We finished off a bumper week of antiques activity (before the snow set in) with a visit to a smaller event, a Rose and Brown Vintage Fair at the Victoria Hall in the very vintage village of Saltaire , near Bradford. This model village now has three thriving shops full of old treasures as well as regular fairs (see the link above for details).

The venue is a splendid stone edifice flanked by a massive pair of lions...

                                                           

                                                         
                    ..."Where's the wardrobe?" quipped Mr N!


Saltaire village was founded in 1851 by Sir Titus Salt, a leading industrialist in the Yorkshire woollen industry and a great philanthropist, though he disapproved of his workers drinking beer and hated to see lines of clean washing spoiling the stone symmetry of his neat terraces. Rumour has it that such offending eyesores were regularly cut down by his agent.
                                     

Salts Mill has been visited once before on this blog, but is always an unmissable treat if you are in Saltaire. The ground floor is a treasure trove of arts-related books and materials, displayed in a huge hall full of paintings, prints and colourful Burmantofts pottery. The piped music is unique; it makes you want to linger! Yesterday we were treated to Vaughan Williams followed by an unknown Francoise Hardy-esque French folk singer. 
                                                         

A table shaped like an artist's palette, laden with colourful sketch pads.

There is a second large bookshop upstairs, and other attractions including a shop full of exclusive homewares, designer jewellery and Salts Diner.Last but not least we visited the Carlton Fine Art & Antiques Centre, now on the second floor of the Mill. Not only does this emporium cater for connoisseurs of the rare and early, but it is also a repository of nostalgic memorabilia, furniture and clothing.

I found the perfect summer hat here, just right for my alter-ego, Miss Marple.

                                                          

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