Fabulous Year

December 30, 2017

Fabulous Year

Arundel Eccentrics
had quite a year

one way or another.

We still have a small collection
of our French decorative antiques
on the 4th floor of Liberty in London.

Our warehouse in Arundel goes from strength to strength.

It's taken a few years in our off the high street location.
No window for people to look in.

No signs to direct them.
Or very few.

We tried putting signs on Arundel bridge this year.
It helped.
BIG TIME.

But someone complained to the council and we had to lose them.
Or receive a rather large fine.

Someone in the same business,
was heard groaning about them.
Was it them?
Who knows.

Life's too short to worry.

There are downsides but also huge benefits of being off the beaten track.

You will find many fabulous dealers that work out of the way.

But you may need to dig around online
first to find them if you don't know the area.

Here are a few of the real peaches here in Sussex

Antique Dealers Off the High Street

We love our old drafty warehouse,
once part of the 19th century
Arundel Swallow brewery.

It's quirky.
And gives us the space we need.

We are a husband and wife team,
in an antique business of almost 20 years.

Humble Beginnings

and lucky enough to live and work
in the most beautiful town.

Arundel in Sussex, England.

Castle, cathedral, river and plenty of attitude.

Arundel...A Town Like No Other

From Arundel High Street.
Come down to the bridge.
Over the river.

Down the alley, or twitten as we say in the south, next to William Hill.
Turn left and sharp left again.

You will find

three large warehouses.

We are the last in the run.

Red door.

Last but not least.

Heres an idea of what we do.
English and French decorative antiques.

with a smattering of Italian.....

Italian mirror glass sideboard 1930's

French 1860

Italian leather armchairs 1930

All our latest pieces can be found on the Hoarde.

https://www.thehoarde.com/dealers/arundel-eccentrics

2017

We had a busy year.
A few regrets.

We didn't manage to get to
California to see our lovely son and his family.

https://arundelgal.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/adoption-day-and-butterfly-effect.html

We miss them dreadfully and hope to remedy this early in the New Year.

So what did we get up to this year?

Went to Hastings on Hudson, in the US in Feb.

New York

Hastings on Hudson is a small town an hour away from New York.

When you stand on the station platform you can see the NY skyline.

We went to visit old friends who live

on a beautiful estate on a golf course just outside Hastings.

Hastings on Hudson

In the mornings I walked in the snow on the course,

with just deer for company.

In the afternoon Nass and I would be having lunch in Manhattan.

I bought a new coat before going.

Found out afterwards it had a dodgy zip.

We were settling down in a rather
smart Italian restaurant in Manhattan,

The zip stuck.
Before I could get the coat off.

It was bitterly cold outside.

The restaurant was smart, small, snug.

Intimate.
Extremely warm.

Zero space between tables.

Couldn't undo my zip.

Sat in my huge puffy jacket.

"Take your coat off, you must be hot," Nass whispered.

"I am." I hissed back, irritable by now, "bloody roasting,"

I was wriggling about under the table.
trying to release the zip.

Nothing else for it.

Stood up in the aisle, squeezed
through the tiny gap between the tables,

and the sophisticated diners.

Almost knocked our neighbour's
red wine over his smart, expensive designer suit.

Casually let the coat drop to the ground and stepped out.

The other diners looked at me quizzically.

Nothing else for it.

I gave a little curtsy,
nonchalantly
sat back down and carried on eating.

But I have to admit, my cheeks were a tad pink.

Our friend has been in menswear on the wholesale side for many years.

He just opened his own store in a converted movie theatre in Hastings.
http://nigelsdrape.tumblr.com/

Nass, my husband and Ali, have been friends since schooldays,
when they were both stranded for years in a Sussex boarding school.

So the trip was very special.

https://arundelgal.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/from-yazd-tehran-to-new-york-via-sussex.html

We will have some of our antique pieces in his shop early 2018.

"As seen in Liberty London, New York, and Arundel"

Exciting.

Iran Wedding

"I'm going on holiday for two weeks."

"Oh, how lovely. Where are you going?"

"Iran."

Then the friend goes pale and they ask,

"Will you be ok? Will you be safe?"

It happens every time.

Iran..Not quite as We Imagine It

We get stopped in the street all the time.

"Welcome. Welcome to our country."

People ask to have their photo taken with us.

On one of my first visits,
I got called back by a surly looking airport official.

I was a bit shaky as I walked back.

Not sure what to expect.

His serious face broke into a smile,

"Madam. Enjoy your stay. Welcome to Iran."

In the past we found some great antiques to bring home.
Doesn't happen now.
Getting items back.
Well, you know what I mean.

