone Time

Some of our visitors had travelled quite a distance to the fair and it was really nice chatting, learning about vintage events in other parts of the country.

Lovely Felt Brooches From Jane SmallBeans

There were some lovely handmade items inspired by original vintage designs, I particularly liked the colourful felt designs (and Im sure I spotted a Fuzzy Felt set on one of the stalls).

Felt Bunnies For Easter (http://www.smallbeans.co.uk/)

Considering how cold it remained thoughout the day it was a wonderful turn out, all our stall holders and lots of enthusiastic visitors created a lovely warm atmosphere.

The Five Hours Passed By And I Realised I Had Only Had A Single Cup Of Earl Grey

At 4 we closed the doors and everyone began to prepare for the journey home. We hope you all enjoyed the fair as much as we did, we are really looking forward to June when we will be back in Market Harborough.

A Present For The Hens From Blighty Boutique (http://www.blightyboutique.blogspot.com/)

My concern for our two hens lead me to buying one of these hot water bottles from Amy's Blighty Boutique. Recently I have, rather comically, been placing a rubber hot water bottle in the straw in the henhouse in our back garden when 'the girls' retire for the evening.

It was a lovely day, thanks to everyone who helped to bring such warmth to the coldest day that I can remember.

Station 109 For Everything 40s (http://www.station109.com/)

I will be going to one of my favourite shops during the next few days, a long overdue visit to

Station 109 in my hunt for some 40s boots. I will let you know how I get on.

2012-02-10T12:31:00.000-08:00

As Jones Would Say "Don't Panic, Don't Panic"
The Roads Are Clear And The Rooms Are Ready!

Blogging for the second time today, quite unprecedented. Just thought I would share my last bits of preparation for the fair with you. I headed up to Market Harborough this afternoon to set the tables, pin up a few more tactically placed posters (and for a scone and cup of Earl Grey at Joules, unfortunately closed by the time I had finished what I had to do).

Winter Twighlight Outside The Three Swans Hotel At 5.30 This Evening

I like Dads Army and plan to be home to watch it on BBC2 tomorrow evening, hopefully with a glass of wine in hand, tired but happy after the fair. Years ago I stayed at the Bell Hotel in Thetford and discovered that the actors and production team stayed there when filming in the 60s and 70s!

Find The Fair At The Three Swans Hotel

It was bitterly cold as I walked back to the car for the drive back to Northampton, the lights of Market Harborough disappearing behind me as I crossed back into Northamptonshire.

Looking forward to a great day tomorrow, come along and visit this friendly fair and return home with your treasured vintage and handmade finds.

Fair Weather For A Vintage Valentines

2012-02-10T01:45:00.000-08:00

Saturday 11th Feb 11-4

Hello everyone, just a quick post to let you know that the Fair is going ahead undaunted by the snow. I will be driving up to Market Harborough this afternoon to prepare the sales rooms and set up the 'old style' tea shop.

Walk Through The Arch To Find The Fair

Have a safe journey and looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow.

Saturday Night, Sunday Morning and Next Week's Fair in Harborough

2012-02-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

The Three Swans in Market Harborough

This water-colour of the Three Swans hangs in the foyer of the hotel, I noticed it when I was in Market Harborough last Friday. I had travelled up to complete some last minute 'postering' which principally involves asking various local businesses to display posters for the forthcoming 3rd Market Harborough Vintage Fair. As usual people were very positive and helpful and I would like to say thank you to Costa, Joules Yard, Emmerson & West and GorGeous Shoes.

Find The Fair Through The Arch

The Three Swans is a very historic and very old coaching inn, situated 21 High Street, this magnificent wrought iron sign hangs outside. The fair will be taking place in the Fairfax and Cromwell Suites. The fair starts at 11am and will close at 4pm, tea and cakes will be available throughout and there will be lots of stalls selling original vintage items from the 20s - 60s and handmade items made from vintage fabrics.

GorGeous Shoes

It was a very cold clear day with a biting wind from the East and cosy tea rooms beckoned and proved to be a warm refuge.

Saturday 11th February 11 - 4

I visited the indoor market hall which on a Sunday provides home to the well established weekly antiques market, and decided that I would take a pitch later this weekend.

St Dionysius & The Old Grammar School

As I drove home the winter sun was low on the horizon and the freezing air hung just above the rolling green fields. Content in my plans to return early on Sunday morning for the market I arrived home.

As Saturday progressed I checked the forecast and snow seemed likely and finally started in the evening and continued for hours. Anyone who has tried to drive a rear wheel drive automatic in snow will understand why I decided not to go to the market!

Saturday Night

So instead of packing the car I decided to work on a few small pieces of furniture. I used Annie Sloan chalk paints, the chair and milking stool are painted in 'Monet Blue' and the mirrors are in 'Cream', which is a rich light yellow. I will have to wait for the snow to melt before I can distress the paint and finish with clear wax. I stopped work around midnight by which time a thick blanket of snow covered everything.

Sunday Morning

When I ventured out to buy some logs for the fire the streets were transformed, tarmac and granite turned pure white.

Bamboozled!

Our two hens have never seen snow before and tried to balance on the rims of plant pots to avoid it.They did not want to move from their perches until I cleared the path for them and coaxed them down with meal worms.

