A view from a past decorative home and salvage show at Ripley Castle.
This is a far cry from the atmosphere around the marquees and shopping arcades in the tranquil countryside setting at the 14th century castle for the first showing of the “summer of salvage” as Richard Burgoin, director of Arthur Swallow Fairs, describes his three-day decorative home and salvage fairs.
“We are 95% sold, so 83 exhibitors for our Ripley Castle show on May 13-15. I think visitors really look forward to the first of these events of the year,” he says.
Among the exhibitors are Barry Fletcher, based in Belgium, with antique and vintage carpets and Alan Brice and David Ashley both with decorative stock. Ashley says: “I sell a lot of gardenalia; Hungarian cattle troughs at £100, wheelbarrows, garden statues, and buckets plus French chairs. The last Ripley I did in 2021 was very good for me – nearly sold out.”
