A fabulous flea market

Thursday is flea market day in Chesterfield, and when the sun shines, it gets 

very busy!

 

I finally remembered my camera this week, and took a few photos on the way round.

 

 

 

 

There is a huge variety of goods, traders and prices.

 

While some stalls are beautifully presented, others have boxes piled high with house clearance and auction job lots. These are very popular with the punters; so much so that I couldn't get a decent photo, all you could see were the backs of rummaging customers!

It's not all vintage/retro stuff, though there is plenty of that. There are lots of newer secondhand clothes and shoes, books, DVDs, tools, crafts/handmade items, jewellery, furniture, and food stalls as well.

I like the cutlery stall, and the 50p an item table.

 

 

There's plenty of cheap fruit and veg, tons of bric-a-brac, and more vintage china than you can shake a stick at. 

 

It's a friendly place - here are Amanda and Jo (who definitely win the prize for most stylish stall holders), Janet, and Joseph.

I bought my magic lantern slides from Janet last week; Joe's stall has the 3-items-for-£1 box which I have mentioned before (Meakin and Midwinter for 33p? Yes please!) and I also bought my globe light and pigeon basket from him.

Debs is another favourite stall holder; she didn't want her photo taken but I sneakily snapped her and Joanne deep in conversation over a rather delightful cupboard. Debs' stall is a mix of vintage loveliness and handmade items like cushions, mittens (in winter) and aprons. She's very talented.

 

My 1970s Decosse wool coat, worn to death this winter, was bought from Debs' stall.

As I was taking the photo of the box of cotton reels, a fellow market browser asked me if I had a blog. She said she reads a lot of blogs and thought that a pic of cotton reels looked like something a blogger would post! I am obviously terribly predictable - but I loved all the colours together!

Here's Chesterfield church, which its famous twisted spire.

And my purchases?

 

A 1960s suitcase and a 1950s umbrella with a lucite handle.

As  you can see, the cats approved. 

 

And this little 1970s steel and abalone shell pendant, in need of a chain.

I am always on the look out for Sheffield-made steel jewellery, and this looked similar to the ring I bought from a charity shop a while back.

Turns out they are both by the same maker (I hadn't noticed the ring was marked until I checked it yesterday).

The mark says Lord Python, designs by D Scott-Walker. When I googled it, guess whose photo came up as the third image? Our Vix, of course! She also found a Lord Python pendant at a carboot and blogged about it.

There's the ring.

 

Skirt - Jo and Amanda's 3-items-for-a-fiver sale, flea market

Vest top, blouse, shoes, tights, pink flower, faux pearl necklace and bangles - charity shopped

Bead/skull necklace - handmade by colourful Krista

Belt - retail (sale)

Black flower - gift

Curls - courtesy of the 1970s Pifco curling tongs I bought at last week's jumble sale!

 

 

 

Unusually for me, there is nothing vintage about this outfit at all - apart from myself, of course.

 

 

 

How could anyone prefer to go to a soulless shopping centre/mall to get their retail fix? I truly cannot understand it. 

 

The staff in House of Fraser or Primark don't sing to you, or know your name, or chat about sewing or the PTA, or share their personal stories, or source items for you. Where's the banter, the connection, the fun?

 

 

 

Support your local market, if you are lucky enough to have one!

 

    xxxx