We are really looking forward to the fair in Market Harborough and hope to see you there.

Jumble Fever & The Road To Harborough

2012-01-15T12:15:00.000-08:00

Less Than A Month Away

Here is the new style of poster we will be using for the fairs in 2012. If you would like a copy to print for yourself please email nptonvintagefair@btinternet.com. There will be a new poster for each individual fair, I hope they convey all the necessary information in the simplest way possible whilst still being eye catching (I think it was Polonius who said something along the lines of 'brevity being the soul of wit).
A big thank you to the Graphics Fairy, visit this great blog by clicking the button in the righthand sidebar.

Returning To Northampton In March

The fair will return home to Northampton in March and we hope to see all the lovely people who ventured out in the cold to visit Saturdays Vintage Jumble in Northampton.

The Fair In Buckingham

In April the fair will be visiting Buckingham for the first time, so I will have ample opportunity to sit in tea shops eating scones while I decide which shops to approach to see if they will display the poster.

Dusty Bin & Friend

These poor characters did not find a new home on Saturday! I found them as I walked around the sales rooms just before he end of the Jumble. It was a great event and we want to thank all our stall holders who really got into the 'Jumble spirit', there were some great bargains and the stalls looked really colourful, unfortunately I could not take photos before the doors opened as I had neglected to bring the camera chip!!

The Odd Couple

An early sign that it was going to be a really good Jumble was the crowd of people who were packed into the foyer from 10.30am, you were all so patient and waited without complaining, thank you! I held on until 10.56am and then decided to open the doors as there was a queue outside too.

Crinoline Lady

People then just kept arriving for the next hour and a half, I did not have a chance to get up, my voice was rapidly breaking down from all the meeting and greeting, I did not get a chance to look into the sales rooms but from what I was told it was very busy indeed.

Lovely Old Bottles Look Great Filled With Beads or Buttons

There was a great atmosphere and I knew things must be busy when visitors took there drinks outside as the 'old style' tea shop was full! I did offer to get some chairs but they were not required.

Happy Faces

Half way through the Jumble I finally had time to go and move my car which was not parked particularly well and realised that all the surrounding roads were full of cars, I think most belonged to people at the fair! I had to drive a good distance and finally found a spot, walking back to the fair it was really nice to see lots of smiling faces as parents and children carried their finds home.

A Much Depleted Cutlery Box

The intention of the Jumble was to bring a bit of cheer to the cold month of January. We hope you had a wonderful time, and look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Best wishes for 2012.

A Home Full Of Jumble

2012-01-11T14:31:00.000-08:00

Grab A Vintage Bargain

Hello everyone, just having a quick break from gathering together all the stock we are going to bring to the Jumble on Saturday. There are piles of things lining the landing and boxes full of oddments filling any available floor space and there is a shed full of pictures waiting to be liberated.

St Matthews In Northampton

There will be lots of stalls selling vintage and handmade items, many will be at reduced cost to bring a touch of vintage warmth to the depth of winter (the forecast is for colder weather at the weekend).

Come along, have a drink and homemade cake in the 'old style' tea-shop, and return home with your vintage finds.

The Jumble is taking place in the Parish Centre which is situated behind St Matthews Church on Kingsley Park Terrace.

See you at the Jumble!

Best Wishes & Jumbles

2012-01-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

Best Wishes For 2012

We would like to wish all our stall holders and everyone who visits the fair all the very best for the New Year. 2012 is going to be a busy year, the fair will be visiting Stamford and Buckingham for the first time as well as returning to Market Harborough on 11th February. Dates for Olney and Northampton will be announced soon.

St Matthews Saturday January 14th 11am-2pm

We are starting the year with our first 'Vintage Jumble', it will be a 'cheap and cheerful' mini fair to beat the winter blues. There will be lots of lovely vintage and handmade items at reduced cost so come along and bag a vintage bargain.

Best wishes for 2012 and hope to see you soon.

Pictures And Thoughts From Saturday's Fair

2011-12-12T14:18:00.000-08:00

The Tragic Ramon Novarro Adorns This Bound Collection Of 1930s 'Picturegoer'

I want to share some photos of the things which caught my eye when I walked around the stalls at our recent fair in Northampton.

'VINTAGE'

There were lovely vintage and handmade items around the hall.

Cute Chap On Wheels

These dogs on wheels are very popular, I remember watching one make nearly £300 on Ebay last Christmas.

American Calendar Glamour

Cockerels and weather-vanes appeared in my last post just before the fair as there is a golden cockerel atop the spire of St Matthews.

Sitting Pretty

Although it was cold outside it was lovely bright day. A friend accepted our invitation to play the piano in the 'old style' tea-shop, the sound of Christmas carols and Scott Joplin created a lovely atmosphere.

60 years in 2013!

Interest in tins and other ephemera is bound to increase as we approach the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation.

1950s Shades Of Yellow and Green

Start collecting now!

It's Not Kirstey

The shades in 50s/60s photographs are so different to the digital shades of today

A Potato Peeler

When I first saw the crank handle of this vintage peeler I thought it was some sort of air-raid warning siren, which is something I really want to find as I have this idea of sounding one to start the fairs.

