Thursday 17 December 2009

Vintage Textiles and Costume Day @ Dairy House - updated with list of stallholders


A date for your diary
Sunday 11 April 2010

10.00 am to 4.00 pm

@ Dairy House Antiques

Some of the specialists you know well from the West Country circuit will be displaying their gorgeous textiles and costume under the verandah at Dairy House on a sunny day next April. They will be joined by a number of Dairy House dealers who have an interest in textiles and it is anticipated that there will be at least 15 stallholders. What a grand opportunity to browse and buy from the best in the West!


This will be the first of what we hope will become regular events at Dairy House and we look forward to welcoming you.


As promised here is the list of stallholders for the

Vintage Textiles and Costume Day
@ Dairy House on Sunday 11 April 2010

Caroline Beaven
a long-established local textile dealer
Caroline Bushell
Fountain Antiques, Honiton
Linda Clift
http://www.lindaclift.blogspot.com/
Lizzie Drake
http://www.vintagelizzie.blogspot.com/
Loveday James
a regular at the Talent 4 Textiles and Shepton Antiques Fairs
Niki Fretwell
http://www.nostalgiaatthestonehouse.blogspot.com/
Helen Roskell
Vintage goodies
Chloe Cyphus
http://www.chloeantiques.co.uk/
Donna Flower
http://www.donnaflower.com/
Cecile Gemmell
http://www.elegancemaison.blogspot.com/
Tamsyn G
http://www.fromragstostitches.co.uk/

Dairy House dealers taking part include

Sue Meager
http://www.vintagetovictorian.blogspot.com/ and http://www.dairyhouseantiques.blogspot.com/
Liz van Hasselt
http://www.thewasherwoman.blogspot.com/
Martin Bull
Jenny Hirst
Mary Hossack
Debbie Jeffery
Sandie Lewis
Moira Lord
Nikki Vallance
with possibly one or 2 more!

As you can see there will be plenty going on. The Silver Coffee Machine will be on hand all day to provide tea/coffee/hot chocolate and maybe the odd traybake. Unfortunately the kitchen (if it can be called that) at Dairy House doesn't lend itself to offering beverages to the public, but Liz and I can heartily recommend Guy's goodies!! In addition, we can recommend Pythouse Walled Garden and the Beckford Arms (both less than 15 minutes away) if anyone requires lunch.

Sue

Wednesday 2 December 2009

Mellow Yellow ...



































Moira and I played with all the yellow bits and bobs here this morning. We're quite getting into the colour-coordinated photoshoot. It's amazing how many things we find when we set our minds to it. I think we're both determined to try and avoid typical Christmas colours, although we may find that we have to use red and green before too long! Until then we'll keep trying to find 'other' colours.

Hopefully I haven't duplicated any of the photos - no doubt you'll tell me if I have!!





Mellow Yellow ...

Sunday 22 November 2009

Christmas is Coming ...

Two of us spent a jolly hour or so this morning picking out something blue from each dealer's stock, in order to take a photograph for Christmas advertising. It all evolved from the idea of putting together some of the T G Green Cornishware which always seems to sell well at this time of year. However, we got somewhat sidetracked and the blue theme became a challenge!





As you can see, there is plenty to tempt the Christmas shopper looking for a little number in blue, and for those finding it difficult to choose we are pleased to offer Dairy House Antiques Gift Vouchers (from £10.00 upwards)! What colour theme shall we choose for the next photocall?
Our normal opening times are Monday to Saturday 10.00-5.00 and Sunday 11.00-4.00. We will close around 2.00 pm on Christmas Even and reopen at 10.00 am on Tuesday 29 December. We will be closed on New Year's Day, but all other days and times will be as normal.

Wednesday 21 October 2009

Time to Light the Fire ...

Those of you who have visited Dairy House in the winter will know that you need to put on extra layers before you enter the shop! Bearing in mind the original aim of the building was to keep the milk cool before it set off on its journey to London, the concrete floors (on all levels) covered with beautiful black-and-white tiles, the steel RSJs and thick walls have proved 'fit for purpose'.

I have now started 'layering up' before leaving home and am currently on 3 layers. Another few weeks and the thermal vests and longjohns will be brought into use, along with thicker jumpers, wool coats, scarves, gloves and boots!!


As you can imagine, I was delighted to see that one of my colleagues moved his massive bookcase from in front of the woodburner the other day. By the time we get to April the chimney breast is hidden for 6 months or so, but by October it needs to be exposed once again, and the fire lit.

How lucky that this particular dealer currently has 2 leather armchairs for sale. Very comfy, and just right for snuggling into with one of my Welsh blankets on a really chilly day. I do hope they will still be there tomorrow!!

Why not join me in a quick tour ...


The furniture in this room is quite dark and there isn't much daylight. Even less yesterday when I took the photo. Such a grim and dismal wet day, but it doesn't seem to matter to our customers. They still buy regularly from this dealer. A new customer came in (nearly 75% of customers during the last week were first-timers which was super) and said what a shame it was that brown furniture doesn't sell now. I leapt to its defence immediately. Dairy House is renowned for its brown furniture and it's only in the last couple of years that our dealers have begun to sell painted and other decorative furniture to compliment it. For 10 years Dairy House thrived on its brown furniture trade, and even in this current state of uncertainty we are exceedingly lucky to have maintained high sales, generally increasing month on month, and I must say, here and now, that our brown furniture sales are still buoyant.



