Friday 28 September 2018

VINTAGE WEEKEND EXTRAVAGANZA!

This weekend I've got a blockbuster weekend booked up!!

Tomorrow I'll be at the EXETER MATFORD ANTIQUES & COLLECTORS FAIR, down on the Marsh Barton Trading Estate in Exeter. 





And on Sunday it's the BRIDPORT VINTAGE MARKET, which is right in the heart of the gorgeous Dorset town of Bridport.




If you can pop in to one of these amazing events, because I'll have a stunning array of antiques/vintage/retro goodies on show!!!

SEE YOU THERE!!!!

Thursday 27 September 2018

VICTORIAN DECANTER

Got something a little different from my usual fayre, which I found lurking at the back of the ArtPix Storeroom.

This impossibly elegant Victorian green glass jug decanter.



It dates to around 1880, and is such a stunning piece, with the beautiful green colour of the glass.




The shape and style of the handle, which is in clear glass, is simply amazing. The work and skill in producing something like this is mind-boggling.



I always like to have something colourful and unusual on my stalls at fairs, and this gem certainly looks the part, so I'll be taking it along to this Saturday's EXETER MATFORD ANTIQUES & COLLECTORS FAIR!  



Wednesday 26 September 2018

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

Got these couple of bits from the iconic 1960s TV series ...

An annual from 1967, the first of four books brought out.



And some bubble gum cards produced by A &BC in 1965.





The American show was a spy caper, with the stars Robert Vaughn and David McCallum working for the undercover agency U.N.C.L.E.
Which apparently stood for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement!

It ran for a mighty 105 episodes between September 22nd 1964 and January 15th 1968.

There is also an impressive list of names who co-starred in each episode, including such diverse actors as Joan Crawford, Janet Leigh, Joan Collins, Vincent Price, Terry Savalas and the absolute bounder Terry-Thomas. Nuff said.

If you are fan of this brilliant show, then lucky you, as I'll have these on my stall at the EXETER MATFORD ANTIQUES & COLLECTORS FAIR this Saturday!!!


Come on down to the Matford Centre on the Marsh Barton Trading Estate in Exeter and get shopping!


Tuesday 25 September 2018

SUITS YOU SIR!

I have these two wonderful old signs to show you ...




They come from a tailor's shop, and would probably have been displayed on the counter to advertise the services they could offer.  

They convey an image of a classic old-school gentlemen's outfitters, with carefully labelled drawers full of accoutrements and reams of pin-striped cloth!

Date-wise, I'm thinking Victorian, late 19th Century.   
The decorative style and typography just screams it at you.

On the back, they both have a stamp mark of who printed them.
James Daniel & Son from Aberdeen in Scotland.



Starting out as James Daniel & Co., the printer had been trading from 46 to 48 Castle Street since at least the 1850s. So that easily ties in with my 1890s theory.

They would be great for any collector of Victoriana, a Steampunk fan or would even suit a hipster, as a stylish addition to their Shoreditch pied-à-terre!!


If you think they measure up to your tastes, then come along to the EXETER MATFORD ANTIQUES & COLLECTORS FAIR this Saturday, as they will be on display at my stall there!!



Sunday 23 September 2018

VINTAGE SOMERSET FAIR – WELLS

Had a brilliant time yesterday at Wells Town Hall.
Not only my first time trading at the fair, but my first ever visit to Wells!




All set in the beautiful and historic Town Hall, I had a great pitch and was able to display loads of my vintage stuff and also my vintage inspired designs.

Which was great, as I haven't shown these for a while now. My cards and fridge magnets, featuring all my designs, proved very popular, as did my exclusive Decade Packages.

The fair was full of amazing vintage items from the other traders, and there was a really great vibe about the place.
Well done to all the punters as well, who braved the pouring rain to come and check it all out!

I'm hoping to be back there at their next fair on 10th November. 
Watch this space!!

Also, I'd love to have a wander around Wells one day. It looks like an amazing place, with the stunning cathedral and architecture.