Handmade Felt-work

There were some lovely handmade items as well as all the original vintage.

Vintage Gifts For Men

I like to send old, vintage cards and include a written message on a slip of paper inside.

Story-Time

As the year draws to an end and thoughts turn to Christmas its time to conclude this post.

Perfect For A Vintage Christmas

We want to thank everyone who has helped to make the fair such a nice friendly event.

We have really enjoyed 2011, meeting lots of people and finding lots of lovely vintage.

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

The Fair's In Town Tomorrow

2011-12-09T05:45:00.000-08:00

There Is A Cockerel On Top Of The Spire Of St Matthews

Just a quick post to welcome everyone to tomorrows fair in Northampton. As this will be our 7th fair many of you will be familiar with how to find us, for those visiting for the first time the Parish Centre is situated behind St Matthews Church on the busy Kingsley Park Terrace, about 1 mile out of town. Several buses pass the venue and it is about 20 minutes walk from the bus station.

Fair Saturday 10th Dec 11am-3pm St Matthews Parish Centre NN1 4RY

Come along and find some lovely original vintage and beautiful handmade items.

Lovely Old Jigsaw

I found this lovely farmyard puzzle on Shabby Polkadots stall at the recent 'My Little Vintage' fair in Earls Barton.

Beautiful Peacock

Tonight will be busy as we will be going to the traditional carols evening held in St Matthews, there will be mulled wine and stalls inside the glorious church. For those of you who have not been inside the church before it is very inspiring and houses important pieces of art by Graham Sutherland and Henry Moore.Then afterwards I will be transporting all the tables from the church up to the sales rooms in preparation for tomorrow.

Tea & Cakes, Beautiful Vintage & Handmade & A Warm Welcome

Then early tomorrow before daybreak I will be hanging the bunting around the church walls, it is going to be about minus three degrees!

Hope to see you all tomorrow.

Best wishes

Fair Preparations, Alfe's Cause and Wooly Jumpers

2011-12-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

At The End Of A Busy Day

It has been a busy day out and about pinning up posters for the fair at St Matthews on 10th December. But first I hope you like these gift tags which I suddenly decided to make this evening. They are 'Happy Families' cards printed in the 30s. I have quite a few of these cards and I am planning to use them as the basis of the posters for the fairs in 2012.

Grey Skies In Northampton

After visiting the villages between Kettering and Northampton my last destination was St Matthews, before returning home. Yesterday had been blessed with a clear blue sky but as you can see it was distinctly overcast today.

What A Difference A Day Makes

This photo was taken a day earlier and shows the south-east aspect and a lovely sunny day, so fingers crossed that we will have a fine day on the 10th.

The Blue Room Burlesque Fairy Tales Show In Aid Of 'Alfe's Cause'

This special event is taking place the day after the fair at St Georges Hall in the evening. Alfe is a young boy from Northampton whose family raise funds for local children's charities. For more information about Alfe use this link http://alfescause.blogspot.com/
It's sure to be a great night.

Please keep checking the blog for news about the fair, we look forward to seeing you all at St Matthews in 8 days time, there is bound to be a 'Christmassy' feel to the fair.

And finally the wooly jumper, as suggested in the title of this post. When in Kettering this morning I popped into the Oxfam store and found a not really vintage but worthy wool knit jumper, I love the muted colours and it fitted me. Do you remember when Marks and Spencers stopped being St Michael?

Auction Tomorrow at Wicksteed Park 7pm

2011-11-30T12:41:00.000-08:00

Hexagon Auction Thursday 1st Dec

Just wanted to let you know about this event taking place at Wicksteed Park (Kettering) at 7pm tomorrow evening. Viewing is from 3pm.

The event is being organised by Mick from the wonderful Station 109 at Rushden Antiques Centre.

Vintage, Retro and Antiques

I will be posting again tomorrow about the forthcoming fair at St Matthews in Northampton on 10th Dec and letting you all know about the 'Blue Room' event on 11th December, supporting Alfe's Cause.

Some Photos From Saturdays Fair In Market Harborough

2011-11-25T13:31:00.000-08:00

The 7th Northampton Vintage Fair 11am-3pm

First let me remind you of the fair taking place in Northampton on 10th December. We are starting an hour earlier than usual, so the doors will open at 11am and will close at 3pm. As usual there will be an 'old style' tea shop selling lovely homemade cakes. There will be lovely vintage and handmade gifts galore and there is bound to be a special christmas theme to the stalls. We will be supporting 'Alfe's Cause', more about that in the next blog post.

Christmas Greetings - Found at the Harborough Fair

My apologies for not having lots of pictures from the Harborough Fair, I rather absently arrived with a near full memory chip in my camera! It was a really nice day and there were two rooms of absolutely lovely stalls. Thank you to all our sellers, your beautiful displays looked great, we hope you enjoyed the day.

Rosa Queen Elizabeth?

And a big thank you to all the people who visited the fair, we hope you found something special to take away with you. We will be returning to Market Harborough on February 11th.

The Main Sales Room (or more accurately a limited view of the room seen from the foyer)

Thank you to Zoe and Arthur for the loan of your Keep Calm and Carry On disc, I love the air-raid warning siren at the start of disc 1, hope it did not cause unnecessary alarm.

