Pilgrim'sAntiques Centre West Street Dorking Telephones and things.

Pilgrim's Antiques, West Street, Dorking.
Having taken you on a tour of the shop last week, we will now concentrate on each person's area in turn.
I will start with Stephen.
It is Stephen who holds the shop together - he is in charge of the business side of things, electricity, insurance, phone and all that sort of thing.
We are very much a community and each of us will do what we can to help with the smooth running of the shop.
But, Stephen takes the final responsibility.

Stephen sells telephones - and all sorts of other things too.
In the 21st century people carry around their tiny mobile phones and very useful they are too. But there is nostalgia for the age when phones had style. Stephen makes sure all the phones are working and adapts them to current use in the home.

If you are interested in his stock and would like to chat with him, Tuesday is the best day.
You could phone him at the shop on that day on 01306 875028.

At the moment Stephen is using 2 areas. But we tend to be flexible and if somebody came along asking to join us, then I feel sure he would vacate the space in the 3rd room so that a new range of stock could be displayed.


This is Stephen's main selling space, just inside the door.
The leather topped knee hole desk is part of his stock. Stephen has small items of furniture and is good with wood, bringing items up to a fine finish - without ruining the patina that age and use naturally brings.

A phone to make you feel like a 1920s or 30s film star in Hollywood!

But its not all phones.

This copper funnel would enhance kitchen shelves.

Telephones in the window. We often see people stop and point and chat to each other about old fashioned phones.

Another technical device - it would have been found in the servants' quarters.

This one has local interest being manufactured (or was it installed by?) a Reigate company.

Stephen also loves gramophones and has paraphernalia for old fashioned record playing.

You might recall seeing the lovely juke box that he had in his space at one time - gone to a new home now, of course.

And there are scientific instruments.

This is a Chinese Victorian mahjong set. Stephen has this in his cabinet for somebody else for safe keeping.

Up the few steps and into Room 3 you will find more of Stephen's things on your left.

I love the handles on this dressing table.

Yes - a basket of rusty keys! People can spend a long time sorting through Stephen's keys to find one for a particular lock.

Old telephones on an occasional side table, with barley twist legs.

Next week I will feature another of our dealers and show the sort of things you would find in their area or cabinet.

Pilgrims Antiques Centre Dorking: Tour of the Shop.

Pilgrims Antiques Centre.

I hope that people who have found and visited this blog during the last months of 2010 have enjoyed seeing what sort of shop we have.

I am Paula and I rent space in the shop. There are 16 of us at the moment. We each look after our own area or cabinet, but on the days we are on duty we sell for everybody.

For this first visit of 2011 I shall take you on guided tour of the shop.


If you wander a little way along West Street from the High Street you will find us on the left hand side.

We are not the only antiques shop or centre in West Street. It is worth coming for the pleasure of a browse or to seek out items you yourself might like or as a place to find a gift for a loved one.

In Pilgrims we pride ourselves on offering things at very reasonable prices and customers are very welcome to ask for a better price and we will see what can be done. Many items are under £10 and we don't normally reduce those prices.

This is the view of the shop as you approach from the east.

One of our number, Sue, creates lovely window displays and I always have trouble photographing them because the window makes reflections of the opposite side of the road.

Sadly the building opposite is now empty and awaiting redevelopment.


On walking through the door you will find Stephen's telephones and gadgets on your left. There is also a cabinet there with items being sold by Mick - Clarice Cliffe, Poole Pottery etc.

On the right is Jill's area - one of our glass specialists.

Next to Jill you can find Bill's shelves and cabinet - full of boy's toys.

There are 2 steps up into room 2.

On the left of the steps are cabinets with Judy's cutlery and Hilary's jewellery.

Julie has a small area at the top of the steps.

Jonathan has shelves and cabinets on the right. This is the first of his areas. Jonathan has all sorts, but specialises in Victorian and early 20th century china and glass.

Sue and Brian are also in room 2.

They have a lot of brass - old brass, which they have painstakingly restored and polished.

Sue also has jewellery cabinets.

And so up more steps into room 3.

Jean and Ann have shelves on the left and also a cabinet.

Jonathan's second area is on the right, with lots more china and glass. When he has interesting furniture it can be found in this area.

Jo has the first of her areas in room 3.

She has a great love and knowledge of linen and lace.

Monika is also in room 3. Her greatest love is the arts and crafts movement and art nouveau design.

Like most of us, though, she likes to use opportunities to buy things to have and hold items that appeal, whatever era they come from.

Now I take you up a few more steps to room 4.

This is the home of both antiques and 20th century collectables of all kinds.

Kitchenware is very popular.

Jo has her second area in room 4.

