'World’s best sweet shop’ contents up for auction as Peak District owner sells everything to start new adventure

Dave Walker, who has run Edward & Vintage in Tissington for the past decade, is ready for a new adventure at 50.

He is parting with 100 vintage items including his shop’s original Victorian sweet counter, Bakelite scales, Cadbury’s cabinets, vintage till, sweet jars, scoops, packets of 1940s sugar, vintage bicycles, old enamel signs and a bar of 1920s Bournville chocolate.

Dave said: “I’m parting with things I started collecting at flea markets from around the age of 10. I hope people will buy them who’ve enjoyed visiting the shop over the years. Or maybe someone somewhere is looking to open a sweet shop.”

The shop, which will close on September 25 and revert to being part of the Tissington Estate, has fans all over the world.

Famous people have walked through the door including actress Joanna Lumley, TV presenters Christine Bleakley, Anna Richardson and Anita Rani and comedian Micky Flanagan. It’s been filmed for Escape to the Country, Country File, Germany’s Ard TV and The Great Interior Design Challenge.

Dave’s new challenge is even bolder than his ambition to conjure up sweet nostalgia worthy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory children’s author Roald Dahl.

He, said: “In 2016 I bought a collection of derelict small crofters’ cottages on the island of Sanday, Orkney, off the coast of Scotland - sight unseen.

“I had no chance to visit the island. I spotted them on Rightmove and kept looking at them for about 18 months. I thought it was just one cottage but it turned out to be a cluster of eight with more than three acres of land and direct access to a beach.

“The last person to live at one of the crofts moved out in 1974. When I finally got there, their roofs were hanging on for dear life and the area had been used as a dumping ground for cars, fridges and freezers. But underneath it all was a lost village. I discovered I’d bought half of what’s known as the ‘Lost Village of Ortie’ or Ness. It used to be home to 60 people. I’m so glad I found it because it deserves to be saved. It was very close to disappearing forever.

“For the last five years I’ve spent three months there every winter renovating the crofts. It takes me 24 hours to drive there from the Peak District via Aberdeen and two ferries.

“I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to DIY - I learn from YouTube videos. I’ve been restoring gable ends and chimneys and replacing roofing to keep the weather out whilst working with planning. I even rebuilt the walls of a lost freshwater well – after I found it by accidentally falling down it. Every day is like a school day. Though I wouldn’t recommend my approach to buying - I did everything you shouldn’t do - I just love it and feel blessed!

“I’d never owned a property outright before. Thanks to the success of the shop, I have something of my own. It was originally a 15-year plan but I turned 50 this year. Maybe it’s a midlife crisis but I decided to make the move while I have the energy and time left to do something special.

“I eventually plan to live in one of the crofts in a 13ft by 33ft space. I also hope to turn two into holiday accommodation. It will be back to basics and a chance to experience the traditional charm of these crofts - very comfortable and cosy. They will be ideal for people who want to swap modern life for peace and tranquillity.

“I’ve also turned two of the derelict crofts into indoor/outdoor gardens – you need some weather protection on Sanday though it isn’t as cold as people think. In the winter the temperatures can be 10 degrees higher than they are in Derbyshire because it’s in the Gulf Stream. I’ve been working in a T-shirt in Scotland when the Peak District is covered in snow.

"I want to protect and preserve the village and encourage tourism to these forgotten northern isles. I’ll be living in a battered caravan at first but I’ll be surrounded by birds, wildlife and incredible scenery.

“I know it will be hard but I’m looking forward to it. There are about 500 people on the island and they’ve been very welcoming. Sanday has some really entrepreneurial people, plus a gym, supermarket, swimming pool – even a wood-fired pizza restaurant. It only feels remote when you’re not there.

“My dog, Ned, adores it. I wanted him to have a beautiful place to live, just like Edward, my previous dog. I’m so chuffed he spent his dotage years in the beautiful scenery of the Peak District. The shop was named after him."

While Dave won’t need a till or scales in his next venture, some sherbet fountains, pink shrimps, flying saucers of aniseed balls might come in handy to give him energy.

The contents of Edward & Vintage will be sold on October 8, 2022 by Hansons Auctioneers. To find out more, email [email protected].