War Time Spirit

Many thanks to the staff of the Three Swans and a special thank you to Mark who helped us from when we arrived right through until everyone had gone home.

After the wonderful 1937 Film

Once the fair was over it was time to pack up and leave, the next day we were bound for Buckinghamshire and the Winslow Festive Fair.

Flyers at Winslow

We look forward to seeing everyone at the December Fair in Northampton.

From Kris at Creepy Chic

I love these these chemistry laboratory bottles, found on the wonderful 'Creepy Chic' stall at Harborough.

Time To Go Home

Many thanks to everyone who helped to make Saturday a lovely day.

See you in Northampton on the 10th.

One Day To Go

2011-11-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

One Day To Go

There is little more than a day to go until the 2nd Vintage Fair in Market Harborough. I have been busy this week placing signs in and around Harborough, making several visits up to Leicestershire. I felt rather conspicuous as I walked around with a bag of signs with lots of pointed stakes peering out the top. I hope all the signs survive the interest of town council officials and Friday night revellers.

I would like to thank everyone who has helped to share news about the fair, your support is invaluable and very much appreciated.

Gentlemen Welcome

We are looking forward to seeing lots of old friends and offer a warm welcome to those of you who will be visiting the fair for the first time. We hope you all have a lovely time at the fair.

See you on Saturday.

A Busy Day in Southern Leicestershire

2011-11-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

From A Bygone Era - Everyone Who Visits The Fair Will Walk Directly Under This Sign!

This lovely old sign hangs outside the Three Swans Hotel on the High Street in Market Harborough, which will be home to the 2nd Market Harborough Vintage Fair. The first fair back in August was a really enjoyable day and we are feeling very positive about our second event. When I visited yesterday the town was bustling and it was great to see posters for our fair in various windows.

Through The Arch And Across The Pretty Courtyard To The Fair

I met with Phil, the member of staff responsible for event bookings, to complete the final arrangements for next Saturday. I do not think I could imagine a more professional, efficient and welcoming venue, the attention to detail on their part is intuitive.

Thank You To GorGeous - A Fantastic Independent Shoe Shop In Harborough

As well as visiting the venue I drank lots of cups of tea as I dropped off flyers in various cafes and independent shops in Harborough. After a while I headed out to the villages to the north of Market Harborough and was happy as I remembered all the places for flyers which we found back in the summer, plus I found some new spots.

Joules Yard - A Wonderful Place To Eat, Drink, Listen To Music & Shop

I did stay too long at a lovely place called the Well in Kibworth Beauchamp. Over several more cups of tea I fell into discussion with two trustees of the charity who operate this welcoming community resource, they are about to enter their sixth year as a Christian outreach charity. An hour passed, and with a commitment to return (to assist as far as I can in the development of their 'volunteers policy', this being an area I was involved with in my previous working life), I returned to Harborough via Great Bowden.

Weltons - On The Green in Great Bowden

I left Weltons with a bag containing two fruit scones, only one made it back to Northampton. Back in Harborough I dropped off the remaining flyers in Aldwincles Tea Shop and headed home in the dwindling light and fog that was starting to form.

Emmerson and Wests Deli & Tea Shop - 7 Northampton Road Market Harborough

With only seven days to go it will not be long before the Fair hits town, see you all on the 19th.

Market Harborough Vintage Fair - The Fair Returns

2011-11-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

The Second Market Harborough Vintage Fair - Saturday 19th November

We are really looking forward to seeing all our friends at the next Harborough fair, which is only eleven days away! There will be some new stall holders joining us on the 19th and we can't wait to meet you.

The lovely Three Swans Hotel on the High Street will again be our home, it's a wonderful venue and the hotel staff are so welcoming and helpful.

There will be so many original vintage items of all descriptions to be found and there will be clothes and unique handmade creations - perfect as presents for loved ones, to add to your collection or to complement the 'vintage' home. A perfect day out for devotees of all things vintage, and for those who will be visiting a vintage fair for the first time an ideal opportunity to discover the wonderful world of vintage.

The Historic Three Swans Hotel

We are really pleased that there will be two luxurious sales rooms, The Fairfax Suite and The Cromwell Suite, they are situated behind the hotel front, approached from the street via the archway and a pretty courtyard.

Market Harborough is a bustling small town, situated in south Leicestershire, there are lots of places to eat, numerous small independent shops and there is an abundance of attractive and interesting buildings.

As usual there will be an 'Old Style' tea shop serving homemade cakes and a licensed bar for visitors, the hotel has full restaurant/dining facilities which are reassuringly traditional.

We will be posting regularly as the final preparations are completed.

See you on the 19th.

The 2nd Olney Fair - What A Day

2011-10-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Lovely French Blue Enamel

Thank you to everyone who visited the fair in Olney last Saturday, we hope you had a great time and found some vintage treasures to take home. It was so busy that I was not able to look around the stalls myself and did feel a little envious as I watched some lovely items disappearing out the door secure in the arms of their new owner (particularly the bright coloured wool rug!).

American Calendar Glamour Art

There was definitely some early Christmas gift buying taking place, with some lovely handmade creations costing just a few pounds.

Vintage For All Ages

There were some lovely vintage toys, books and Christmas decorations.

