To explain a little bit about me and my love of vintage tea wear I would have to start off by explaining a little bit about my Nanny Pam (see photo). She was a funny, quick-witted, sharp-tongued lady who I loved very much; she drank tea from a bone china cup with a saucer, which I always found to be a mixture of cute, elegant and posh (But dare I say it, she certainly wasn’t posh).

She was diabetic and we joked she wore pants the size of parachutes, she was always meant to be on a diet and would say one-liners such as “dieting, ha! As easy as a piece of cake… ohhh did I mention cake” with a cheeky smile and a wink. Nanny Pam made a great rhubarb and apple crumble sprinkled with an abundance of sugar.

She was an antiques dealer and I loved spending my summer holidays with her hunting for treasure at flea markets, auctions and car boots. The house would always be full of riches, pretties, jewels and junk. Anything and everything was for sale at the right price!

These adventures of trawling the markets were such fun and to this day are still one of my most favourite things to do. I absolutely love going to the charity shops, car boots, jumble sales and flea markets. I love buying and bartering, the small talk with the sellers, the excitement and anticipation of not knowing what I will find or come home with, I even enjoy just looking at all the items, the nostalgia it brings, there’s always something that triggers a long-lost memory or story.

For me it started with teapots and milk jugs, then plates and sugar bowls, I would bring them home and show my husbands – to his despair! It became obsessive and excessive. I had collected so much china and wasn’t using it all. I needed a plan, as it wasn’t optional for me to stop buying these treasures, I’m addicted – they make me so incredibly happy! I love the detail, the colours, the florals, the crackling, the hallmarks and stamps.

I love the thought of all the chatter, troubles, laughter and gossip these teacups would have been a part of. So, I decided I was going to go for it, I was going to collect such a truly beautiful collection that people would want to hire it, that way I still get to collect such items, the husband can’t grumble at me as much and most importantly these lost items can come together as one big set, look stunning again and get to be enjoyed!