KEMPTON, TW16

All my car boot dreams came true this week as I *finally* made a long-awaited visit to Sunbury Antiques Market at Kempton Racecourse.

You know when you've gone out of your way to visit a market...and it ends up being the one that had everything you were looking for but it was all far too expensive? Or that one you got up early to go to and then found it was all mouth and no trousers.

Kempton is neither of those. Kempton let's you forget all that. Kempton is cheap. Kempton has endless stalls. Kempton has everything you were looking for, but still keeps you guessing. Three words: Dream. Car. Boot (well it is officially an antiques market but check out that all those boots!)
So much to tell! Here goes...firstly you must note that the market is only held every 2 weeks, annoyingly for us 9-5ers, on Tuesdays. Which is why I took one for the team (no need to thank me) and booked a sunny day off work especially. I really did - don't laugh.
Luckily for me everything I'd heard about Kempton made it well worth it. No egg on my face for me then. However getting my charming young man out of the house before 7am was not quite as easy.

As the market actually opens at 6.30am. Entry is delightfully free and parking is free too. It's worth taking wheels if you can (who knows what you'll end up with!) but there is train access too, so don't despair.
There are over 700 stalls with everything available that you could imagine (well pretty much). As you'd expect most of the stalls are selling older pieces, with everything from antique furniture to mid-century delights, while accessories span from collectables to knick-knacks, there is even a smattering of vintage fashion and jewellery to keep you hooked if you've had enough of homeware...as if...

I don't think I could ever get bored of old printing press lettering..
And I might even take up snooker to have an excuse to get this snooker-scorer-thingy...
Now I've been on the hunt for bottles of late and these are some of the nicest I've seen...
Lovely old advertising mirror (for fags but let's ignore that shall we?)...
The main part of the market was outside, but I'd imagine the indoor section gets pretty busy in the winter months. On my visit it housed stalls for china, kitchenware, clothes etc and these fellas that caught my eye...
I had a brief moment of pure joy when I found the most perfect vintage sunglasses I had ever seen, for a snip at a tenner. However I found out the perils of having a pinhead when they turned out to be too big for me and practically fell off my face. Dammit.
One of the main reasons (read: excuses) for our jaunt to Kempton was the ambition to buy a new (read: old) sofa. We found one real contender, again for a steal at £350, but we had to leave it be...for a perfectly legitimate reason and nothing to do with the disembodied leg on it, oh no...
The stalls were mainly British but there was also a nice selection of stallholders from farther afield. Including some ever-fabulous French furniture...
A few old classics sprung up like this Alessi kettle, we only let this one go as we are slaves to our beloved whistle kettle...
I loved these! A very apt spelling for an antiques market...
More classics...
There were some really lovely crafty stalls too with ribbons and thread aplenty...

Green fingered market lovers would be happy too. This innovative stallholder was recycling industrial style products for the garden. My fella picked up a few of the long steel plant holders that had started life as part of a now closed-down farm - they are now growing poppies on our central London roof terrace.
These beautifully made tables were newly made, but from reclaimed wood too...
Cloches or models of Jesus? This way please...
Lovely, cheap vintage books, magazines and pictures...
This sweet rocking chair was quite clearly made for a child. I still seriously considered buying it for my bedroom. Everyone needs somewhere to throw random clothes, right?
Even more lovelies...ah it was fun...
Despite my giddiness about Kempton I was impressed with my restraint at the market. I only really picked one thing up for myself. This very cute, if a little battered vintage storage box. My fella was reluctant to buy...until I explained that I could hide all my crafty crap away in it. Now it is my very own to do up nicely and then fill with...well crap.

Kempton is a real winner. I advise that you go (hint: next market is on Tues 9th Aug), love it and then go again. I most certainly will.

Chiswick Car Boot, W4

The first rule of car booting - always get there early (but you can talk about them as much as you want!) You'd think a self-confessed bargain addict like me would have learnt this by now...and there was no good reason for me to arrive at the Chiswick Car Boot at 12.30pm today. But that I did and these boots were ready to close at 1pm. Oh dear.