Striking Orange, Black, White, Red & Yellow

Some items shout out "look at me" whilst others hold back their subtle beauty.

The stalls looked lovely, thank you to all our sellers whose stands make the room look beautiful.

Sweet Flowers From The 30s

Thank you to all the stall holders, your lovely displays make the room look so beautiful and do so much to create the buzz in the sales room. Some of you travelled a long way to be with us and we really appreciate that.

Beautiful Handmade Wares For The Home

The smaller handmade vintage inspired items are very affordable and make great 'stocking fillers' that will be cherished for years.

Hearts & Kisses

The tablecloths, flowers and vintage china of the Tea Shop provided a welcoming spot for shoppers to rest and enjoy the background sound of the period music. It was lovely to see a small group knitting at one of the tables.

Tea Shop Chic

After a slow first half hour during which the first shoppers looked around the stalls the tables in the 'Old Style Tea Shop' remained full for much of the afternoon. Thank you to our friends who look after the tea and handmade cakes, you are such an important part of the fair.

Early 60s Style

There were pattern books to inspire vintage style and original vintage clothing and couture, costume jewellery and dressing table pieces.

Shoes From The Vintage Dressing Room

There really was something for everyone. There is a certain shade of blue, green and pink that is so evocative of the vintage style.

The Colours Of Vintage

It was a lovely day, catching up with friends and meeting new devotees of all things vintage.

The Colours Of Autumn

Our next fair will be in Market Harborough on November 19th when we could be in the grip of winter.

Time To Say Goodbye

4pm arrived in no time and it was time to close the fair even though visitors were still finding us we had to say goodbye. An hour later the tables had all been cleared, the bunting taken down, the cloths bundled into a bag and the rosebuds wrapped to help them with their journey home.

Thanks again to our stall holders and visitors, we look forward to seeing you all again soon.

The Fair Returns To Olney - In Five Days!

2011-10-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

The Fair Is On Its Way

The super October sunshine has been so lovely, placing the signs on the verges of major roads in the Milton Keynes-Bedford-Northampton triangle in preparation for the forthcoming fair has been a complete pleasure. Flyers are positioned in village post offices and on community notice boards and there will be adverts in the MK-Bedford-N'pton press.

Original Vintage Goodies, Unique Handmade Creations, Tea & Cakes

We are almost ready for the 2nd Olney Vintage Fair which is taking place on Saturday 8th October. The doors will open at 12 noon and tea and handmade cakes will be available until the fair closes at 4pm.

The initial Olney fair took place in July earlier this summer and was so enjoyable that we have arranged to return.

The Carlton House Club

Our home for the day will again be the Carlton House Club, its a great venue providing us with wonderfully comfortable surroundings for our stall holders and visitors. All the staff are very friendly, welcoming and helpful. The fair will be in the function room which can be found a few yards down the passage to the left of the main entrance.

The Carlton is easy to find, situated at 38 High Street, about 80 metres north of the busy town square. (The High Street forms part of the A509 Wellingborough to Milton Keynes road).

A Beautiful Market Town

We would again like to say thank you for the support of local businesses who have displayed flyers for the fair, we really do appreciate what you do for the fair and hope that our visitors find their way to you.

Our Favourite Deli

No 9 The High Street Olney

Leo Antiques in Olney (http://www.leoantiques.co.uk/)

Most Marvellous in Northampton (http://www.mostmarvellous.com/website.asp)

Also many thanks to The Olney Antiques Centre (http://www.olney-antiques.co.uk/) Dodo Antiques (http://www.dodoantiques.co.uk/) Rushden Antiques Centre (http://www.station109.com/) and Olney Town Council.

We are looking forward to Saturday and hope you will come along to the fair and find a treasure for yourself, a loved one or your home.

Thank You From Saturdays Fair

2011-09-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to our stall holders and everyone who visited the fair at St Matthews on Saturday. We hope you all had a lovely time. There was a long queue of people waiting for the door to be opened, both sales rooms looked amazing full of beautiful stalls.

This lovely stall greeted visitors in the reception area and gained lots of admirers. A lot of people came to the fair for the first time, we do hope we will see you again. And a special thank you to those of you who were revisiting the Northampton fair, or had seen us for the first time at the fairs in Olney and Market Harborough earlier this summer and decided to come along.

It was also a first time at the Northampton Vintage Fair for seven stallholders, so in addition to established favourites there were some new collections of original vintage and handmade items. Judging by the positive comments received in conversation and from the new 'customer feedback' forms the blend of stalls seemed just right. The fair was busy throughout the afternoon and the four hours seemed to fly past.

The rooms were bustling right from the start and the there was a very friendly feeling about the fair, we spoke to visitors from Leics, Bucks, Beds, Warks and beyond and we received some great suggestions from the completed feedback forms, we are already planning to visit some of the locations mentioned! Thank you to one of our friends and stall holder who kindly designed and printed them for us, we think they looked great and will help us to improve the fair.

By the end of the fair all the lovely cakes had been eaten, the flowers from the tea shop taken home to remind us of the day.

These Christmas creations herald the 7th Northampton Vintage Fair which will be at St Matthews on 10th December, we are really forward to it, having planned the date way back in January.

We managed to find some lovely vintage treasures to buy and will share these in a posting later this week. We looking forward to seeing you again soon, you can find us in Olney on 8th October and Market Harborough on 19th November.

Again thank you all so much for making the 6th Northampton Vintage Fair special.

One Day To Go

2011-09-16T01:39:00.000-07:00

6th Northampton Vintage Fair 17th September 12pm-4pm

2011-09-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

The 6th Northampton Vintage Fair is now only 4 days away. We are looking forward to seeing all our stall holders, some established favourites, others joining us for the first time.

We spent an enjoyable day holding a stall at last Sunday's Vintage Fair in Winslow, just managing to 'shut down the hatches' when the rain arrived, fortunately the sun reappeared and dried the bunting!

Flyers for the Northampton and Olney Vintage Fairs

We managed to hand out lots of flyers for the forthcoming fairs in Northampton and Olney.

Before the rain!

The fair at St Matthews is open from 12pm-4pm, Tea & Cakes will be available for the duration.

St Matthews, Northampton, NN1 4RY.

We are hoping for a fine sunny day, the fair is a lovely friendly event where everyone is welcome.

Seasonal Blooms

Delicate Vintage

Best wishes to our stall holders, visitors and friends who follow the fair.

See you Saturday.

Northampton Vintage Fair

2011-09-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

It is only two weeks until the Northampton Vintage Fair and preparations are well under way. Demand for stalls has been amazing, we only wish we could have said yes to everyone wanting to join us. Visitors to the fair will find some great new sellers as well as our wonderful regular sellers. As usual there will be lovely home made cakes, teas and coffees available in our vintage tea room.
We really hope you will come along and join us again, the support of our regular customers is really appreciated and it is always lovely to meet new visitors to the fair for the first time.

Market Harborough Vintage Fair

2011-08-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we held the first Market Harborough Vintage Fair.

The venue of The Three Swans Hotel was fantastic. The room was lovely and we had the assistance of helpful and professional hotel staff who ensured everything ran smoothly for us.

Many of our regular sellers joined us as well as a number of great new sellers of vintage and hand made.

We were pleased to catch up with some of our regular customers who had travelled over from Northampton as well as new customers from the Market Harborough area.Some visitors had travelled quite a distance making the journey by train and bus as well as car. Some lovely visitors on holiday in the UK from Italy made the trip to Market Harborough especially for the fair after following many of our blogs.

We are hoping to be back in Market Harborough for another fair in November and the date will be announced in the next few days. We would like to thank all of our lovely sellers and customers for their ongoing support and encouragement and also the amazing staff at The Three Swans Hotel for making it such an enjoyable day.
Preparations are now underway for the next fair in Northampton on Sept 17th, we hope to see you there.

Market Harborough Vintage Fair

2011-08-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the first Vintage Fair in Market Harborough. If you are anywhere near us tomorrow please pop in and say hello we would love to see you. The fair will have the usual array of lovely vintage and handmade goodies all displayed in the beautiful surroundings of The Three Swans Hotel. The fair starts at 11am and ends at 4pm.

Three Swans, Flyers and Drawing Pins

2011-07-23T01:51:00.000-07:00

Today we have been busy finding places to display flyers for the forthcoming Market Harborough Vintage Fair on 6th August. The fair will 'pitch up' in The Three Swans Hotel, reputed to have been visited by King Charles 1 the day before the battle at Naseby in1645.

The Three Swans dates back to the early 1500s

The Three Swans is situated on the High Street, the fair will be housed in the Cromwell Suite, a luxurious room found by walking through the arch and down through the pretty courtyard area.

Beautiful 18th Century Wrought Iron Work

Market Harborough has many interesting buildings and there are lots of places to eat, shop and have a drink. A friend of the fair has commented that posting flyers allows one to visit some lovely tea-shops and today was no exception!

The Old Grammar School built in 1614

After the inevitable calorie overload we headed out of Market Harborough itself to explore some of the beautiful surrounding villages. We left flyers on village notice boards and in village shops. We headed home through further pretty villages jumping out here and there to pin another flyer on a board. Hopefully our work will pay off and the good people of Market Harborough and Lecicestershire will turn out to support the fair.

Saturday's Fair

2011-07-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

We hope you like these snaps from Olney on July 9th, we had a lovely day.

These are pictures of some of the stalls from the first Olney Vintage Fair which took place at the Carlton House Club last Saturday.

The function room of the Carlton was a hive of activity as sellers arrived to set up their stalls. There were some lovely original vintage items and textiles, found in the UK, America, France and beyond.

Bunting was hung inside the sales room, the tables in the old style tea-shop were laid, tables bedecked with vintage finery, the front of the Carlton adorned with signs and even more bunting.

Handmade cakes are so popular at our fairs, many thanks to our friends and family who helped prepare and serve them.

As well as original vintage there were some lovely handmade creations using vintage fabrics and details.

When the doors opened at noon visitors were waiting outside, the room looked beautiful.

The stalls were a treasure trove for lovers of vintage, complemented by the music of Josephine Baker, Glen Miller and Frank Sinatra. Everyone seemed to have a great time, many thanks for the kind comments from visitors, we want to continually improve our fairs and your comments help us to do this.

