A year ago this weekend I realised a personal ambition organising a vintage fair and bringing some fantastic traders together to create a two day retro shopping extravaganza.
Alongside my job in communications for the NHS, I have a side hustle selling vintage homeware, books, furniture and curios. I have run Tatty Bits for seven years, doing fairs across north London and selling online. I love the fairs I do but I’d always wanted to bring some vintage magic to Palmers Green and run my own local event and last year I got to do just that.
I worked with a local voluntary group, The Palmers Green Action Team, who were looking at ways to revitalise the dwindling high street. They found me a vacant shop (an old Iceland supermarket) which was lacking some of the basics and inhabited by pigeons, but we soon brought it back to life and the first ever PG Vintage Flea was born.
Claude and Liz from the PG Action Team
I rallied the vintage trader friends I’d met on the circuit and they took a punt on me and a new fair. We filled this old supermarket with retro clothes, homeware, records, books, jewellery and furniture.
We also had food and drink, face painting and craft classes and an amazing local choir.
I was overwhelmed by PG Vintage Flea’s popularity and so proud to deliver an event for and with my local community. Across the two days over 4.5k people came through the door to shop, eat, drink and embrace the vintage vibe.
It was a lot of hard work but a fantastic experience. I couldn’t have done it without the PG Action Team’s support and enthusiasm, especially Liz.
Oh what a difference a year makes. Liz and I had grand plans to do it all over again in the spring but then the pandemic hit. Right now the thought of us all being able to gather as retronauts* seems as achievable as a trip to the moon but I very much hope we can do it again soon.
In the meantime the vintage community has been very creative during the pandemic, setting up virtual fairs on Instagram, selling online and Rag and Bone are even doing a click and collect service. All the traders from PG Vintage Flea 2019 are listed on the PG Vintage Flea pages so do check them out and see what they have been up to.
Likewise the PG Action Team haven’t let a nasty virus hold them back. Take a look at their Instagram to see what they’ve been doing to bring colour to the high street during a time of so much gloom.
So here’s to 2021 and PG Vintage Flea II!
Stay safe and well and keep loving vintage xx
*Retronaut - one who travels back in time, stuck in a time period, does not change with the times. That dude is retronaut man, he needs to get some new clothes.