Be prepared to lose at least an afternoon, picking through cases of bakelite jewellery, crocodile clutches, vintage clothes, books, furniture, and what looked like Napoleon's hat.
This huge emporium houses over 50 dealers with a range of antique and vintage goodies that cover all possible bases, from high end jewellery to cheap but cheerful Indian leather notebooks. It's on two levels, and the old wooden floors upstairs creak alarmingly, the walkway I can't help but feel tips slightly to the centre, making you walk even closer to the collections, dizzy with delight. Maybe it's delight, maybe it's vertigo.
My favourite thing about places like this is not the stuff itself (which is amazing) but for the stories. We wandered along here, stories triggering from times we remembered, people we'd forgotten. After all, who really wants an armadillo handbag? Great to talk about though.
Not that I left here wallet unscathed. Don't think I ever have. A 50's circle skirt and some antique kid gloves with tiny flowers embroidered on them, from Paris. Sigh. Umm, early birthday present, that's it. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it. read more