Terry has the space on the left hand side of the room, which she fills with the help of her daughter, Emma.

They sell a wide variety of interesting and lovely things and specialise in vintage clothing. They actually sell the vintage clothing in another shop and at fairs - but always ask about things that you might want to know about.

The very last area you come to is mine.

I have divided my small area into sections - the gentleman's study, the children's nursery, 1950's and 60's china and glass, pretty feminine things and the kitchen.

As you walk back through the rooms, you are sure to see things not spotted before.

Here we stand in room 4 and look towards the front of the shop.

And now we are looking from the top of the couple of steps up to room 3.

Gill's cabinets of glass are on the right.

Bill and Monika are on duty at the desk.

So, that was a quick tour of the shop.

In future weeks I will look at each area in turn, picking out things that are special or particularly appeal to me.

Pilgrims Antiques Centre. Christenings, Weddings and Funerals.

Welcome to Pilgrims Antiques once again.
It is always worth a stroll along West Street to see what we have - and even if you don't have time for a visit then the window displays are worth studying.
We are blessed that Sue likes to give time and an attention to detail in order to create a window display that is attractive and interesting.
She changes the display every couple of weeks and tries to use something from each person's area to fit in with her theme.
This time the theme is christenings, weddings and funerals - or hatches, matches and dispatches.

At one side of the window hangs the creamy 1930s wedding dress and at the other side is a black shawl and black ostrich feathers.

I find it impossible to take a picture of the window display as a whole. The reflections, which your eye doesn't see when gazing through the glass, are picked up by the camera and dominate the pictures.

I can get a reasonably good picture by holding the camera right up to the glass and a few pictures I took from within the shop.
And I added three pictures found on the internet to add a bit more interest.


All lined up in a wedding group
'Ere we are for a photograph
We're all dressed up in a morning suit
All trying hard not to laugh
Since the early caveman in his fur
Took a trip to Gretna Green
There's always been a photographer
To record the 'appy scene.....



Cameras are part of every family occasion.
Some may frown upon pictures at a funeral - but it is often a rare occasion when many family members are together and it is good to record them together.

The cameras in the window display, being old ones and black are sitting in the funeral end of the scene.

The christening.


Beautiful christening gowns.


Lovingly embroidered slippers for baby's big day.

Christening gifts - from the embossed silver prayer book to the Clarice Cliffe collector's club salt and pepper.

How clever are the people who decorate special cakes.

The Wedding

I didn't spot Bill sitting at the desk in the shop - never mind he was a very special part of my wedding! We have been married now for 45 years.

Wedding dress and veil.

And bag - and horseshoes.

The dress has wonderful pearl buttons.

Lets drink some champagne to toast the bride and groom.

And now the happy couple can gather their luggage and be off for the romantic honeymoon.

The Funeral.

Black is the traditional colour for funerals.

The traditional horse drawn hearse.

I do enjoy putting together a blog posting about Pilgrims, but the next two will probably be brief.

I shall be enjoying the company of my son and grand daughter and making a good holiday for them

Pilgrims Antiques Centre Dorking. The garden.

Welcome once again to your weekly browse around Pilgrims Antiques Centre in Dorking.
It has been such a happy and busy time in the shop during the heat of the summer.
This week I am taking a brief look at items with a garden connection. In our part of the the country much of the gardening activity has centred on providing enough water for our plants. Fortunately we do not have a hose pipe ban.


These pieces can be found in my area - I'm Paula - at the very end of the shop.
The old long handled garden trowel and fork have a real earthy beauty with lovely tactile wooden handles.
The vase on the left is by Radford - 10 years ago Radford was very much collected. Take another look at Radford Pottery.
And the snail would would be a welcome addition to a desk or dressing table to hold little bits and pieces - even if you don't want snails in your garden.


Terry and Emma have bunches of lavender.
It was a delight to move it around and fragrance filled the air.

Jonathan has a great selection of Victorian items, including this pair of lovers in the garden and a cherub with a wheelbarrow.

The ever popular Portmeirion china.

This is one of The Botanic Garden designs which Jo is selling.

I have this 1930's tray done in coloured foil. Despite the crinoline dress, it dates from the 1930s or 50s.

Watering cans for the conservatory.

Sue has the brass watering can, while Gill is selling the copper one.

A lovely, sturdy wooden bucket - suitable for flowers or logs by the fire.

It can be found in the area shared by Jean and Ann.

A small two tiered folding table that I am selling with a lovely embroidered garden pictures under glass.

The jardiniere is part of the current window display - I am not sure which of the Pilgrims dealers is selling it. It is one of a pair.

