Vintage & Retro At The End Of The World

Vintage In Scotland

If I had made a list of the ten places in the United Kingdom where a dealer specialising in vintage retro or antiques should never consider living, the village that I have been living in for the past three years would probably be top. We are one hundred and ten miles from the closest good auction house, one hundred and thirty miles from the nearest antique centre and two hundred miles from a street market. The street market is The Barras in Glasgow, a shadow of the market it once was and hardly worth crossing the city for. The West End of Glasgow however is a very good vintage retro hunting ground with a few shops definitely worth a visit.

Handbags and Gladrags – 158 Dumbarton Road, Partick, Glasgow G11 (next to Kelvinhall Underground) Is a great shop packed with very reasonably priced vintage retro clothing and vintage retro accessories. You will always find a selection of wearable vintage retro clothing by recognisable designers plus second hand and vintage shoes, boots and bags. They carry a stock of colourful vintage retro jewellery too.

Retro – 8 Otago Street, Kelvinbridge G12. A favourite with art students who receive a discount, Retro carries a stock of vintage retro clothing from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. The stock includes bright vintage party frocks and vintage skirts, vintage retro shoes, bags and hats. They also carry a stock of vintage retro jewellery.

Starry Starry Night – 19 Dowanside Lane, Glasgow G12 9BZ. You will discover a good vintage retro selection in this shop, with plenty of vintage clothing and vintage accessories, plus a selection of second hand kilts.

These shops probably buy some of their vintage retro stock from the several charity shops in the area, including:

Salvation Army Shop - Partick Cross

Barnado’s, Cancer Research, Marie Curie Cancer Care – All close to one another on Dumbarton Road.

Barnado’s, Save the Children, Oxfam and Oxfam Bookshop – Byres Road.

Shelter – Has two shops on Great Western Road and it is well known that they receive donations from the BBC costume department and is a must call if you are in the area.

I don’t have to travel all the way to Glasgow to get my fix of vintage & retro, I’m pleased to say. Aldearn is a small village about ten miles from where we live, just off of the A96 between Nairn and Forres. Halfway along the short main street a sign points to “Antiques”. A mile from the village, Aldearn Antiques is housed in a chapel and the outbuildings of Dalmore Manse, Auldearn, Nairn, Inverness Shire IV12 5HZ – phone: 01667453087.

Outside, Roger Milton and his mother, Doris sell an eclectic mix of architectural salvage, garden statuary and vintage garden furniture. The chapel is packed with usable furniture, vintage door furniture, pictures and rugs. They also sell wood-burning stoves and retro tiles. Doris presides over a large range of vintage retro and second hand clothing, vintage hats, vintage furs, vintage tweed jackets and vintage suits. She also specialises in vintage table linen. In their other outbuildings you will find a more vintage textile fabrics and vintage homewares, including vintage retro glass, porcelain and pottery. There are a couple of cabinets containing a selection of vintage jewellery, watches, cameras and vintage postcards. In my favourite outbuilding everything is fifty pence.

Roger and Doris source all of their stock locally, mostly from house clearances. They have a furniture workshop on site where they carry out small repairs and polishing, ensuring that their furniture is ready to use. While browsing you may see local celebrities, artist and writer, John Byrne and ex-wife, actor, Tilda Swinton, who are regular visitors.

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