Best of British

With the World Cup just round the corner, it's time to get patriotic...

Amongst the glut of Union Flag cushions, tea towels, rugs and tea cosies that are currently flooding the shop shelves, what about hanging a REAL Union Flag on your wall?


We have a marvellous stash of original Coronation flags printed on cotton and linen, which we've mounted onto canvas and had professionally framed so that they can be seen and appreciated in their full splendour. As the name suggests (!), these were usually produced as part of the celebrations for royal festivities. These ones date from the coronation of Edward VII in 1902, through to that of our present Queen, Elizabeth II, in 1953.

Why settle for 'Union-Flag-inspired' when you can have the Real McCoy? There's even the odd bit of discolouration and/or authentic rip to add to the charm and authenticity of these 'Genuine Articles'.

They work brilliantly as birthday or wedding presents - prices start at £35.00 and go up to £350, depending on the size and age of the flag. The smallest framed size available is 12" x 18" (30.5cm x 45.7cm) whilst the largest we currently have in stock is 36"x 48" (91.4cm x 121.9cm) - now THAT would be a true patriotic style statement!

Photo of Union flags: Stefan Lorett

Summer nights...

Long, hazy summer nights are with us again (or at least now and again). Following our previous blog, your garden/outside space should now be beautifully replenished with vintage plant pots. What about accessorizing with these great 1920s wirework lanterns?


Carefully place a tea light inside the faded canvas-lined, wire cages and bring a magical romantic glow to your evening...


We have a limited number available, so snap one (or many) up now before they disappear!

Quality time down at the potting shed...

With any luck the late Spring frosts are behind us, and so attention can now be directed to getting some quality gardening in preparation for those long summer evenings 'al fresco'.

To help you populate your patio, we have lots of vintage terracotta plant pots for sale, perfect 'starter homes' for your tender, young plants.

Most of the pots are 3 to 3-and-a-half inches in diameter, ideal for transferring seedlings, or for starting off your summer herb garden. They'd look great lined up on a window sill or window box.

There's a good mix of pots, all with a nice patina of age and past use - the older ones date from the 1920s and with their rimless tops are particularly chic. Some are impressed with the maker's name 'SANKEY'. We're selling the pots in bundles of 5 and 10 so get in touch if you want to spoil your seedlings with some serious style...

Also, on offer we have some gorgeous old galvanised buckets. Complete with dents and patches of rust, they make characterful planters.


Happy planting!

Coming soon: Lovely Lanterns

Maps Matter

Let us take you on a journey, to a time when Sat Nav was a mere twinkle in the travelling salesman’s eye...

Look! Proper Maps!

We’ve just had a stack of these beautiful litho-printed late 19th century maps mounted, framed and ready for sale to the discerning punter!

Europe, North and South America, Africa, India, Australia, Asia - we’re bound to have one to suit that awkward spot in the living room, or one that would be perfect for that wedding present you must get around to thinking about…

Contact us to see if we’ve got your part of the world available.

Or maybe you’re thinking bigger, more, dare I say, global…

It took a while for the Western World to work out that the Earth was spherical, but blimey when they finally got there they produced some pretty lovely ways of showing people.

We’ve got a great range of globes dating from the 1930s-1960s available, including this rather splendid 1960s American one.

These maps and globes are fascinating artefacts of their time, each one a little slice of history, showing political borders and placenames as they once were. A fascinating perusal, friends…

For more Geographical Gems, take a look at our Facebook album 'Maps Galore' http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=15510&id=112268162134592&l=6b1af2c1c3