My favorite recipes: England Antiques

England has been a great source of antiques for generations of Americans. US military personnel have often been knowledgeable buyers since they have the time to get acquainted with the market, and they are able to have antiques shipped to the US when they move if they do not exceed the weight limit assigned by the military.

Since many British people grew up with antiques, they are perhaps not so fond of them as Americans. According to British HGTV, the stylish option is to have a home with “charming architectural features” furnished with modern furniture. That leaves a lot of antiques for the market.

High-end antique stores are wonderful, but they provide no bargains, so thrifty shoppers find other outlets. Hoarders with a wide selection seem to be one class of antique dealers, while others like old things and repair them for sale. One of these dealers shows his wares in the box of a former semi-trailer, opening the side door and turning on the lights of his showroom.

Pub furniture and signs seem to be really popular now.

Pub tables are small, often less than two feet in diameter, with ornate cast metal bases and legs.

The tops are usually wood, although some are marble.

Occasionally wood tops have parquet inset chess boards.

Often the wood tops need to be refinished and the metal bases cleaned and polished.

The metal may be rusted, so sandblasting and repainting would be needed.

Very popular and hard to find are pub chairs with tractor seats.

Looking a bit incongruous with ornate metal bases and plain black painted old-time tractor seats, they are also hugely heavy to move.

One pub sold theirs because the cleaning staff hated moving them to “hoover.” “Hoovering” is British for vacuuming.

The arrival of the Hoover vacuum is well noted here.

A quick tutorial on pub signs was that the painted wood ones are the oldest and most valuable. The local signs featuring Greene ale are popular since it is brewed nearby. Modern signs are usually on metal or heavy plastic. Pubs with really cool names, like King Charles Pub or The Golden Lion, have the most interesting artwork.

The Greene ale signs are always returned to the Greene Ale company, so getting them requires knowing someone at the company who sells the signs.

Aged Singer and British brands of sewing machines are also popular antique items. The “portable” machines were made with wood cases and hand treadles. They are much lighter than electric portables. To operate, a small handle pulls out from the machine wheel and is turned to provide the power. Singer Company provides an online index of serial numbers so that people can reference numbers to find the date of manufacture.

Many military personnel enjoy having wooden, hand-painted pub signs made using their call signs, if they fly, and incorporating family members. One of the principal sign makers has passed away, so it is more difficult to have a custom wood sign made.

Stand-alone bars are also popular, since they do not need to be permanently attached to walls or floors, provide a lot of storage in a stylish manner, and can be partially disassembled and moved. The newest ones were made in the early 1970’s, and many are much older. Design is often decorative, and the bars really take up little space.

Visiting Emmie’s shop was quite an adventure. Some would describe this antique/second-hand shop owner as a hoarder, as she has items ranging from exquisite crystal and glass to pure plastic “junque.” Sorting it would be a pleasure to the obsessive organizer. One shed had more china than most of us could imagine could be stored in such a small room. If one wants Spode china, especially Blue Willow pattern, Emmie’s is the place to go. One member of the party bought a very nice crystal decanter for ten pounds, a very good price.

Emmie greeted us, invited us in for tea or coffee along with two other customers, and teased us about our funny accents. She had chairs, tables, occasional tables, and sewing machines galore. Quality lawn ornaments occupied her garden paths. Most probably leave when suffering sensory overload.

Lunch at The Bull Pub illustrated the pleasures of well-prepared pub food.

This differs from “pub grub,” the usual assortment of burgers, fish and chips, sausages and mash.

The local pork fillet wrapped in bacon and served with roasted root vegetables was delicious.

The roasted chicken served on a bed of braised Brussels sprouts and sliced onions was tender, juicy, and delicately flavored, and the accompanying Dauphinoise potatoes were crispy on top, with layers of tender, creamy potatoes.

The local grilled sausages were served with crispy, tender carrots and parsnip and a large serving of mashed potatoes.

Portions were so generous that the diners had no room for the pub’s famous sticky toffee pudding, a real shame.