A chilly Sunday morning in May and a somewhat wind-swept Helen Reed offers a warm welcome to the Vintage Brocante at Court House Farm in Somerset.
While the glorious Tudor home and gardens plays host to several of these events every year; it’s safe to say there has never been one like this. It’s May 2020 and, due to the UK being in lockdown, Helen and her event assistant Victoria Saunders, are greeting their virtual brocante visitors via a video posted on Instagram.
“I’d just like to show you where we’d normally be for our actual brocante,” Helen says as she spins her cameraphone around an empty courtyard.
“Usually we’d be awash with hundreds if not thousands of people and the cowshed stuffed full of the most magical people and their products selling all sorts of things but it’s currently only a hive of hydrangeas.”
Initially, Helen had simply postponed the brocante but, as the date approached, the team at Court House Farm decided to transfer the event to social media. With just a week to go, the 30-or so traders were asked to post a selection of their wares on Instagram using the hashtag #courthousefarmbrocante from 10am-3.30pm on May 10th; the date and time of the original event.
“Traders who would have been here at court house farm and gardens for our brocante were invited to share lots of beautiful items for sale throughout the day so there was a lot going on,” Helen explained.
“We ran the event as we would have done the real thing although new and different traders joined us online. We’re now planning all sorts of other things like a virtual garden inspired event called Bloom and Grow, a shed shop and we plan to launch a shop on our website.”
Talking as one of the non-attendees, I have to be honest and say a virtual brocante is not the same as yomping round a farmyard in the South of England with my trusty wicker basket. But as someone who has gone eight weeks without a vintage fix, it was an opportunity to see items from old favourites (Washerwoman, Dolls House Vintage, Vintage Bazaar) and acquire some new contacts (check out BlueBarn.Life below and swoon at the swashbuckling frock coat).
Here’s some highlights (with links to the seller’s pages). The fair may be over but all of the traders are very much open for online business.
The Court House Farm team will host another virtual brocante on Sunday May 24th.
Who: @thewasherwoman is the alter ego of Lizzie van Hasselt, a vintage trader who sells her magnificent wares, including dolls house miniatures and textiles, via her blog lacamionnettebleue; Lizzie usually attends fairs in the South East.
What: Lizzie’s stock included French fabrics, 19th century buttons, mini toys, an antique doll’s head and a very cute metal dog which sold within minutes of being listed.
How: Buyers simply had to message Lizzie via Instagram, paying by PayPal. ‘At the moment our village post office is closed,’ she says. ‘So I will visit a neighbouring one as the parcels are piling up.”
She says: “It was just like doing a real fair, but without the long drive in the van!”
Who: @BlueBarn.Life is Kat Bazeley’s traditional clothing company. All of the pieces are produced from vintage fabrics (linens and toiles) and the styles are inspired by vintage workwear. If that’s not tempting enough; each piece is handmade on a farm in Dorset. Kat also sells through the website www.bluebarn.life
What: Gloriously flowing shirts, boxy jackets and even one garment re-purposed from a sack which used to carry parachutes.
How: Contact Kat by messaging her via her Instagram account, email kat.b@zeley.com or call +44 (0)1460 30297. Payment by PayPal or bank transfer.
She says: “I love working with Court House Farm. We’re a new business and almost all our sales come from fairs and shows so the Insta’ fairs are great for us. I do miss the hustle and bustle of the real thing.”
Who: @countrycurios evolved to provide an outlet for Hannah King’s passion for all things vintage – especially those items relating to horses (Hannah also runs Vintage Equine on Facebook). Since starting a website in 2014, Hannah has gone to launch a shop called Country Curios in Devizes, Wiltshire (currently closed due to lockdown).
What: Everything from haberdashery, jewellery, clothing, taxidermy, books, dolls, toys and a crab bottle holder.
How: While her shop is closed due to lockdown; Hannah continues to trade through her Facebook page or Instagram. Hannah also hosts her own Insta’ fair every Sunday from a stall she has set up in a snug in her home.
She says: ” It’s so lovely to see small business’s continuing to support each other in these super tough times.”
Who: @dollshousevintage a wonderfully eclectic Etsy shop LulworthBlue. run by Debbie from her home in Wimbourne Minster, Dorset.
What: Debbie put a selection of her stock online during the brocante including French linens, vintage textiles, teddies and handmade needle cases.
How to buy: Message Debbie through her Instagram or follow the link to her Etsy shop.
She says: “It gives people the chance to rummaging through a virtual brocante from the comfort of their home.”
Who: @hellish44 aka Heather Lawson (hellish44 is based at Station Mill Antiques Centre in the Cotswolds) has become quite adept at virtual selling having teamed up with around 30 dealers to form an online community @virtualvintagefair. In addition to helping to host her own virtual fairs; Heather takes part in a number of Insta’ events.
Heather is certain virtual fairs benefit both sellers and customers; “With fairs all cancelled and my stand at the antique centre temporarily closed, it’s the only way I can trade,” she explains.