The rectangular dish is one of Clarice Cliffe's more subtle designs. It is in Mick's cabinet.

Bill has many small lead items depicting farm and garden - and home.
He has another shelf in his cabinet with mostly animals and people and tractors.

Some of the items seen here are already on their way to France. A

customer was in during the afternoon after I had taken the photo.

A garden gives so much pleasure - for relaxing and playing and working too.

Here we have suitable games for the garden; though, in fact the croquet is miniature and more suitable for a table.

Jill is selling the golf game and I have the the croquet.

There are 16 cabinets and areas within Pilgrims. I try to feature items from as many as possible each week.

Each of us is constantly hunting for new and interesting things.

I normally photograph things that I have found each week.

You can see the variety of things that I bought last weekend - some of which are already in the shop, indeed a couple of items feature in the photographs above.

Click on the picture to get an enlarged image.

Return to the main page using the back arrow on your computer.
The jigsaws will not be there for a while - I never sell a jigsaw without checking it first.

I would love to have more space for books in Pilgrims - but for now, I choose to sell books on EBay (there are other auction sites). This one is a history of Hurstpierpoint in Sussex.

I hope that you are enjoying your garden, be it large or small, be it an estate or a window box!

We look forward to meeting you in Pilgrims one day.

Pilgrims Antiques Centre Dorking. One day in the life of a trader.

" Hooray!
It's Monday morning and I will be off to Pilgrim's Antiques."
Not for me the "Oh No! It's Monday already!"
Each of us who sell in the antiques centre must contribute time as well as rent money.
Bill and I are there on Mondays.
We gather together things that we want to add to our displays and set off along the familiar roads - in our case from North Sussex to the Surrey Hills.
We open up the shop and greet Monika and Julie who work with us on Mondays.
We tell of our activities and our interesting finds and follow each other around to view the latest things we have all brought in to tempt the customers.
We put the kettle on, make a drink and then get to work, finding spaces or rearranging shelves to enable the new stock to be seen clearly.
There is much chat and laughter amongst ourselves and then with people who come in to see what is new since their last visit.
There are also people who have never been in before and we are so glad that they feel they have discovered a treasure chest to explore.
Other people come in because they have things they no longer treasure and wish to sell.
We try to give the best advice we can. Sometimes things might be more suitable for some of the others who sell in Pilgrims; sometimes we suggest that they take their things to Windibanks, the Dorking auction house. If we feel they have over estimated the value of their things we might suggest selling things at a car boot sale - there is one every Sunday at Dorking Station, or maybe donate to a favourite charity shop.
But rest assured we are all always interested in the things that other people no longer feel is part of their lives.
My own experience of these situations is that I so fear anybody feeling that they have been ripped off by a rogue trader that I offer more than I really should. I think most of us do that.
Later I console myself that I will probably get my money back, even if I make no profit!
Yesterday, sales were good and we were happily busy.
I had the pleasure of investigating the lovely new jewellery that Hilary has in her cabinet and sold a lovely ring that 2 delightful young women were buying for their friend's birthday.
Never worry about asking for a cabinet to be opened - I think we all love the opportunity to take a closer look at things ourselves.
Each of us slips out for a while during the day - for shopping, for a bite to eat, for a breath of fresh air or maybe to take parcels to the post office.
I sell some things on EBay (there are other internet auction sites), so often have parcels which are sent to addresses all round the world.
Just at the moment the amount I have selling is small - but if you are an EBay lover you can find me at monkland119.
Yesterday afternoon I happily strode along with one parcel, destined for Singapore. I walked with head held high, for I was feeling good.
Perhaps it would have been better if I had looked at the ground!
My foot found a small pot hole as I crossed the road and my ankle turned.
Fortunately I stayed on my feet - just!
But ouch! It hurt!
It had been my intention to do some photos for this blog posting when I got back into the shop.
But I chose to stay seated instead, with a cold compress round my ankle. So, no photos of the shop this week.
Sorry!
I like to have photos of my favourite things. And each week I have new things to enjoy. I only ever buy things to sell that I, personally, love. I often photograph some of my purchases before sending them on their way.


Here is a photo I took last weekend at home.
The step ladder would look so good to display things on in Pilgrims, I thought.
But it is not there - it was sold very quickly yesterday morning.
The rolling pin went later in the day.
The two enamel slop buckets are not yet in the shop and nor is the white basket are magazine rack.
Our day in the shop ends at about 5 o'clock.
That's the time it says on the door that we close; but if people are happily browsing at 5 o'clock we don't intrude and stay as long as they need us.
We drive back to Sussex feeling tired, but happy.
Do come and be part of my Monday some time - or come and join the people who man the shop on other days.