In one of Queen Victoria’s entries in her copious journals she talks about her love for her Scottish Highlands home, Balmoral Castle, near Ballater on the River Dee. “Every year my heart becomes more fixed on this dear paradise,” she wrote.
In 1987, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the queen’s accession to the throne, the small village of Ballater launched as an annual programme of events in August called Victoria Week.
This now includes a 20-exhibitor antiques and vintage fair which this year runs on Saturday, August 10, at the Victoria Hall selling jewellery, silver, books, prints, ceramics, glass, lighting and furniture.
A bookish scene at last year’s Victoria week in Ballater.
New challenge
Organiser Holly Booth says: “I began organising the fair in 2017 as I was looking for a new challenge and a way into the trade. Prior to this I had spent 15 years working as a television producer for BBC Scotland before taking voluntary redundancy to spend more time with my family.
“Since then I have organised two fairs a year in Easter and August which have been well received, with the quality of stock on offer continuing to improve.
Booth said the fair has become “a popular fixture in the programme over the last two years and we anticipate extra interest this year as it is Queen Victoria’s 200th birthday”.
She added: “I am fairly new to the trade although I have been a collector of books and antique engravings for many years. My main collecting areas are natural history and Scottish interest.”
