From London, Arundel is just under 2 hours away by car. We
took the scenic route through the very picturesque villages of Fittleworth and Petworth. Early as we were, I could see an
elderly man giving his Highland Terrier its early morning walk and a young
couple on the way home from getting the morning newspapers. A very idyllic
scene all together. The landscape and buildings in this part of England could
just be taken out of a Midsommer Murder mystery, or even Ms Marple.
Lovely!
First antique hunting stop was Ford Airfield. The clue we were
on the right track was the huge fighter
plane parked at the entry to the airfield. Oddly enough it said: Royal Navy on
the side of it…..?! This lovely start was now followed by immediate
disappointment. Just clothes, toys and old household items, so made a quick
escape and headed for the Arundel Racecourse Antique Fair. It was set out over
two buildings and one large marquee. There were also some outside stalls, which
we decided to check out first, as large dark clouds started to gather above. I love discovering new fairs as there is always something
quirky you have never seen before. One lady had a huge collection of Churchill
memorabilia. There was Churchill as jug, on a plate and even as a Toby jug.
I purchased a lovely art nouveaux stick stand and a rare
Sylvac figure of a frog. A Saddlers OKT42 Art Deco tea pot was also in my bag on the way
home. We had brought a picnic lunch
which we ate sitting on the grass at the race course. Lovely to see so many
people wandering around and, like me, just discovering quirky objects from the
past. Then it was time to head for the main reason most people love Arundel.
The Castle.
It is right in the centre of town, and goes back to the days
of William the Conqueror and the year 1067. It was damaged during the English
Civil War and then restored in the last two centuries. It is to this day, the
hereditary stately home of the Duke of Norfolk.
You can take a tour of the rooms as well as the gardens. I also much enjoyed a jousting competition and
felt very much transported back into medieval times.
Important events: Visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
in 1846. Used as Windsor Castle in the Dr Who episode Silver Nemesis 1988, The
Madness of King George 1994 and The Young Victoria 2008.
.
Next week:
Spitalfields Antiques Market, London
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete