Open air antique fair to return to Wirksworth as part of Open All Hours Street Museum

Taking place on Sunday, July 18, 8am to 4pm, it will be the fourth time that Antiques on the Street has taken over the town, but a return this year was not always on the cards.

Organiser Sally-Anne Swindell, owner of Marsden’s gift shop, said: “With all the uncertainty, we didn’t do anything at all last summer and were still a bit reluctant this year, but the organisers of the Open All Hours street museum has twisted our arm.

“We hope it will help boost local traders too. It’s always such a lovely atmosphere and even though it’s outdoors this year due to Covid restrictions, it will still be awesome.”

There are still vacant stalls available for anyone who wishes to sell on the day, but Sally-Ann says there is already plenty to look forward to for all sorts of shoppers.

She said: “We have more than 30 stalls booked and it’s a really eclectic mix. Whether you’re a serious antique collector or looking for some bargain pieces to set up your first home, there will be items priced from a couple of pounds up to a couple of hundred.

“Most of the sellers come from within a few miles, and we’ve got proper old English and French antiques, retro goods, vintage clothing, house clearance and coffee and cakes.”

Visitors to the fair will be encouraged to tour the high street to enjoy the Open All Hours exhibits, with retailers redecorating their shopfronts in the style of previous businesses which occupied the premises in years gone by.

The displays, which launch on Thursday, July 15, and will run for ten days, tell the evolving story of the town centre’s economy from the Georgian era through to the 1970s.

The museum is free and there is a trail map available from local shops that features a Price Is Right challenge.

Guess correctly prices of consumer goods to be in with the chance of winning return tickets on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway and annual passes to Wirksworth Heritage Centre.

Anyone interested in booking a stall for Antiques on the Street can contact Sally-Ann via [email protected].

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