Brilliant vintage baubles and pressies
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Vintage baubles
I am utterly nuts about Christmas and get in a frenzy of excitement when it’s time to put up the tree and baubles. I always buy something from Stratton Audley Christmas Barn (I’ve gone and bought that brilliant moose head) and I always always always check out one particularly brilliant room at The Swan antiques centre in Tetsworth, as it’s one of the only places I know around here that sells proper vintage baubles, mostly dating from 1930s though I think last year I managed to find one from the Twenties too. I actually have a couple of Victorian baubles that have been handed down the family which is probably where my obsession has stemmed from though it’s very hard to find any that old in shops now.
Beautiful aren’t they?
It’s not the easiest room to find – it’s a bit like Harry Potter’s platform 9 and three quarters – but if you go right to the top of the building you’ll find it along with gorgeous ceramics (below) and some stunning glassware including ten 1930s cut glass champagne saucers from Franche that I am seriously coveting. It feels a bit like your granny’s attic, only very well organised and without the cobwebs.
Vintage ceramics
It’s hard to see the detail with the checked table cloth but these glasses are exquisite
After I had my vintage bauble fix, I went on a little mooch around and started snapping. Seriously, if you’re stuck for pressies or want to find something a bit special or different, I would totally recommend The Swan, it has some amazing stuff. Check out this lot (and let me tell you, I was very close to buying those ceramic dogs!)
And more…
There was a room dedicated to antique gardening equipment…
A very cool deco table…
Some beautiful festival chococlate moulds…
I could have stayed at The Swan for hours frankly, just quietly finding beautiful things for myself and others!
BTW, I also discovered while I was there that the revamped restaurant has just started a private dining room with swish heavy curtains and antique mirrors and a whopper great chandelier in the ante room next to the restaurant itself at no extra cost.
The private dining area
Isn’t that mirror incredible?
It’s been going for two weeks and is the sort of thing that could be a lot of fun on an evening, with all the candles and atmosphere of the building. I’ll definitely give it a whirl in the New Year after the January fun-ban has been lifted, so I’ll report back for you if you don’t make it in yourself before then.
The Swan at Tetsworth, High Street Tetsworth, Oxon OX9 7AB. 10am to 6pm every day. Tel: 01844 281777. theswan.co.uk