There were some individual items to complement the popular vintage favourites.

Thank you to all our stall wonderful stall holders, and merci beaucoup to Charente Vintage! Your lovely vintage items made the room so pretty. Thank you to all of you who visited us, the fair will return to Olney on October 8th. Thanks to all at the Carlton House Club, you were great and helped us make the fair such a friendly occasion, its a great venue and we cannot wait to return.

Countdown to Market Harborough on August 6th has begun, we will post the flyer in the next few days and look forward to seeing you there.

Two Days To Go - Olney 9th July

2011-07-07T03:04:00.000-07:00

We visited the Carlton House Club to complete the final preparations for the fair which is only two days away. Many thanks to Richard and all the staff who have been very helpful and friendly, it's a great venue in a beautiful town.

This is Mabel from Nicopoka who will be having a stall at the fair on Saturday, Nicopoka is a lovely shop on the High Street in Olney selling flowers and vintage items.

On the other side of the High Street in Olney is the Nest at No. 9 where you can find some wonderful vintage and shabby chic style homewares and gifts. Thank you for displaying the flyer for the fair.

These display boards received their first coat of varnish at 1.15am last night, although it has been showery for the last few days the forecast for Saturday is for a more settled day with some sunshine.

Tomorrow we will be busy gathering together the handmade cakes that friends have kindly prepared for the fair. The 'Old Style' Tea Shop is such an enjoyable part of our vintage fairs, drinks are served in lovely vintage china, tables covered in cloths decorated with embroidered flowers and crinoline ladies, accompanied by music from the 1920s-1950s.

Visit the fair this Saturday, everyone is welcome, the venue has disabled access. Parking is available on the street, in the various public car-parks (free) and at the rear of the Carlton House Club, accessed from East Street.
We look forward to seeing you all on Saturday.

Flyers, Friends and Appreciation

2011-06-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

This week has been busy with the enjoyable task of finding places to display the flyer for the fair in Olney, and has involved visiting some lovely villages and market towns in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and our home county Northants. We appreciate all the help we have received from our sellers and other friends of the fair, we are looking forward to seeing some of you at Hatton Park.

We would also like to thank Dodo Antiques, The Olney Deli, Leo Antiques, The Antiques Centre in Olney, Olney Town Council, Marvellous Place To Shop, The Old Gaol Museum in Buckingham and Polkadot of Winslow.

The Antiques Centre in Rushden

Particular thanks to the Antiques Centre in Rushden, home of the wonderful Station 109. It is the sort of place you pop into and emerge hours later.

Tea Dresses at Station 109

The fair has been listed on numerous 'whats on' websites and will be advertised in the press during the week leading up to the fair, look out for the box-ad, it will be either deep gold or rose pink.

The 1st Olney Vintage Fair

2011-06-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

The 1st Olney Vintage Fair is now not far away and preparations have already started. We will be updating the blog over coming weeks with a list of sellers and more details about the fair and venue. Please feel free to copy the flyer or if you would like it emailed or posted out to you for further distribution please let us know.

May Vintage Fair

2011-06-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

Finally we can share some photos of the lovely stalls at the May Fair. We have had endless technical difficulties with Blogger this last few weeks which has meant we were unable to log in to the blog. Anyway better late than never here are some of the goodies that were on offer, there are more lovely photos on other blogs. You will find links to some of the sellers and their blogs in the side bar.

Home Thoughts from Vintage Wants always has some lovely American vintage treasures. Debbie is back in the States right now buying new stock ready for the next fair in Olney in July.

Sharon from Shabby Polka Dots made good use of the stage steps for display.

Debbie from Lalabibaby as usual brought along some of her stunning hand made quilts and cushions.

Karen for Tilly Rose had such a pretty and colourful stall full of handmade floral delights.

Vicky from Vicky Loves Vintage had some gorgeous handmade items. She uses wonderful vintage fabrics for her cushions and lampshades.

Heather from Hellish Designs also uses beautiful vintage linens in her work.

Kris as usual brought along a quirky mix of retro goodies.

Jen always has some amazing things including vintage fabric and home wares.

Vintage at the Corner House

The tea room did a roaring trade with lesley's lemon drizzle cake fast establishing quite a reputation for itself !

The next fair is in Olney on July 9th. It promises to be a lovely day in a great new venue so please put it in your diary and pop along to say hello.

Northampton Vintage Fair 21st May

2011-05-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

Just to remind everyone, this Saturday is the 5th Northampton Vintage Fair 12-4 at St Matthew's Parish Centre. It will be lovely to catch up with all our lovely customers again and hopefully meet some new ones. We have many of our regular and popular sellers returning again along with a number of new and exciting sellers. Come along and enjoy some truly fabulous vintage shopping and relax over a cup of tea and home made cake.
We look forward to welcoming you all to what looks like another great day.

Day Of The Fair

2011-04-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

The 4th Northampton Vintage Fair

It was a beautiful spring day

We had been hoping for good weather during the week leading up to the fair and it turned out to be a lovely sunny day. Bunting was hanging all around the long wall which surrounds St. Matthew's and by 12 noon a queue of visitors had formed at the door, waiting patiently in the warm sun, the church bell began to strike and the fair began.