This doesn't mean that we don't like painted! This is the room that both Niki and Liz like. This dealer has some amazing finds from time to time, and many's the time I've wished I'd been in front of her at fairs!!

Here's another room on the ground floor. Another Liz. She has some more interesting goodies out of camera, including a lovely Victorian painted brass bed.


There's a mix of painted and pine in this room, together with some vintage wooden toys.



Another dealer's decorative items are shown off against the check floor and yellow walls


and adjoining her are the carpets belonging to Red Fox, another of our dealers.




This is a section of another dealer's pitch on the first floor ...




This is the sight that greeted me when I went up to the top floor yesterday. I thought it would be sensible to keep the curtains, blankets, quilts and eiderdowns upstairs as I was rapidly running out of room in the main entrance. The only problem is that customers tend to open them out but rarely fold them up neatly afterwards. I think I'm fighting a losing battle, but perhaps one day I'll win it! The grand plan is to hang all the curtains on the rail. I've managed to put a few up as you can see, but I still have plenty more to hang.


Next to me on the top floor are Liz and Jack. Their old French picture frames are wonderful, and I'm hoping to measure a couple tomorrow, just in case they're the right size for some of my Scheurer fabrics!


Making our way back downstairs we'll just stop off and see what books are on offer ...



Finally, back in the front of the shop is a lovely collection of green Kleenware, some interesting plates and a set of crystal glasses in one of the cabinets ...



... and this last little room has some interesting bits and pieces.


I haven't managed to show you photos of every room as several were blurred. I'll take more and show you those another day. Meanwhile, this has given you an idea of where I go 4 days a week. There'll be an update on the Vintage to Victorian blog shortly with some more photos.

Friday 4 September 2009

Cheese Room Open ...


We made it! No grand opening - too tired! - but everyone finally arranged their stock over the Bank Holiday Weekend so that everything was 'up and running' on 1 September. There have been some sales for each dealer already, so the Cheese Room is in business ...











Dairy House is open 7 days a week, apart from Bank Holidays, which means that we shall be open every day from now until Christmas! So, you have 111 days in which to visit to choose your Christmas gifts! And don't forget we offer Gift Vouchers, too!

I promise I won't mention Christmas again until everyone else does!

Before you go, have a look on Vintage to Victorian to see my latest acquisition!


















Sunday 30 August 2009

It would appear that we have a write-up in the Antiques Trade Gazette - the weekly newspaper for dealers. I didn't realise it was in, but have been told by several people at Shepton Flea today that there was an article. One of them kindly emailed me the article. If you click on it you should be able to read it. It's not quite what I said to the journalist in my email to her, but I suppose it hits the spot, although I would like to think we were a bit bigger than a small antiques centre!! (Shame about the numerous typographical errors)





I forgot to charge up the camera battery so it'll be another 24 hours or so before I can post photos of the Cheese Room in all its glory, looking as if it's spent its whole life displaying antiques! Liz will be posting photos of her space on The Washerwoman soon, but I shall endeavour to take some pics tomorrow.

Wednesday 26 August 2009

Done ... and Dusted ...




Floor cleaned (thanks Moira), white edging painted on the steps, temporary covering over window shutters (no-one will notice when the furniture's in). Isn't it a shame about those areas of concrete on the floor where someone, sometime, needed to dig down for pipes or somesuch. However, once the furniture is in situ I'm sure we won't notice them. I can't believe it's all done. We left a couple of things in there this evening which will be moved out of the way tomorrow, but all the hard work is done and I, for one, am ready for a very early night!! I'm sure there'll be something I've forgotten, but the far end will be filled with Hossack & Gray's furniture tomorrow, followed by Sandie Lewis's and Martin Bull's over the next few days. Once Hossack & Gray have vacated their space upstairs, Liz and Jack will be moving in (on Saturday). Hopefully everyone will have their spaces all shipshape and Bristol fashion by 1 September ... let the fun begin!

Nearly There ...





These were taken at the weekend. I'll be taking more photos today as we have ... finished! Just the floor to clean this afternoon and dealers will be moving in from tomorrow. What a relief!!!

Thursday 20 August 2009

Home Strait

Pics to be added later or in next post. Just thought you'd like to know that we're nearly there and the game of musical dealer space will take place on Thursday/Friday/Saturday next week, ready for all to be organised (???) on 1 September.

Liz van Hasselt filled 2 cabinet shelves with goodies today - she'll be blogging them soon, and she and Mr Washerwoman will be bringing in lots more goodies to fill their space on the top floor on Saturday 29 August after the present incumbent moves downstairs to the Cheese Room.

I have 2 more large RSJs and 2 small ones to paint, which I hope to get done on Monday/Tuesday, and Mr Vintage to Victorian titivated a few areas of dodgy emulsion and painted the area of bare concrete by the entrance with floor paint this afternoon. There are a few other tiddly bits to do, but I'm hoping all that will need doing on Wednesday is scrubbing that gorgeous floor.

I'll endeavour to photograph the finished, empty room before showing you the end result filled with dealers' stock.

Saturday 15 August 2009

A Quick Tour ...

As promised in my last post on Vintage to Victorian, here are the other photos I took in the shop on Thursday - just to give you an idea of what's on offer at the moment.



















And just in case you feel like visiting, but don't know where we are ... here are the directions!


I'll add some more when I have a spare minute or two, but for the time being it's back to the paintbrushes as time's running out ...