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Tuesday 20 July 2010

Wonder Whistle, vintage and antiques extravaganza, KT10


A sunny Sunday in London is always a treat. But this one had even more of a treat in store as I headed over to beautiful Esher where the Wonder Whistle vintage and antiques show was taking place at Sandown Park Racecourse.
This family run (with a family-close feel) antiques and vintage fair is held around ten times and year on Tuesday and Sundays. It boasts up to 300 specialist dealers bringing an amazingly wide range of their expert products, running from really affordable prices. The stall holders offer a huge selection of types and eras of vintage/antiques including silver, clothes, crockery, furniture, collectables, toys, textiles and jewellery (hint to boys...if you ever want to find one-off jewellery some pieces here would make a girl very happy).

So this fab fair really got me. I rolled up 1pm for a leisurely stroll around the stalls inside and outside the rather marvellous racecourse venue. The mixture of unique pieces on sale made it a happily distracted stroll as the friendly informative dealers didn't mind sharing the stories behind their fantastic finds. Like this real Welsh Guard's uniform! Straight from the front room of a real Welsh Guard. Not something you see every day at the races!
As the stalls offer vintage pieces as well as antiques there is a huge selection for any vintage lover. In particular with the vintage jewellery, clothes and accessories like...fabulous square toed 1940s heels still ready to wear, super cool 1950s kids' sunglasses and (my favourite) this amazing authentic bakelite necklace, as the dealer pointed out - look at the detail of the black framing the birds! A proper snip at £65

But my heart lay (surprise!) between interiors pieces. The Flour storage tin had me with its lovely old-school font, but I think I'll have to commit a little further to my baking before I can invest. I also spied a complete and perfect set of Thomas crockery including sugar bowl and dainty coffee cups(just £35...can't think why I didn't buy it now!)...but this elegant French style tin jug and bowl set in white with a simple gold stripe made it home with me in the end. It makes me want to wake up early, wash my face with cold water and find some moors to trek across...but that might just be me...
Wonder Whistle is a definite must visit for anyone who likes anything from accessible unique vintage pieces up to rare and specialist antiques. The next show takes place on Sunday 12th September and you may have to fight me off if any bakelite necklaces turn up again...

2 comments:

  1. Lovely post this morning Daisy....wish I had been there with you!

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  2. Aw thank you! It's such a lovely event - wish I was back there already too!x

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