The previous two hours had been frenetic as the stall holders arrived, some having driven for over 60 miles. We had a great day meeting up with old friends and meeting lots of lovely new sellers and customers.

As usual the tea room was very popular, serving wonderful homemade cakes and tea and coffee from vintage china. The tables were decorated with vintage coronation china and cheerful bunches of daffs.

There were a great range of stalls selling vintage home wares.

Vintage Wants was selling some beautiful vintage American home ware and ephemera.

Elsie Sparrow uses her vintage bike to display her lovely hand made children's items.

Tilly Rose joined us again with her pretty array of hand made lovelies.

Love Tracey joined us as a new seller for the first time.

Jo from Hesta Nesta had a beautiful display on her stall as always and had her usual mouth watering range of vintage textiles.

There was something for everyone including pretty cup cakes and piles of vintage fabric.
Many of your favourite sellers are returning for the fair on May 21st along with some exciting new additions. Looking forward to seeing you there.

The Countdown Has Begun

2011-03-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

With only a few days to go until the 4th Northampton Vintage Fair there is a lot of frantic activity and last minute preparations. We are keeping our fingers crossed for lovely weather but know we will have good fun whatever the weather. We can't wait to meet up with all our lovely sellers old and new as well as our regular customers and those visiting us for the first time. See you there x

Preparations For The Fair

2011-03-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

Hesta Nesta

The final preparations for The Northampton Vintage Fair are underway with less than two weeks to go. The sellers are sorting out their lovely vintage stock to bring along. Jo from Hesta Nesta has sent us this tantalising glimpse of some of her lovely wares.

Vintage Wants

Many of the sellers are busy crafting and sewing ready to bring along gorgeous vintage inspired hand made goodies. Deb from Vintage Wants has made these lovely hand stamped linen ribbons and pretty gift boxes.

More Vintage Wants

We have been busy sorting out decorations for the fair. This week we bought some very battered old Ladybird books and we have been taking them apart to re-use the lovely illustrations. They make lovely colourful bunting that will look great decorating the hall on the 19th.I first saw this idea on the lovely Joshy and Belle blog before Christmas but have seen it on a few other blogs since.I think it is a great way of sharing the nostalgic pictures many of us remember from our childhood rather than throwing away the tatty old books.

Making Bunting

The Northampton Vintage Fair Goes To Olney in July and October 2011

2011-02-16T13:36:00.000-08:00

Exciting news, we have added two additional fair dates at a new venue in the lovely historic market town of Olney, Saturday July 9th 12 - 4 and Saturday October 8th 12 - 4.

Olney, home of the famous pancake race

We will be holding two new fairs selling our usual mix of vintage and vintage inspired handmade goodies. We have been lucky to secure a great venue at the Carlton House Club on the high street.

The Carlton House Club

Olney is a beautiful, historic market town with lovely independent shops, an antique centre and some great antique shops, restaurants and cafes.

The spire of St Peter and St Paul's

The venue offers great facilities, free parking, a secure outdoor children's play area, tea, coffee and cake as well as a licensed bar.

a beautiful market town

We look forward to seeing many of our regular customers as well as lots of new faces.We will be posting more details nearer to the dates of the fairs.

Something for everyone

A Visit To Olney & Expectations of Summer

2011-02-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

Mr & Mrs Tube

Greetings from Mr and Mrs Tube, part of a wonderful find in Olney earlier this week, hidden in a pack of Happy Families from a vintage games compendium by Chad Valley, found in the lovely Dodo Antiques. It is a great shop to visit, although 'shop' isn't really an adequate description of Dodo, it is like stepping into a period home with rooms with distinct themes, bedecked with absolute treasures. Our favourites are the Art Nouveau and Art Deco Rooms, the proprietors are so welcoming and helpful, from exquisite high-end antique furniture to vintage finds it is a lovely place to visit.

The Britannia Compendium of Games

There are so many places to choose to to have tea and cakes or lunch but we always find our way to the Olney Delicatessen, the apple pie is out of this world and again you will be made so welcome, it is such a warm snug place to hide away on a cold day.

The Artichoke Family

The Artichoke Family leads to thoughts of being outside and the summer that seems such a long way off but we found a lovely reminder of June, this time at the auction held in Ashton on Tuesdays. Tucked inside a small collection of old cigarette packets was a beautiful collection of old cards depicting roses of all colours, they will have to feature in some future project as yet unidentified, but they are so lovely and reminiscent of warmer days.

Rosa J B Clark, Rosa British Queen & Rosa Mrs Bertram de Walker

A Reminder of Summer and Flaming June

Lovely vintage things can be found in all sorts of places, it is such a pleasure when you find something that you really like.

Thank you so much to all our wonderful sellers and best wishes to all who visit this blog and to everyone planning to visit The 4th Northampton Vintage Fair in March.

Northampton Vintage Fair 2011

2011-01-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

We have finalised the dates for the Northampton Vintage Fair and confirmed sellers for nearly all of the stalls for the first fair on March 19th. Over the next week or so we will be adding links here to many of the sellers so you can check out their blogs and websites. We will also be doing special features on individual sellers giving you a sneak preview of the vintage and handmade goodies they will be selling on the day. For more information about any of the fairs please get in touch through our contact email.