Vintage Baker Finds - Blighty Bazaar

Every so often I find a vintage supplier who's so good I have to share. So while they might not always be 'Bristol' based, they certainly get the Bristol Vintage & Vintage Baker Finds seal of approval.

This week is all about Blighty Bazaar.

Blighty Bazaar is unique vintage emporium in the heart of Leamington Spa.

A veritable feast of vintage, handmade and retro, Blighty Bazaar hosts over 100 sellers over two floors, including a vintage hair & beauty salon and tearoom.

If you're after quirky and original designs, vintage furniture or a 50s shampoo and set, this is the place for you.

Sip tea from vintage china, browse the vinyl, try on a quirky shirt or a handmade dress…

…then let stylists Catherine and Jane of Chez Titine set you up with a beehive or some Victory rolls. They also offer vintage make up and styling advice for men and women and mini retro makeovers for kids. 

Blighty Bazaar is a one-stop shop for all your vintage requirements so make sure you pop in next time you're in Leamington Spa. If you can't wait, check out their website, find them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

When Sarah Baker isn't writing children's books she writes features for Vintage Life Magazine and Pretty Nostalgic. You can find her on Twitter @bysarahbaker or via her website www.bysarabaker.com 

Bristol Vintage Crockery & Prop Hire

For those of you who don't know what Bristol Vintage actually do (apart from organise the Fair), it's about time we introduced ourselves! Over the last 4 years we've been supplying our beautiful vintage mismatched china for weddings and events throughout the country, and we're happy to say we've been loving every minute!

Photography courtesy of Frances Taylor Photography

Over the last year SO much has happened and it's really exciting to share our news here before the Fair!

Photography courtesy of Nikki Kirk Photography

We never stop adding to our collection (it's a bit of an obsession!) and we pride ourselves on having a fabulously eclectic mix. We can now supply afternoon tea crockery for over 300 people and full vintage dinner crockery and cutlery for up to 150. We're also able to dress and style your venue and we regularly work closely with Kirsten, The Little Wedding Helper to give you a really fabulous event styling service.

Photograph courtesy of Nikki Kirk Photography

Our props collection is always growing and we're now able to offer bunting, gramophones, picnic hampers & rugs, typewriters, candlesticks, a 1940's tea trolley, embroidered linens and even our gorgeous bike, Mabel (who now has a beau, Sam!).

Photograph courtesy of Alexandra Brezezicka

Over the past few years we've worked with some really fabulous people and can recommend beautiful dresses, stunning accessories, quirky venues and almost everything you can imagine for your wedding.

Photograph courtesy of David J Berwyn

Last year we created Jezebel Events with Sue from Auntie's Vintage to set up bespoke events and we're currently organising the launch party for the re-opening of Clifton Hill Costume & Textiles.

We've also joined forces with Emily from Fishee Designs Photo Booth to organise Bristol's first truly alternative wedding event, The Weird and Wonderful Wedding World Show.  We recently completed the most amazing pre-show shoot with Laura Power of Laura Michelle Photography - here's a sneak peek!

Photograph courtesy of Laura Michelle for WWWW

And finally ... if you're looking for something totally different, Katie has started up Bristol Vintage's sister company, The Dandy Cabin - a stunning Teardrop trailer, from which she can serve teas, coffee and even bubbly from our very own Babycham glasses.  You can see Katie and the Dandy Cabin at the Wedding Fair on Sunday!

For more information on what we can offer, take a look at our website: www.bristolvintage.co.uk  or follow us on Facebook  & Twitter, but do make sure you say hello on Sunday at our next Bristol Vintage Wedding Fair!

The Dandy Cabin

If you’re looking for something truly unique for a special event, then The Dandy Cabin  - a mobile drinks bar, a beautiful, head-turning vintage teardrop trailer, may be the very thing.

Let The Dandy Cabin be your outdoor Champagne bar for the day. She’s the ideal place from which to serve champagne and, as every vintage lover knows, any good glass of bubbly should be served in the finest original Babycham glasses, all available to hire with the Dandy. She can even be supplied with her own Dandy waiting staff!

The Dandy Cabin also doubles up as a hot drinks bar - organic, Fairtrade teas, fresh coffee and yummy hot chocolate all served up with the best free-range, buttery cakes.

The Dandy’s owner is vintage aficionado, and co-founder of Bristol Vintage, Katie Daniels. With a background in Film, TV and event planning, Katie’s little black book of contacts is seriously impressive. She’s found the very best local cake suppliers, and sister-company, Bristol Vintage, can provide vintage china for up to 300 people as well as an array of wonderful vintage props including gramophones, cake-stands and tea trolleys.

  

They love what they do here at The Dandy Cabin. They want to spread the love, and always make sure they're decent, both to the planet and to the people who work with them. They only use Fairtrade, organic teas and coffee, and their disposable cups are all bio-degradable. Plus, they only work with independent local suppliers who share their values.  

The Dandy Cabin draws a crowd wherever she goes. Katie's seen people hanging out of their cars on the motorway to snap a photo! The Dandy is perfect for weddings, tea parties, festivals, corporate events and even childrens’ tea parties. She can also be hired as a prop for TV and film. You can catch up with The Dandy Cabin’s adventures on Twitter, or simply book direct by calling 07816 372 017 or emailing thedandycabin@icloud.com - but make sure you catch The Dandy Cabin in action at our next Fair - Caterers with a Curve at the Zoo on March 10th!

Life’s a Picnic

For a totally unique and utterly charming idea for a wedding or anniversary present, Life’s a Picnic creates classic picnic hampers with a delicious twist.  Each set is unique and contains pretty vintage china, cloth napkins and proper cutlery; everything you need for dining al fresco.

Mother and daughter Elly and Evie have been making one-off vintage picnic hampers since 2005.  Based in Bristol and Nailsworth, they do all the sewing and leatherwork themselves, as well as sourcing the fabrics and contents from all over the country.  Each of their traditional willow hampers is totally unique and they’re classy as well as fun.  They come with 2 x side plates, cups and saucers, 2 x knives, forks and teaspoons; 2 x napkins and a tablecloth, which can vary in size and best of all?  It’s vintage!  You also get a lined and padded removable wicker basket sectioned for cups and glasses; 2 x tumblers (toughened glass), champagne flutes (acrylic), hands-free champagne-glass holders; a corkscrew/bottle opener and a bottle stopper. 

You can also order a bespoke hamper, perfectly tailored to your taste.  So for a more personalised service and if you have a specific period, style, colour or pattern that you love, they can make a hamper just for you and a bespoke label to go with it.  Just tell them your ideas and they can come up with a combination of china and fabric that’s perfect for you or the bride and groom.

Based online, both Evie and Elly will be bringing a large selection of their natural, hand-woven picnic hampers as well as swatches of fabric for bespoke hampers to the fair, so this is a real opportunity to come and see these up close and start thinking about your own designs.  You can also find them on Facebook or read about what they're designing right now on their blog.  What a brilliant vintage idea – Life’s a Picnic!