Vintage Car Boot Sale Shoppers Wear Sandals on the Southbank

The DJ was playing ‘sounds of the seventies’ disco and there was much excitement in the air as following the success of the initial event in October 2013, the second Vintage Car Boot Sale got under way.

Alongside the London Eye on the Southbank of the River Thames in London stood a rainbow of classic automobiles all built well before the 1980’s. The organisers official flyers promised an exciting line up in advance

“With over 100 vintage vehicles and traders operating from their boots…lining up along the banks of the Thames, it’ll be a veritable treasure trove for vintage shoppers, collectors, vinyl lovers and petrol-heads alike.”

As visitors eagerly strolled down the riverside steps they could view the spectacle from above as if opening a dressing up box complete with toys to play with.

Ready for a busy two days, the stands were gathered together in a random pattern, like rides at a fair ground. Specially selected vehicles were accompanied by their appropriately ‘dressed to impress’ sellers of fashion.

Some added to their retro rails with collections of antiques, housewares and good old fashioned bric-a-brac, all originally first made for sale more than 25 years ago.

Around 30 shiny and unusual cars and motorbikes were spread out across the large public concourse. The iconic Routemaster red bus that doubled as a traditional pub was heaving with thirsty passengers. A few larger vehicles, including some impressive camper-vans, joined these remarkably cool wheels that would be any dapper gentleman’s pride-and-joy. Their polished stainless steel fronts glinted in the sunlight and provided the stage set for the trading to take place.

Many eclectic stalls were created in and around these motors that mainly harked back to the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s. There were all manor of tempting treats served up from hatches on old time trucks. The effect was fabulous and quite a visual delight as hundreds of visitors got into the swing of it, arriving in an array of splendid outfits inspired by their personal favourite eras of fashion.

The Vintage team under the leadership of British fashion designer Wayne Hemmingway delivered another enjoyable event that people will keep talking about. A trendy throng mostly in their teens, 20’s and 30’s attended and made their way around enthusiastically browsing, chatting, trying and buying everything from flowery frocks to vinyl records.

There were also some new and inventive ideas with reinvented merchandise such as gorgeous ladies capes made out of embroidered ivory coloured table linen, individually handmade by textile company Vintage Attitude. Just to make it even more interesting, a pair of performers in white china tea cup costumes spun around the shoppers, pouring refreshments in a theatrical way that surprised and entertained all in their swirly path.

The super-sized ‘Saturday SwapShop’ featured more than a dozen funky clad sales assistants displaying their unique, rare and pre-loved goods that ranged from the familiar to the unexpectedly random.

This pop-up-market was a slightly alternative fair and had the atmosphere of the first day of the sale at Selfridges combined with smartly attired ticket holders arriving at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed. The last Vintage event we attended was also held in the countryside in West Sussex. The thrifty car boot sale was a mini version of the previous festivals format and although it was only held for two days, it was comparatively

“jolly good value at only £4 British pounds”.

More stylish happenings of this variety would definitely be a welcome addition to London’s lively social calender. Many happy purchases were made and prices were competitive with anything similar that could be bought online.

As students from every decade can testify, second hand retailing is a fun way of obtaining an enviable wardrobe and reusing of items already manufactured is both clever recycling and good for the environment.

This scenic and historic part of the capital is a good choice and an accessible location as the public can easily travel to by train or bus to nearby Waterloo station.

Vintage is an innovative company that has worked hard on engaging social media and inviting marketing to accompany their events and and they have gained a loyal following.

Becky Jones who arrived wearing her weekend best, smiled as she posed for a photograph with a pretty parasol she decided was ‘just the thing to sport’ this Spring and declared

As we completed our cultural circuit and departed the jolly knees up with some new threads in tow, we were reminded of the afterparty being help at a club called Topolski. Topolski is situated ‘under the arches’ and the dance-floor hits from bygone top 10 charts undoubtedly rolled on until the early hours.

Wayne Hemmingway’s Vintage team sent a thank you to those who made it to the show, which was proclaimed a

“massive success for the second time around!”

For those who fancy a dashing drive in the country and more high spirited shenanigans later this season, the Vintage Festival in Glasgow is planned for 26^th and 27^th July and Vintage By The Sea takes place in Morecambe on the 6^th and 7^th September.

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