Sunday 16th March 2014
Victoria Baths, Manchester
March 16th saw The Vintage Home Show take over The Victoria Baths in Manchester. Quite unlike the usual village hall that most vintage fairs in the north of the country seem to occupy, VHS took over the stunning building that is the Baths. How anyone could wander around and not be in awe of the architecture is beyond me. Most of the tiled interior is still intact, with various different pool rooms and diving boards, it made quite the setting for a fair! For those who are really interested in the building there was also the opportunity to have a tour and hear about its renovation. Even the old dressing rooms were still there, swinging wooden doors and the works! I was hard pressed not to want to strip off and dive into the pool (I stopped myself due to the lack of water).
The show itself was a huge success and with an entrance fee of £3 I don’t think anyone could be disappointed. The Vintage Home Show is in essence a giant fair for all things home ware related. There was not a piece of clothing in sight and for someone that is obsessed with fashion, I must say it was rather refreshing! I think actually furniture is a lot easier to display and as a buyer there was no need to fight your way to the front of a stall to route through rail after rail of things, to try and find one piece that you want to take home with you. Stalls were displayed in every which way imaginable including mini living rooms to gorgeous apothecary style drawers filled with amazing finds. It was a really fun experience and a rather relaxed affair with buyers and sellers looking like they were having a ball.
With an incredible selection of goods, it was perfect for everyone from the distant admirer of antiques to the hard core collector. Although I may know a lot about mid-century clothing, my knowledge of home ware and furniture is a little lacking. Before attending The VHS I’d never heard of ‘the homemaker’ crockery set (and I call myself a vintage enthusiast *slaps wrist*), but I think it would have been fairly easy to collect an entire set by just wandering between the stalls. From having never seen it before in my life, I was capable of knowing what was a good asking price for each piece within about half an hour. I think you’ll find the going rate is around £10 for a tea plate?
There were some truly magnificent pieces on display from a variety of sellers. My favourite pieces included a telephone table with integral seat by Ercol (it had sold before I managed to get my hands on the price tag) and there were some incredible antique wall hanging maps displaying the movement of troops throughout the First World War and the expansion and decline of the British Commonwealth. I’m fairly sure I also spotted a taxidermy chicken although I’m happy to accept that I was seeing things; it’s certainly not something you see every day!
I didn’t go away empty handed; after a bit of deliberating bought a small vintage tea set that goes by the name of ‘Dolly Days’. Its bright 60s print caught my eye and with small mugs rather than cups it’s perfect for the camper. I was also rather excited to have a tea set that I wasn’t too precious about and that was popular (and cheap) enough to be able to replace should anything break.
As with all events that ‘Vintage Keeley’ organises, the sellers were the crème de la crème of antique and mid-century collectors. Stalls were packed with incredible finds and I could have quite happily furnished an entire house from that fair (although my pockets may have been a tad lighter). With everything from sofas to olive forks you’d be hard pressed not to find something to take home with you. Picnic sets and thermos flasks were in abundance although the weather outside wasn’t encouraging anyone to go for an impromptu outdoor lunch.
Keeley Harris, the brains behind the operation, is a font of knowledge when it comes to anything ‘vintage’. Last month she took the rather brave step of selling her whole collection of vintage clothing and is moving her attention onto home ware. She had her own stall there that was filled with goodies of all shap
es and sizes. With a huge living room set up as you walked into the fair, Keeley’s stall could have been the set for a Mad Men style photo shoot, it was super stylish and I’m rather jealous that I couldn’t have transported it all into my own house.
The Vintage Home Show had its first event in London in the Summer of 2012 and has picked up a brilliant reputation from both sellers and buyers. Rumour has it that they’re also looking to have more events in the midlands and south of the country so keep your eyes peeled for events near you. If you’re ever in town when The VHS is visiting then I’d get yourself there, pop some cash into your wallet and take the car too as I doubt you’ll be leaving empty handed!
To keep up to date with The Vintage Home Show, visit their website at www.thevintagehomeshow.co.uk or keep up to date with what organiser Keeley is doing at www.discovervintage.co.uk.
Next fair dates:
Manchester 29th June & Manchester 26th October
Photos: Calum Barrow
