Chesterfield antiques centre The Lucky Magpie Salvage unveils new outdoor display area and plans for in-store vintage tea room

Antiques centre The Lucky Magpie Salvage will be satisfying the thirst for both by unveiling two new developments at its base on Hollis Lane.

First up is an outdoor display area behind the shop which will be open to the public for the first time on Saturday, February 26.

Eleven structures including a garden bar, potting shed and log cabin will show how new-builds and old artefacts combine in a unique creation.

Suzie Kujawinski, owner of The Lucky Magpie Salvage, said: “We can offer unique brewiana salvage pieces such as pub signs to fit in with a garden bar and make it bespoke to you.”

Her business has partnered with Easy Living Landcaping, which is run by Suzie’s partner Wayne Cutts, to showcase the structures on a large piece of land which has been transformed behind the antiques centre.

Suzie said: “People will probably remember the overgrown mess at the back of this property before we took it over. The guys at Easy Living have basically gutted it all, levelled it and gravelled it.”

Architectural salvage and theme park memorabilia will also be for sale in the new-look outdoor area which will be accessed through the shop. Suzie said: “Because of how old the building is, we can’t support wheelchair access. However, we do have a private gate, by appointment only.”

An indoor tea room at The Lucky Magpie Salvage will open in mid-March. Suzie said: “It's going to be very quaint with a maximum of ten people in the room but that's what makes it special. You’ll be able to sit in an antique advertising shop where there will be big glass cabinets of old confectionery advertising, sweet jars, a retro-style fridge full of vintage drinks such as dandelion and burdock and different sorts of cakes.

"There are very rare Frys and Cadburys chocolate cabinets; unique things that you visualise seeing in a museum will be available to view here. We're experts in that field when it comes to antique advertising.”

Suzie, 38, said she is excited about the developments at the antiques centre which she opened six months ago.

"Chesterfield has embraced The Lucky Magpie Salvage – we’ve been exceptionally busy. It’s given people creative thoughts with reference to their interiors, people come in and say I've had this idea and I want to do this, this and this.

"A lot of local businesses have come here for unique industrial or antique fixtures and fittings.”

Suzie’s previous experience of trading at large antique fairs and supplying props to television and film studios has resulted in a vast range of contacts to help her source hard to find items.

She said: "I had someone asking for a police whistle from the 1960s with specific writing on it and within 24 hours he had it...nothing is impossible!”

When asked what has been the most exciting product to come into The Lucky Magpie Salvage centre so far, Suzie said: “Specialising in antique advertising we acquired some very expensive enamels signs that were found in a field which have gone for thousands because they are so rare.”

Suzie believes her business has boosted tourism by bringing people to town who would otherwise not have visited Chesterfield. She said: “We've had a lot of excitement from the collectors worldwide. I’ve had customers from America, Belgium, all over. My customers have said how lovely and unique Chesterfield is with its crooked spire and that old kind of feeling the town has.”