August was a scorching month, we had the sun beaming down on us with record temperatures, so keeping cool was a priority, (in more ways than one).
A first for me here at the Arcade, was spending most of the day with SVT television filming their new show ‘The Great Auction Show Down’ with series expert Paul Martin and guest expert Jessica Forrester from Special Auction Services (SAS) based in Newbury.
We had a lovely film crew who were all very helpful and friendly, as well as Paul and Jessica who made the day great fun to do.
They spent the majority of the day at the Arcade, with myself and unit holder Chris Jolliffe getting to do some filming as well, we can’t wait to see the end result, especially how the auction sale goes with the items from our various units.
It will be broadcast on Channel 5 in the near future, so watch this space……..
Hungerford Arcade’s good friend, Stuart Miller-Osborne has requested your help in identifying a recent purchase.
Hello Again
Whenever I write an article I usually research the subject as much as I can. This is partially to educate myself and partially to ensure the accuracy of the article. If I am travelling then I work from my notes (if I can read them) and then spend a couple of hours putting the article together. But there are times when I see or even purchase an item which is so mysterious that no matter how hard I try I always end up where I started. If I have purchased this item from an antiques outlet then the dealer can fill me in, but if I find these things in, lets say, a charity shop or at a summer fair then my windows are limited.
This happened to me recently in Sandwich in Kent which is about three miles from where I live.
Caron and I were visiting the lovely 1930s cinema in the town to see Top Gun Maverick (I had lost a bet and apart from washing up for the next ten years I was forced to seeTom flying around in the skies). The Empire in Sandwich is privately owned and is an absolute gem. It is a time capsule (with so many original features) and I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area (it is also massively cheap and you can see anymovie for about seven pounds or less).
However, prior to the movie we decided to wander around the town to see what was going on and soon found ourselves in a charity shop not far from the cinema. It was there that I spotted a pair of small ceramic cats which interested me greatly but at a glance I could not identify any features that might define their age or origins. So instead of having an ice cream at the cinema I gave a home to these beautiful felines.
And that is where the mystery starts for no matter how much I tried I could not date them or confirm who had made them.
So I am asking for your help and have included a couple of illustrations to help you along your way.
The cats are not very big and sit on a deep blue cushion and suffer from what I believe is called crazing (forgive me if I am wrong). Judging from their appearance they appear to be vintage as they are quite simply made but that is where it ends.
Two small matching ceramic cats who were obviously sold as a pair (I do hope they liked each other as you know what cats can be like). I did not pay a fortune for them and they have made a pleasing addition to my cabinet but it would be nice if I knew a little more about them.
If you know more than I do then please bump a mail to the arcade before the dealers identify these mogs.
Get your dancing shoes on and join Macmillan’s August Dance Challenge this summer to help support people living with cancer!
Commit to dancing 20 minutes a day for Macmillan whether it be following along to a dance tutorial, joining an in person dance class of your choice or dancing to your favourite playlist while cooking!
We are extremely proud to see our very own Chula Bishop from “Beatnix Vintage” (unit 22) taking part in this fantastic fundraiser for Macmillan Cancer Support! Chula has been dancing every morning so far this month for at least 20 minutes whilst sporting her fabulous Macmillan T-Shirt (pictured below).
Like us you can help support Chula in her fundraising mission for this important cause by donating to her Facebook page: Dance For Macmillan
Macmillan are encouraging supporters to complete 20 minutes of dance-based exercise a day throughout the month of August. This can be split into intervals or can be done in one full 20-minute period depending on ability. A small warm up and cool down period before and after the 20-minute period. You can see more about this fundraiser on Macmillan’s Facebook page here: Macmillan’s August Dance Challenge
Chula has also recently expanded her retro empire to our newly acquired business, The Wallingford Arcade (The Lamb) along with some of our other dealers. Don’t forget to take a trip there and see what delights we have to offer for all!
This year as part of the “Hungerford Summer Festival”, a unique and prestigious competition for amateur artists was revealed to paint a portrait of Helen Simpson, the Mayor of Hungerford! A photo of the Mayor was provided for all the amateur artists to use for their portrait (see below). We are very pleased and proud to announce that this competition was successfully won by our very own Jane Elliman (unit 12) with her fantastic portrait on the left!
Jane has lived in the same location in the very northern tip of Hampshire all her life. Born to an artistic and creative family she was surrounded by two and three-dimensional craftspeople from an early age who were a massive inspiration. Jane attended Art College after leaving school and has spent much of time as a budding amateur artist who very much enjoys painting to please others.
Jane’s biggest inspiration is in the natural beauty of the changing seasons in the countryside that surround us and she enjoys creating exciting paintings in bright colours using either acrylic or oil. As quoted by Jane:
“I love the amazing sunsets and cloud formations that seem to be a daily part of my life on the remote down land of north Hampshire and these are the things I try to capture in my paintings”.
A wonderful picture taken at the Arcade of Jane receiving her winners trophy from Mayor Helen Simpson this week. Jane has kindly gifted the portrait to Helen after it has finished its public exhibition in Hungerford!
Once again a big congratulations from all of us here at the Arcade!
