Tynemouth Antiques Market & Newcastle

Stepping off my early morning plane from London to Newcastle for tomorrow's Antiques Roadshow, the bug struck. Thankfully neither a case of pre-event jitters, nor 'man flu', but the bug to hunt for treasures! My Roadshow colleague and friend Steven Moore, a native of Newcastle, knew just the place - Tynemouth Antiques Market. Getting there couldn't be easier, as the market sprawls around Tynemouth metro station, on both sides of the tracks under a wonderful Victorian brick, glass and iron building. If you're up that way, this bustling market is certainly worth a visit. Over 60 stallholders ranging from professional dealers to house clearers, and those who want to clear some space at home, sell a wide variety of items at prices to suit any pocket. Art Deco ceramics varied from as little as £5 for a 1930s Shelley lustre bowl, to over £150 for a rather lovely Myott jug. Character collectables featured large, as did all manner of different types of glassware. My already tightly packed overnight bag couldn't take much, but I managed to squeeze in a reasonably rare Isle of Wight Studio Glass Green Azurene disc paperweight, bought for a bargainous £6 from a lovely lady who had been given it as a gift in the mid-1980s. If you have any money left, I can recommend Attica in Old George Square off Highbridge in the centre of town. Spread over two floors behind a rather grand wooden door, you'll find everything from funky 60s-70s lamps and clocks to Italian ceramics, Fat Lava, vintage specs, handbags and clothes. The latter is a speciality of the shop, and there's plenty to choose from, be it an early 20thC men's (collarless) dress shirt by a local maker, a tweed jacket or a Sixties mini.