19th-century Persian pots and trays were really popular with our customers then.
Our one phenomenal find was a Russian Imperial
painted tray that we found in an old chicken coup.

We bought it for £10 and sold it £1600.

Wedding

The wedding we went to in Iran in September was stunning.

Weddings in Iran tend to be huge, dressy, noisy, dramatic affairs.
https://arundelgal.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/two-weeks-in-iranthe-wedding-back-to.html

Nass's nephew and his very beautiful bride had planned the most fantastic day.
In just two months.

The bride was called Shardy.

Which means happiness.

Her name so apt.
Never stops smiling.

Four hundred and fifty guests on the big day.

Or thereabouts.

People gatecrash.

There were 40 people unaccounted for.

It happens all the time we were told.

How?

"Did you invite those people?"

"No, I thought you did."

The lights went down.

The smoke machine cranked up.

The strains of Titanic so loud the floor shook.

The bride and groom appeared through the haze
and walked down a vast sweeping staircase.

Women go into one large room.
Men in another.

I think I had the best deal.

The women party, party, party.

The dresses they wear under their chador or manteau, beautiful.

Quite different to how we in the west imagine, would you say?

We had two weeks with the family.

Into the desert to watch sunsets.

Road trips.
Met new people.

Saw some fantastic places.

Meymand is one of my favourites.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meymand,_Kerman

This 94-year-old woman had lived there all her life.

But many people now move there to live in a mountain home and get away from it all.

You can have a holiday there.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g7915804-d7914070-Reviews-Meymand_Guest_House-Maymand_Kerman_Province.html

One of our travelling companions.

the heat too much for granny and grandpa

I went to see a skin specialist while I was there.
Had terrible psoriasis on my elbows for a long time.

My farsi isn't great but I understand more than I speak.

The doc looked at my arms.

Yes, he could do something for that.

A little on my scalp.

Yes, this is what we can do for that.

He looked at Nass and in farsi

" What age is your wife?"

I had just had a surprise birthday party the day before.

I was congratulating myself I didn't look too bad for my age.

The doc came right up to my face and in broken English,

" I give you Botox ?"

I felt like slapping him.

Pride comes..........

Elsa

"No more pets. It's too painful."

Nass has been heard to say this many times over the years.

When we lost our beloved Afghan, Honey, years ago.

Again, when our 21 year old cat went.

But over the past few months, Nass has made noises.

"Maybe we might think about a dog? In a while?"

When our friends Cocker Spaniel had puppies recently,

"Let's just pop in and see John and Maxine shall we?

Just a cup of tea. See the puppies."

The upshot?

12 week old Elsa turned life upside down in the Nassarian household.

But of course, we wouldn't have it any other way

Spent Boxing Day with John, Maxine and their lovely family.
So Elsa went wild with her mum and brother.

We walked along the shore at West Wittering.
It's on our doorstep and I can't believe we had never been.

the pups went up to greet everyone they met

first swim.

Nass

My husband has MS.

He amazes me.

https://arundelgal.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/nass-ms-catie-ross-and-arundel-10k.htm

This year he ran in the Arundel 10 k and raised money for charity.

£1200 for The Brain Tumour Charity.

£1400 for a baby ill since birth.

The niece of an American client.

We heard all about her and Nass was so touched he decided to do something about it.

Wanted to raise money to give her a treat.

It certainly wasn't easy for him.
But he did it.
With a crowd of Arundel friends
cheering him through the finishing line.

What else?

I carried on walking all over the Arundel hills
taking photos along the way.

ran a few workshops in our studio at home by the river

a great husband and wife who did the workshop together.
They were such fun.

Got involved in Arundel Festival and had a stand at Arundel By Candlelight

We also had our Christmas Open Evening at the warehouse

Went to see one of my idols in Hyde Park, London.

Phil Collins in Hyde Park

Drinking Group with aWriting Problem

Sadly, after 4 years our creative writing group came to an end.

It was fun while it lasted though, and we all learnt a lot.

How not to be baggy in our writing.
Drop the cliches.

The hook.

We drank a lot of wine while we discussed it all.
Made some great long lasting friendsips.

Old Friends

Kept up with old friends as much as possible
though it isn't always easy with the business.

Thank goodness for FB
Heres our Arundel Eccentrics FB page by the way.

https://www.facebook.com/theoldbreweryantiqueswarehouses/

Latest escapade with old school friends,
was going back to our roots in Brighton,
and a trip up the i360
http://britishairwaysi360.com/
which was spectacular.

You can see for miles across the city and beyond