If you would like to see more of Janes artistic work please visit the below links:
Romance was blooming in the Arcade last month! We had a lovely American family visit us one day, unbeknownst to us, and to one member of their party, their was a big surprise planned!
Molly, her partner Alex, Molly’s parents and her sister popped in to visit while over here on a holiday celebrating Molly’s parents 40th wedding anniversary. They had visited us in the past and wanted to come back to show Molly and Alex the beautiful jewellery selection we have here.
Molly had an idea that they were popping in to look at possible engagement rings and to maybe trya few on.
Little did she know that Alex was planning to propose there and then if they found a ring! While Molly was taken off to look at the rest of the Arcade with her parents and sister, Alex bought the perfect ring they had found.
As soon as Molly came back round, Alex was down on one knee and proposed, Molly was in complete shock, she accepted straight away and she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face! They are now hoping to marry next year, and we are all thrilled here at the arcade and wish them every happiness.
They bought their ring from AJB ( Antique Jewellery Boutique) a family run business established for over 40 years, and have been here at the Arcade for over 20 years, they sell stunning preowned jewellery for all budgets and tastes!
Here at The Hungerford Arcade, we recently had the pleasure of meeting Dieter and his lovely inquisitive Son Aiden.
Dieter mentioned that he was starting up a group called Kaleidoscope. This all came about since his Son Aiden was official diagnosed with Autism. Dieter tried to find local support groups for him and Aiden to attend but found none available in the Hungerford area so that is why Kaleidoscope was founded.
Kaleidoscope has been designed as a safe space for any child with special needs so they can come and play and be themselves. It is also a support group for the parents where they can share stories and experiences. The first group session is on Saturday 10th September 2022 from 2.00pm-4.00pm
Hungerford Arcade has something for everyone and we can usually only guess why our customers buy what they do. We love to chat to our customers and learn more about their lives and interests. Occasionally, we learn of an inspired and inventive idea. One such was Jackie Coombes, who we met recently.
She timed her visit well, as the Junk Shop had just restocked, and bought a number of cut glass vases and bowls at very good prices. When I commented that it looked as though she was planning a large party, she told me that they were for her garden! Intrigued, I asked her to send us photos.
This is the stunning result; what a magical effect.
And they look just as good when the lights are off.
Truly, an inspired idea! Why not pop in and see what you can buy to repurpose?
Hungerford Arcade loves everything about Christmas so we were particularly delighted when Santa and Mrs Claus paid us a visit to do a spot of shopping!
They were travelling incognito as Gordon and Ellen Mahathey from Union Grove, Alabama. We had great fun helping them select some vintage toys for this year’s grotto.
Gordon is a toy maker and they work tirelessly supporting many charitable causes. You can find them on Facebook: Santa Gordon Mahathey.
He has the most wonderful Southern accent; talking to him conjures up pictures of Antebellum mansions, trees dripping with moss and Rhett Butler!
This month we had a visit from the lovely Francesca Milton pictured here with our Vanessa and her latest purchase. Francesca is an avid collector of bears, in particular the world famous Steiff brand! On her visit Francesca found a very special bear here at the Arcade called “Dylan” from our stall holder Brenda (unit 4). Dylan is a hansom limited edition Grizly Bear byJanet Reeves, No:18 of only 444!
As we got chatting away with Francesca, she told us about one of her very treasured bears “Old Ted” a 1904 Steiff pictured in these fabulous before and after photos. Old Ted was owned by Francesca’s godmother since new in 1904 right up to 1988 when he was left to Francesca. As you can see on the right, Francesca had the bear restored by non other than the famous “Amanda & Julie” from the well know TV program “The Repair Shop”. Amanda and Julie are known as the ‘Teddy Bear Ladies’ in The Repair Shop thanks to their expertise of repairing vintage bears and soft toys.
As well as appearing on the BBC programme, Amanda and Julie have been working together and running their own business, Bear It In Mind, since 2006. The pair often post their charming creations and restorations on their Instagram @theteddybearladies.
With all of us here at the Arcade being great fans of old
Teddy’s, we are always pleased when they go to a special home. We think Dylan has landed on his feet with Francesca and feel he will get the best care and attention an old bear can receive!
As you can see, Dylan has now clearly made him self quite at home with Old Ted and we wish them both many more happy days to come with Francesca!
So, the Great British Summer is officially here! What better a way to spend it than eating Ice Cream! Cosy Coffee Shop here at the Hungerford Arcade has just expanded into the Ice Cream world delivering the most superb Ice Cream from a local supplier “Rowdey Cow” in Devizes.
Rowdey Cows fresh Ice Cream is made on their farm from their own cows’ milk! This delicious fresh ice cream is available in up to 16 different flavours! They are also “Taste Of The West Gold Award” winners for 8 years running!
Make sure not to miss out next time your here and take a visit to the garden dining area to enjoy not only the delicious Ice Cream but all that Cosy Coffee have to offer. After your exhilarating shopping experience with us at the Arcade, take a break and relax in the outdoor sunshine or upstairs in the beautiful eaves of our historic old building.
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pictured here with our Vanessa and her latest purchase. Francesca is an avid collector of bears, in 