A schoolgirl error I know. The benefit of the late start is that the prices start dropping (I'd recommend trying to bargain down anything heavy looking as tired stall holders will be keen to avoid carrying weighty unsold items if they don't have to). But the downfall is, of course, that the really good deals will probably have already walked out the door already, plus stall holders will be packing up. It's the perfect time for panic buying!

However I was lucky today as Chiswick was a great car boot that is immense so even in the last half hour there was still lots to explore and admire.

It was the prefect mix for Sunday browsing with *real* car boots, manned by real people. Always a winner with me.

The products available ranged from proper antiques at bargain prices...

To cool 20th Century treasures (this jug is the-one-that-got-away today, the reason? Too heavy for pathetic arms to carry around all day...I know...)

My fella would have been cross to see me let this dartboard get away *rolls eyes*...

These beautifully decorative piano scores were great for a rummage through for the musical or even design fans!

Or you could even go whole hog with this nafty squeeze box!

Beautiful plants are always good to look out for at one of these sales...

And...erm chickens...

With more time I would have had a proper look at this crockery. I love its art deso-esque metallic design...

I made one little purchase - a sweet little retro clock. A steal at a fiver and a perfect addition for my kitchen wall.

So all in all this is a great car boot...that impressed me not just with its size but also the variety of stalls. The next sale will be the first Sunday of August. I will be there bright and early, having learnt my lesson and won't forget the first rule of car booting again.

Weekend wanderings

A couple of lines an snaps of my weekend wanderings. Starting with my investigation into the King's Road...was it surprisingly annoying to get to? Yes. Were there many Chelsea tractors on the streets? Oh yes. But how were the interiors shops? Well that I can answer too:

The Shop at Bluebird was a little quiet on homewares. But the products in the store were divine, a bit out of my meagre budget, yet still beautiful.

This other King's Road shop was so tempting...but so shut. Damnit

Designer's Guild was florishing with colour as always and had some great deals. Including bargain stacks of cushions in any colour, print, texture you could want from £15. But it was this nest of tables with pressed flowers that caught my eye...

I am going to save the new Anthropologie shop on the King's Road to a visit all to itself. It is amazing.

I also made my first visit to the new car boot sale in Pimlico today...the inside stalls were great for a rummage but it was a little quiet outdoors. I still have great hopes for it as a great in/out car boot - when the chilly weather and thifty late January buyers have gone...Come springtime I can see this handily central car boot being a regular haunt.

I did however scoop up this selection of picture frames for £1/£1.50 each. Can't go wrong with a car boot bargain.

Battersea Car Boot, the teabag jar saga

This unassuming teabag jar broke my heart a little bit today on my first visit to the Battersea Car Boot

I found out about this South London gem of a car boot sale online earlier this week. The more I heard about it the more I knew it wasn't to be missed...it didn't let me down.

This incredibly (and excitingly) busy sale is on every Sunday. About 100 sellers open from 11.30am (£5 entry, dropping to 50p past 1.30pm) with tables packed full of proper car boot goodies.

I was very pleased to see selections of plants, second hand clothes, jewellery and of course homewares (I'll get back to them fear not) rather than the knock off DVDs, designer clothes and dubious smellies that you now expect to find (if you are looking for these can I faithfully recommend Vauxhall car boot?)

Anyway the homeware on show at the Battersea car boot was as varied and eclectic as I'd hoped. The stalls sold everything from glassware of all shapes, sizes and shades to vintage bar furniture complete with all the suitably floppish beverage accessories.

The above and below images show my favourite stall that even carried full length pews and random artificial hands...

The tea bag jar heartbreak came from one of my other top vintage interiors stalls of the day. The geometric patterned Denby jar caught my eye - I think its lower case font sealed the deal plus I *actually* do need one...But it seemed overpriced to my eagle-eyed boy, but had been sold, sold, sold by the time I convinced the boy that I really did need it. Bah. Lesson of the day? Next time I'll come solo