As those based in the UK will know, it’s a long way to get from my base in Cornwall to anywhere else in England. As a result, I am more likely to travel around the South West than further afield. However, I’m quite prepared to go further for a good reason and this year I ventured North for a family Christmas. On the way, I took the opportunity to stop at Matlock in Derbyshire, which is a lovely little town that I have often passed through but never fully explored.

Running parallel to the river, I found Dale Road, which is well worth a visit for visiting vintage fans.

View up Dale Road, Matlock

These elegant shop facades date from Matlock’s days as an important Edwardian  Spa town.

The Old Picture Palace on this street is  home to Bamford’s Auctioneers http://www.bamfords-auctions.co.uk and may be familiar to viewers of Flog It! and Bargain Hunt which both film there on a regular basis.

Next up the street, I found ‘The Vintage Rooms’ , a mix of French and British vintage mixed in with modern, vintage sympathetic items.

Peering in through the windows it looked like a real treasure trove:

The Vintage Rooms, window display

My apologies for the reflections, my camera couldn’t cope with the dusky light.

A Second Window

You can get a feeling for the glorious mix of items in the shop.

I picked out a few things that I quite fancied:

A French Wine Bottle Drier

This rather gruesome bit of equipment was used for drying wine bottles. I liked the idea of using it to display Christmas decorations.

One of the back rooms had been set up as a vintage kitchen and I was agog at all the kitchenalia:

Cream Enamel Vintage Stove

The floor tiles look like the original terracotta, and I remember my Grandma having an ironing board like the one next to the stove.

French Storage Jars

There were lots of vintage containers begging to go home with me:

Glass Storage Jar

Take your pick of rolling pins

A Bowlful of Rolling Pins

Vintage kitchen cupboards. I love the cream and green combination, it reminds me of my Grandmother’s kitchen when I was a child.

Kitchen Cupboards

Check out the blocks of ‘Fairy’ soap, and the old packet of Persil!

Also on a kitchen theme, this kitchen airer was used to display more vintage finds.

Kitchen Airer Display

Next door, I found , but sadly wasn’t able to get in to investigate this intreaguing little shop.

ReWorks Windows

Finally, I found my way to the Matlock Antiques and Collectables Centre.

Beautifully Decorated Christmas Window

I loved the display in this window, Christmassy, classy and using all the height of the magnificent curved Edwardian window.

This charming centre is home to over 50 stands from different sellers, so there really is something for everyone. I found vintage clothes, railwayania, furniture, jewellery and children’s toys. Here are a few things that caught my eye:

Child’s Tambourine

I think this charming tambourine dates from the fifties.

And on a Christmas note, how about this to cook your Christmas pudding?

Pudding Steamer

Still on a Christmas note, this unusual cover conceals a record telling the story of Christmas, with an accompanying book.

I thought the artwork was fantastic.

Christmas Record

On the way out, my eye was caught by the display in a side window:

Kitchen Table Window Display

Check out the dough scrapers at bottom left, and the choppers halfway up the front of the table. You’d need serious smuscle to work in this kitchen!

Sadly, time and lack of daylight caught up with me at this point, so I had to call it a day and carry on with my journey. But I will definately be back for a repeat visit. There’s a cafe overlooking the river at the back of the Antiques Centre to check out, and I still haven’t made it into the town centre!