Having lived in France for several periods of my younger life, I decided to share the joys of the French ‘brocante’ with like-minded designers and clients looking for that elusive treasure or gem that the high street just can’t provide. Particularly relevant with our heightened sensitivity to sustainability, re-use, upcycling and reducing waste - the flea or vintage market has really come into its own in 2023.

I ran a trip to Lille Brocante, an annual event happening in September, the whole city of Lille closes to traffic, the streets fill with stall holders - professional antique dealers and locals alike, selling everything and anything you can imagine. We arrived Friday afternoon to settle in and acclimatise with a glass of rose in the sun, followed by an early night (ish - we had left our families at home after all) to prepare ourselves for the 6.30am start.

And off we went, miles and miles of streets and stalls, art, furniture, ceramics, glassware, collectables, lighting, mirrors…the list goes on. The crowds grew, the heat ramped up, our thirst increased and just when we thought we needed a break another little delight popped up! The amount of ‘stuff’ or ‘guff’ as my Yorkshire friend names it all, is really quite overwhelming - but in a good way.

Finally we give in to a little pit stop, a bite to eat and join in with the other bon viveurs - of which there are many - enjoying the festivities: marching bands, dancing in the streets, all the bars and restaurants have set up Octoberfest style benches outside, with beer taps and Aperol taps and waiters dashing in and out with trays stacked high with moules frites (the local speciality)