About

 

Hi! My name is Stephen and I’m based in North Devon in the UK. I sell online only at this time, but up until recently I was selling out of the Red House Antiques Centre in the city centre of York before deciding to relocate to Devon.

You will all know that when you start out on your antiques journey it takes time to find the particular area of the trade that really gets your juices flowing. There are just so many things to appreciate and fall in love with, right!?

For me, that journey has led to a deep fascination with social history, in particular folklore and the quiet, often overlooked ways people in the past tried to make sense of the world around them. I’m especially drawn to objects connected with apotropaic traditions, protection marks and symbols. Items that were created not just to be used, but to guard, to comfort, and to carry belief.

My passion for the things I sell began when I found a small 19th century dolls house chair made from the wishbone of a chicken dinner. An object made by someone over a hundred years ago who likely had very little, but had the imagination to create something meaningful. That same spirit of making, of believing, of protecting, runs through so many of the pieces I now seek out.

I’ve always had a passion for storytelling too, and I feel a real need not only to sell these pieces, but to keep their stories alive. Each mark, each object, each worn surface has something to say about the person who made it, the home it lived in, and the beliefs it quietly carried.

These are stories that have been forgotten over time. Stories that deserve to be remembered, cherished, and most importantly, told.

Anyway, thanks for reading, thanks for supporting my business, and thanks for making my dream of working in this trade a reality. It really does mean the world to me.

Please, if you have any questions or want to know more, do get in touch via my Facebook messaging function or through my Contact Us page.

Love, Stephen x

Owner Folk & Fable Antiques