Take a peep here at some pix of my stall from yesterday ...









My next fairs are this weekend, with a double-header of the Exeter Matford Antiques & Collectors Fair on Saturday, and Bridport Vintage Market on Sunday!!!

Wednesday 19 September 2018

POTTY PORTMEIRION!

Take a peep at these amazing spice pots ...




They date from the 1960s and were made at the Portmeirion Pottery, the amazing design is part of their 'Totem' range.








Some still have labels on them showing you what was stored in the pots.
I don't think they were originally on there when new, but I thought I would keep them on, as it adds to their charm!




They were designed by the extraordinary Susan Williams-Ellis, who set up the Portmeirion Pottery at Stoke-on-Trent in the early '60s.

Not only did she have an impressive career, designing and travelling abroad for new inspirations, well in to her 80s, but her family history reads like a cultural encyclopaedia of the 20th Century! 

Her mother was the writer Amabel Strachey, cousin of Lytton Strachey and her father, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, was an architect, who built the fantastical Portmeirion Village in Wales.
Together they were mates with all the Bloomsbury set, hanging out with Virginia Woolf and Augustus John.

Susan also brushed with the famous when at a young age, learning to paint and sculpt with Graham Sutherland and Henry Moore as her tutors at the Chelsea School of Art. 
Also, her godfather was Rudyard Kipling!!

Quite a list isn't it?!!

So with that in mind take another look at these pots and marvel at the unusual design and colour, and appreciate such an incredible person.




I'm going to be bringing them along to the VINTAGE SOMERSET FAIR in Wells Town Hall this Saturday, so you can have a closer look, and maybe take them home with you!!



Tuesday 18 September 2018

WORD MASTERMIND

I'm sure you all know the classic Mastermind game from the 70s, but have you ever seen the Word Mastermind?!




I hadn't! 

This word version is from 1975, three years after the original first came out, and it contains loads and loads of cool, tiny yellow letters. 




So instead of cracking the code of the colour blobs, you have to guess the word instead.








Now I know what you're thinking, with a four letter word to decipher, this game can quickly descend into a right old naughty farce!!!!
I'm sure the bods who invented this game weren't thinking of all the swear words you could come up with, as they've provided a huge list of possible words to use.



It's a great little game and a massive throwback to the 1970s! 

If you fancy it, then come along to the VINTAGE SOMERSET FAIR at Wells Town Hall, in the beautiful city of Wells, this Saturday and you can find it on my stall!!



SEE YOU THERE!!

Monday 17 September 2018

ROLL OUT THE BARREL!

Have a peep at this sizzling 60s biscuit barrel ...



With its groovy flower design, fabulous orange lid and very handy handle this is a classic bit of 1960s kitchenalia!





The Baret Ware barrel will brighten up any kitchen, and can be used to store any bits and pieces, not just biscuits.

And lucky you! I'll be bringing it along to the VINTAGE SOMERSET FAIR at Wells Town Hall this Saturday!!

Come on down to this fantastic fair and find all sorts of vintage goodies!






Thursday 13 September 2018

SUPER SOCCER

This is a great retro football game with a real magnetic appeal!









The classic from the 1950s was made by the company Balyna, and has a clever twist to it, because you actually play the game using magnets. 

The players have them attached to the bottom of their bases, and you can control their movements by using magnetic rods underneath the table. What a mad but brilliant idea!






There are only two players per side, so it doesn't get too complicated with players all over the place.



Although you have to control your goalkeeper by hand, with the Subbuteo-style lever at the back.



The game has a really cool retro look, and stands out because of its clever simplicity.






I'm going to bring this along to WIMBORNE MARKET this Saturday, so rush on down to the lovely Dorset town of Wimborne Minster if you fancy it!




And if it doesn't go there, then no worries, I'll take it to my next fair, the VINTAGE SOMERSET FAIR at Wells Town Hall in Somerset on 22nd September!!