“From the feedback we get when we do a virtual fair, I know people are keen to shop.”
What: Heather was selling her bespoke, handmade lampshades, grain sacks and cushions online in addition to French ceramics, candlesticks and other vintage curios.
How: “If something catches your eye just send me a DM,” Heather says on her Instagram account.
She says; “I’m missing the real thing but these virtual brocantes really do conjure up a buzz.”
Who: @keepersmakers is a creative outlet for mum and daughter Jacquelyn and Georgie Bowden; this pair of self confessed fabric hoarders, who live and work in Somerset, decided KeepersMakers was an ideal name because they keep fabric and make it into something else….like shopping bags.
What: The talented duo showcased their classic designs including bags, rugs and toys at the Insta’ fair together with some bespoke items including framed textile artwork.
How: Items can be bought by messaging through Instagram with payments via PayPal.
They say: “This was our first online event so it was all very new but very exciting. We gained a lot of new followers and made contact with existing ones. We’re very much looking forward to the next one”
Who: @thevintagebazaarevents was co-founded by Clare Powell – a self confessed vintage fabric addict who often turns her finds into fabulous things like hats, boxes, cushions and brooches. Vintage Bazaars events are held five times throughout the year but, during the lockdown, have transferred online. The next one takes place on Saturday June 20th. Clare hosts a virtual vintage textile fair through her Instagram account on Thursday nights from 7pm, stock permitting.
What: Almost an insta’ fair veteran (she’s been hosting them since April) Clare rustled-up a delightful selection for the brocante including antique fabrics, toys, paintings, tins and a 1930s parasol (below).
How: Payment is by PayPal friends/family. Clare admits buying and selling via Instagram is fraught with challenges as several people can message at the same time; ‘The first SOLD comment that I see is the buyer.’
She says: ” In these challenging times I hope it brings some fun.”
NB: Clare has everything crossed in the hope that an actual – in real life – fair will take place at The Cheese and Grain, in Frome, Somerset, on August 22.
Who: @oaklandcollectibles if you’ve ever hankered after that perfect set of French copper pans – Jason Parker is your man; he’ll even throw in some tips about cleaning them.
Jason usually crosses the Channel to buy ‘French stuff’ which he sells from Oakland Collectibles French Vintage Brocante in Stalbridge, North Devon. Jason also has a space at D’Uberville Living in Sherborne (still selling cakes etc from a stall on Saturdays in the market place).
Due to the restraints of lockdown, Jason has entrusted the ‘truffling’ of vintage stock to his French-side contact Mr Paul. He’s been ‘keeping himself out of trouble’ selling on social media and through virtual vintage fairs.
What: French bottle driers, nightgowns, mirrors, galvanised buckets and French wicker baskets all appeared on Jason’s feed.
How: Jason continues to sell via his Instagram feed, Insta’ fairs and has a website under construction.
He says: “It was great day and massive thanks to Court House Farm. We made some sales, gained new followers and more exposure so it’s all good.”
Who: @leagroveantiques you can normally find antique and vintage dealer Sue Murphy at The Antique Village in Hele, Devon or at vintage fairs in the South West but Sue has adapted to life in lockdown by becoming an active member of the Insta’ fair community organised by Vintage Bazaars (see above).
What: Sue’s popular feed at the brocante featured taxidermy, trinket boxes, jars, old photos, rosary beads and jelly moulds.
How: Sue is still trading through her Etsy shop Leagrovesantiques – just message her through Instagram and Facebook. Payments can be made via internet banking or PayPal. Sue will send parcels out promptly and will even hold onto larger good until the end of lockdown.
She says: “I’ve sold at the vintage fair at Court House Farm so it was a natural progression to do the Insta’ fair. I know quite a few of the other dealers and it’s a lovely community to be involved with. You find new sellers and items to buy, as well as gaining followers and sales yourself.
“Insta’ fairs are a great boost at the moment and I am so grateful to Helen and Victoria for giving us this platform.”
Who: @artichoke_lifestyle is the gloriously stylish collection curated by Arabella Latimer Sayer and her partner Steve Bates. Fuelled by a passion for interior design, Arabella looks for objects with decorative value and helps clients to achieve what she calls ‘simple rustic style’. Artichoke, the real-life court-yard shop is based in Dorset; a space Arabella shares with Edward Oliver Furniture.
How: During lockdown all sales are currently secured through Instagram, Arabella says she is happy to discuss dimensions of each piece and outline postage costs (UK only) with potential customers.
What: Arabella’s collection for the Court Farm Insta’ brocante included a wicker basket from a ‘country pile’, handmade wooden rabbits carved by Steve (see above), planters, Normandy jugs and a beautiful birdcage.
She says: ” I hope I have given people a taste of what we do and, when all this is over, it will be lovely to meet in person at our shop which is situated a stone’s throw from Sherborne Abbey.”
