Antique buying trip, favourite pictures!

As you may have read in my previous posts, I have more recently discovered the delights of Instagram and use this now as my main platform for sharing Drill Hall Emporium discoveries and news.  And since it has been 6 weeks since my last blog post (I am so very ashamed to admit!) I am using all the images that I posted to our Instagram page for you to see what has been happening.  For the last month we have been on an overseas buying trip, which began in the south of England.  I could not help but admire this gorgeous shop front, above.  There is just something about good shop fronts, especially in England.

 Lucky boot fair finds, despite the English drizzle...

 Drawers!!! Saw these in a big warehouse, was so tempted to buy for our sister store Flywheel.

Looking through the rain splattered windscreen at a cute English cottage.

Shiny things at antique trade fair, displayed on the ground waiting for the keen eye of the bowerbird...

Flower shop love, Twig in Tetbury. This has long been one of our favourite shops here in the UK!

Daylesford Farm in the Cotswolds. One of our favourite places in the world!  

19th century garden urn at Daylesford Farm in the courtyard. So wonderful.

Spent the best part of the day yesterday "picking" in this upper levels of this four level industrial building.  Best part about these buying trips? 

The people you meet like the 70 something year old responsible for this trade only treasure trove! Oh, and his dog. 

Perfect vignette in a shop window in Bath. Loving all the white! 

Old crucifixes and aged script go so well together.

French chocolate moulds at a fair, early 20th century in date.

 'Twas 8.30pm at night and stumbled upon this place with an open door. The next morning we were up at 4am for a trade fair... That's how it is sometimes on an antique buying trip.  Take a pick.  Suitcase heaven.

More England shop front love, check out the gorgeous windows!  We are now wrapping up the trip and have lots of goodies coming our way, due into the store in August.  So very exciting!

Until next time, 

clocks, linen, tureens and more to be sold at the Shabby Market tomorrow!

 

You may remember last year we had a little stall at the Shabby Market in Lenah Valley?  It was a huge success for us, we nearly sold out of everything we took!  It is on again so I have spent the day going through our storeroom looking for goodies to take.

 

 

 Most of which has never made it into the shop, including this late 19th Century alabaster and gilt metal clock.  Here is a little snap shot of what I have found and what will be for sale tomorrow at the Shabby Market...

 

Cute little cruet set, made by Carltonware c.1930.

Pretty china and useful silver wares. 

A stack of vintage linen, available per piece, all freshly laundered and ironed.

English china teapot dating to c.1930.

 

 

Two blue and white English china tureens, dating to the late 19th century.  This is only a very small selection of what I have found and I am still looking! 



So come along and take a look at the Lenah Valley Community Hall, Creek Road, Lenah Valley 9am until 2pm.  You can also visit the Shabby Market Facebook page for more information. 

Until next time,

antique buying trip begins! with a fun flea market...

We have been so busy in the shop of late with projects and finding new and exciting stock, along with the opening of Flywheel.  And suddenly it was time to head to Europe buying antiques, yet again.  Time just seems to fly at the moment!  It seems it was only months since our last buying trip.   

 The very next day after arriving in Europe we headed to a famous weekly flea market.  Up at 4.30a.m. is not a big deal if you are already jet-lagged!  We found all sorts of goodies to buy, from early 20th century buttons, French cutlery and wonderful enamelled chemist's bottles.  Some stalls specialised in a particular theme, such as leather boots, above. 

Other stalls exhibited a decorative flare, such as this one with stacks of French paper books.  It was fun finding bits and pieces and to try and converse a little in French again (although very poorly on my part, I might add).

 

My favourite find of the morning?  This charming late 19th century book press with the manufacturer's plaque to the front.  This of course will be headed straight to Flywheel after its long journey across the seas!

 

Until next time,

 



shabby market this Saturday! sneak peek of goodies we are taking...

 

This week I am tapping into my inner shabby self and finding loads of goodies in our store room to take to the Shabby Market on this coming Saturday!  In fact, it is the day before Mother's day which will make it perfect timing to find a little special something for loved mums.  I thought I would give a little sneak peek of the kinds of things we will be taking along...

Vintage mohair blankets in gorgeous soft pink colours.

A shabby gilded stool which dates from the 19th century.  And some pretty floral cups and saucers.

More vintage wares, all shabby of course!  I think I will need baskets to pile all our bits and pieces in!

This French watering can which has been painted in gorgeous peach tones. 

 

And French buttons on cards, along with jars of buttons for the crafty.  My tables will be overflowing with goodies, I assure you, there will be something for everyone!  I can't wait to see what all the other stallholders bring along.  Here are the essential details...

 

Check out the Shabby Market Facebook page for more information and to tap into your inner shabby self. Or better yet, come along on Saturday and say hi to me!

Until next time,

great finds at antique trade fair

My first find at the trade fair was from one of my favourite linen dealers. I was able to go through his collection of hemp grain sacks and find some lovely hemp for cushions.

Just next to the linen store I picked out a lovely Turkish terracotta pot. Hard to handle but worth it!

A collection of shoe lasts on a French dealer's stand.

Zinc and galvanised tin is quite sought over here at the moment. I found a very small tin bath at this fair as well as a French tin jug, perfect for wildflowers.

I was even more happy when I bought a French grape basket from the Bordeaux region of France. These are becoming increasingly hard to find.

I bought quite a few of these preserving jars which are from America, some of them date to 1900. Such jars have been recently featured in many interior magazines over here in the UK.

This lovely pottery pancheon is huge! It balanced nicely on my basket trolley, thankfully, as I had quite a trek to the vehicle and it was too heavy to carry. My best find at the fair? The basket trolley, of course!

our antique buying trip begins...with an enormous antique trade fair!

We have finally touched down in the UK for our antique buying trip. And we start the hunting and gathering with a large antique trade fair. Perfect for gathering up all those pieces that we love to find...mixing bowls, watering cans, quality English tools. It was a perfect sunny day here which meant everyone was in a good mood and happy to bargain.

English garden tools are displayed in a row. I found a few Brades branded tools, known here for quality and durability.

Stone garden dogs keep guard over the frantic action.

A cute little tricycle and a lovely wagon on one of the outside stands.

Child's play...a farm yard set of animals and a barn on another stand.

And on the same stand, a bookcase filled with apothecary bottles. Mostly clear with the odd rare green one thrown into the mix.

Large gilded pub letters are displayed on the grass. This stand also specialised in lanterns.

Patience paid off when I found this French iron day bed from a French dealer. Luckily for me it folds up so it fitted into our van. Which, by the way was already filling with smaller objects, baskets, tools and the like. I love these day beds, they are very romantic and are becoming increasingly hard to find. This piece topped off my buying day and I was pretty pleased with myself!

As we were leaving the fair, I snapped a picture of these tee pee structures. I assumed they were wigwams for growing peas etc. But the dealer informed me that they were made in 1928 from aluminium and thousands of them spanned the width of the River Severn to catch salmon. Now of course he sells them as wigwams to grow peas upon...