Quick Five questions with Tania Fawcett – founder of The Vintage Entertainer
20th June 2024
Your childhood was growing up surrounded by antiques, did you always want to follow in your parent’s footsteps?
Absolutely not! I was totally focused on the bright lights of London and went off to work in PR and advertising. But I always loved entertaining friends at home and was always collecting unusual antique accessories to add glamour and fun. I worked out that a giant silver plated serving tray was an easy way to impress and I couldn’t break one if I dropped it (a win-win!). I actually started The Vintage Entertainer because I assumed everyone would want at least one silver tray too!
You have an eclectic catalogue of wonderful vintage pieces, tell us about any items you have bought to sell but not been able to part with?
I have a terrible addition to 19th Century apple green cut glass Victorian decanters. I worry that when I die and my children get rid of everything they will flood the market with them, but they look so beautiful clustered together and there is always room for just one more… Other than that, when I buy something special I am always excited to show it off and then it gets snapped up. There are therefore too many ‘ones that go away’ but I know where each of them is around the world and it makes me happy to know how far the collection has spread.
You are based in Lorford’s in Gloucestershire, which is an Alladin’s Cave of beautiful pieces. How tempting is it to buy pieces for your own home?
Lorford’s is the most amazing place to have a showroom. I’m in the company of over 50 international dealers so I always add on an hour when I go because I usually end up wandering around and sometimes buy for home. But mostly I grab pieces from their website. They do an weekly mailing with all the latest items and you have to be quick if you want something. I once saw some old French letters that spelt CUISINE that were perfect for our pantry which I snapped up, which was lucky because they had a few sad people who missed them.
When you lay a table for a special dinner do you use your antiques and objects to create the full theatre of it?
I always use antiques when I set the table because they make things more elevated and unusual. I have a fabulous set of early Victorian silver knives which have the old steel blades marked ‘Harrison Bros & Howson, Cutlers to Her Majesty’ on them. The blades are wonderfully patinated because they are not modern stainless steel, which I love but appreciate that some people might think they are dirty! Patina is so important since it is literally memories etched into a piece.
Is there a stand out ‘find’ you can share with us that was an amazing discovery?
Part of the fun of my job is researching and verifying a piece. I buy pieces I like the look of, mostly in terms of shape, size and patina and over the years I have been lucky enough to find some really special pieces. I recently found a very blackened silver plated tea and coffee set which I recognised might be Art Nouveau Christofle, Paris. I was thrilled when I got it home and polished away (it took hours!) to reveal the Christofle Gallia makers mark which you couldn’t see when it was so tarnished.
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