Helen and Ben in their shop Inside the shop, with its eclectic mix of goods A collection of 1960s coffee pots After studying for a degree and a masters, Helen spent time working in advertising, marketing and research, before returning to the family business as a manager and administrator. She also spent time dealing within the UK’s fledgling antique fair circuit.   Helen’s lengthy background in the business as both an organiser and dealer has given her a very good eye; the years she spent managing a very large multi-day antiques fair in Stafford gave her extensive knowledge, particularly in ceramics, as well as an appreciation of the needs of the traders and visitors to the fairs. Helen and Ben, who joined her in the trade, now live and work in Shipley. Both are keen students of social history and the way that artefacts illuminate and shape people’s lives.   “We are fascinated by the stories attached to the objects we buy and sell,” says Ben. “Even the most quotidian of objects tell us things about the people who used or owned it.” He adds:  “We have run antique and vintage events together for more than 30 years. Helen has been involved in the trade for most of her life. We managed the well-regarded Bingley Hall three-day antiques fairs in Staffordshire, established by Helen’s parents in 1978.  “We also created the successful and  popular Yorkshire Antiques and Art Fair at Harrogate and grew it into one of the premier antiques events in the UK. Our peculiar and useful skill set, which includes logistics, event planning, marketing and customer service, gleaned from study, experience and interest has helped us along the years.  

Coloured bottles on display Knick knacks on sale A fish skeleton “We are occasionally asked to consult with potential event and market organisers, which is a great way to keep the knowledge going. Event management is challenging, stressful, though exciting and exhilarating.  We both have the ‘It’s showtime’ attitude and really enjoy the process of bringing together buyers and sellers and experiencing their pleasure in selling and acquiring things of unique charm and beauty laden with history”. Around six years ago, Ben began to suffer from health-related mobility issues and was in increasing pain. The couple took the difficult decision to step away from the large multi-day events.   “We had already started our one-day Yorkshire Flea markets at Skipton, so we decided to concentrate on this branch of our business activities and expanded the fleas to Thirsk,” says Helen. “We grew up in Leeds and had both loved the Queens Hall flea market in the 1970s and early 80s and saw an opportunity to create something similar for the 21st century.  We also started trading at antiques and vintage events run by other organisers and took units in antiques centres to sell items from the trader’s supply business we acquired, to start to downsize a lifelong collection.” During the pandemic Helen and Ben took time to assess their future and decided to turn the street-level floor of their offices at 89 Kirkgate, Shipley, back to its original use as a shop.  “The building was a milk bar in the 1960s, and a dress shop before being converted to offices,” says Helen. “We had a new shop front installed, repurposed event display stands and used our own vintage furniture to refurbish it.  The only new items used were the paint and a lighting system. We called it The Yorkshire Fleabag to tie in with our Flea markets.” The shop opened in June 2022. 

Helen and Ben A vintage cash register Says Ben:  “We still have offices upstairs for the six Flea markets we run annually in the Skipton and Thirsk. We are creating a workshop in the basement so that we have a place to do all our refurbishing, polishing and fettling.  “We sell all kinds of old things from vintage beermats at 50p each to mid-century furniture and lighting, pictures paintings and prints that vary from a few quid to a few hundred. We usually have two or three singular decorative pieces in stock for the wow factor.  We sell vintage crockery which is always popular with collectors and folk who want quality dinner tableware which has endured and is good value today.  We love advertising ephemera, curios and old magazines too.” “The antiques and vintage business constantly changes and is very responsive to shopping trends, so we are always on the lookout for offbeat, stylish, decorative items.  We tend to buy what we like and enjoy sharing our love of an item with buyers. We tend not to bring things home now because we have enough. “We trade in many different objects - the most popular category is glass.  Our consistently good sellers are vintage mirrors, from Victorian to Art Deco to classic mid-century ones with teak surrounds.   We created a mirror wall  and sell at least one a week.” The couple’s three all-time favourite items were found at a local auction house:  a home bar by Barget of London from around 1968, a magnificent, framed tapestry of a Canadian First Nations totem pole standing eight feet tall and a dilapidated Times Atlas of the world published in 1924. They love meeting customers. Says Helen: “Many local people come to browse and buy, as do visitors to the district.  We are often asked to source items for individuals and businesses - we relish the hunt and this also means a sale for a fellow trader. One of the lovely things about keeping a shop is having the time to chat to people and learn more about the area that we live, work and raise our family in. This is an important part of community life and one of the reasons we like selling face-to-face. We have friendships and good trading relationships with many of the other small independent businesses in Shipley and are a part of the wider Yorkshire network of antique and vintage dealers.     *The Yorkshire Fleabag, 89 Kirkgate, Shipley, is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, usually 11am-6pm.  Visit antiquesfairs.com. The Yorkshire Flea markets 2025 are at Skipton Auction Mart, Sunday April 20, Sunday July 20 and Sunday October 26, and Thirsk Auction Mart, YO7 3AB, May 18, August 10 and October 19, all from 11am to 6pm.