fairfax

Hi...

I am heading to the UK for my biennial trip in a few weeks and will spend the beginning and end few days in London, but the rest of the trip will be driving. I will be starting in Cardiff and ending in Oxford. I lived in the UK for a while and had a car, so am pretty comfortable driving in cities and small villages.

I collect china/porcelain and silverware, so was thinking of going to Sheffield for the cutlery and Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent for the china. I actually do a lot of buying and selling, so am looking for places, i.e. antique stores, charity shops that would have good selections of these items. Recommendations would be brilliant and much appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

MmePerdu

If what you want are antique or not-new cutlery & china, those are where you find them, I've found, rather than in particular cities. I've found a number of older china pieces and knives with the bone handles (faux, no doubt) in towns & cities all over. Less in charity shops and more in the small piled-to-the-ceiling sort of shops in unposh neighborhoods that I look into as I happen on them. Someone here may have particular experience with Sheffield & Stoke but I think you may find just as much in other places you'll be.

fairfax

Thanks! It's harder to bring back the faux "ivory" silverware than the pearl-handled stuff, so that's mainly what i am looking for this trip.

Any suggestions of piled to the rafters places would be great! that's my kind of place!

MmePerdu

Sorry, although I can picture a couple in my mind's eye, the view doesn't extend beyond the shop to indicate where I'm remembering. But it hardly matters, wherever you go in less touristed parts of towns of any size, go off the main drag a bit onto side streets and you're sure to stumble onto some.

ESW

Off the top of my head, I can't think of many places in or around Sheffield. But if you are prepared to drive 1-2 hours then you will find antique Heaven in Lincolnshire. Hemswell Antiques Centres is 50 miles east of Sheffield and is based in four massive buildings on an old RAF station. The website describes it as "Europe's largest selection of dealers". You can buy literally anything and everything there.
http://www.hemswell-antiques.com/

A bit further east is Horncastle, a small market town which is stuffed with antique dealers. Do a google search for Horncastle Antiques dealers and it throws up a lot. Again it is a hotch potch from tatty junk to serious stuff.