Antique Land

Newark is supposedly well known for its antique trade; indeed there are almost as many shops as there are nailbars and hairdressers, perhaps even more. Added in there are now the vintage clothes emporiums, of which there are at least three I can think of, and regular trade fairs out at the showground where a lot of the dealers are as rough as guts and not at all like the nice folk you see on "Bargain Hunt".

Today, while out mooching about this morning before going to by this weeks supply of noodles for work - hello duck hoisin! - I decided to investigate the two buildings that have been converted into antique type outlets.

Well, not quite. Kingsman Interiors is just furniture and not really antiques, but it does have a coffee shop inside what was once the Christ Church on Lombard Street.

I didn't go in, but I did find a nice old ghost sign at the back.

However, I did venture into the Newark Antique Centre next door, located in an old congregational church, which consists of some tiny little shoplets crammed in with another, rather less antiseptic looking cafe - the one in Kingsman put me off with its very obvious neon blue fly killer.

Most of it wasn't of much appeal apart from the Beswick birds, a shop about the size of a phone box crammed with bits of military uniforms and all manner of oddities, and a bookstall with handy tomes telling you to build animal traps. Lovely.

I wanted to have a cup of tea, but didn't, determined as I am to spend less money at which I am failing miserably. But I will do soon, amid the hunting books and police helmets.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 05.12.16