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Sunday 30 September 2012

HUNGERFORD ARCADE - GREAT WEEKEND

What a wonderful weekend we've at Hungerford Arcade with people coming in from near and far, both UK and Worldwide.  Everyone has such an enjoyable time when they visit and many stay in touch with us and subscribe to our Newsletter!  

Many overseas customers return to the Arcade year after year.  They love the relaxed atmosphere and the friendly and helpful people, always willing to go that extra mile for each individual customer!  

Everyone loves and admires the Arcade and how it has been beautifully and sympathetically laid out in keeping with such a historic building!  The unsung heroes of Hungerford Arcade are its owners, Adrian Gilmore and Hazel Browne.  They had been at the Arcade for many, many years when they heard that the building was going to be sold to developers and made into apartments!  Adrian and Hazel were so shocked by this, they decided that they had to buy the building to preserve it as an Antiques centre.  They continue to work tirelessly for the good of the Arcade and its one hundred plus stallholders which is why, when it was announced in April by BBC's Homes & Antiques Magazine that Hungerford Arcade has been voted the Best Antiques Centre in the UK, we were all very proud.  Adrian and Hazel went to Bristol for the Award ceremony and had the Award presented to them by Kirsty Allsop.  It was a very moving experience for them!  All the times Adrian had worked alone  twenty four hours a day inside the building setting out the little shops and the architecture around each unit, doing all the carpentry, painting, carpet laying and much, much, more, was and will continue to be loved and appreciated by all our customers.  This is what makes Hungerford Arcade very special!   Adrian and Hazel are very dedicated to their stallholders and the building, which is why there is such a friendly, happy, relaxed atmosphere which doesn't go unnoticed!
Rita

Saturday 29 September 2012

Hungerford Arcade

Come to Hungerford Arcade this weekend and enjoy the wonders of this magnificent old building which dates back to the middle-ages!  Explore the 115 different stallholder units and have something to eat or just a cup of coffee in the coffee shop up in the "Rafters".  You could even see some famous celebrities!!  Everyone loves Hungerford Arcade which is why it was voted the best in the UK and awarded a trophy by the BBC Homes and Antiques Magazine.  So do come and see why, and have an enjoyable time.

Tuesday 25 September 2012

HUNGERFORD FOOD FESTIVAL


Hungerford Arcade invited Terry Cooke of Hedgerow Honey Farm and Fiona Robinson of Fee's Bees to put on a wonderful display at the Hungerford Food Festival on Sunday.  They setup their stall outside the Arcade and pretty soon had the crowds buzzing!!  They brought along a queen and nuclei in a glass hive and lots of delicious honey, on the comb as well as in jars.  They had beeswax on the table so people could make their own candles, pieces of old honeycomb, bees nests as well as wasp nests.  Terry gave a wonderful talk on the lifecycle of the bee and the process of honey making from the bee to the jar!  Terry and fee do special events for children, visiting schools, the Womens' Institute, the Scouts, cubs and more.  They cover a radius of Berkshire and Wiltshire. They also do large and small scale pollination. Terry and Fee sold lots of honey and people were asking where it can be bought locally but unfortunately, at the moment, they do not have any retailers locally, but are very keen to find an outlet!  Terry and Fiona can be contacted at:
 
Terry Cooke
Hedgerow Honey Farm  (No address available.  Can be contacted through Fee)
Tel: 07779 945326
 
Fiona Robinson
Fee's Bees
118 London Road
Calne
Wiltshire  SN11 OAH
Tel: 07966 362850





Fax: 08700527937

Friday 21 September 2012

HUNGERFORD ARCADE WEEKEND

Visit Hungerford Arcade this weekend and browse the wonders of the Arcade and get to know why everyone loves it! The building itself is stunning, dating back to the middle-ages! You will find the most amazing things to buy from our 115 different units. We have visitors from all over the world, many of whom return to us year after year! Do come and enjoy yourselves and stop off at the cafe in the Rafters of the Arade. It is quite amazing. Don't forget Sunday is the finale of the Hungerford Food Festival with many great events. We have Terry and Fee coming with their live bees and delicious honey and Terry will be giving a talk on the life-cycle of the honey bee - amazing! It is a great place for a family day out, so don't miss it!
Rita

Thursday 20 September 2012

HUNGERFORD ARCADE WEEKEND ACTIVITIES

Hungerford Arcade is looking forward very much to the Hungerford Food Festival grand finale on Sunday, 23rd September!  There will be the Thames Valley Farmer's Market,  together with lots of other stalls and tables stretching passed Hungerford Arcade.  There will be lots going on in Hungerford Town Hall where amongst many other things, there will be a cooking competition with top chefs and reporter, John Garvey from Newbury Weekly News.  Of course, there will be masses of delicious food everywhere together with great fun and activities for the children!  

Hungerford Arcade has arranged for Fee and Terry to bring along some of their live bees and lots of honey! Fee and Terry's delicious, natural honey has been on sale in the Arcade all this week!  Terry will be giving a fascinating talk on the life-cycle of the honey bee, so please come along, you will be amazed!

People entering the Food Quiz, must hand their forms into Hungerford Arcade together with the quiz fee of 50p.  There are spare forms for anyone who wishes to enter.

Hungerford Arcade looks forward to seeing you and hope that you all have a fantastic time

Rita

Monday 17 September 2012

Hungerford Arcade: Comic Valuation Day

Adam Thompson (unit 50) Hungerford Arcade held a comic valuation day on Saturday.  It was a great success.  Thank you Adam and all the people who came along.

Rita

Wednesday 12 September 2012

HUNGERFORD ARCADE 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

HUNGERFORD ARCADE
40TH ANNIVERSARY
UPDATE



Sunday, 9th September, Hungerford Arcade held its Anniversary Celebrations.  A very special visitor arrived, Peg Collins, who, with her husband, John, were the very first owners of Hungerford Arcade.  John worked tirelessly to convert a grocery shop into an antiques centre.  Over the years there have been many changes to Hungerford Arcade and its present owners, Adrian Gilmore and Hazel Browne have added their indelible stamp to the Arcade.  Adrian has worked seven days a week and through the night to improve the Arcade to the wonderful experience that it is today!   Members of the public arrived very early to join in the festivities.  Children were given presents of old monetary coins in special envelopes with the history of old money.  Inside the door of the Arcade was a large table with drinks and cake for everyone!  The special guest, Jonty Hearnden, arrived at 1.00 p.m. he gave a wonderful speach about Hungerford Arcade and how very special it is in the world of antiques and collectables and called on the public to carry-on supporting the Arcade as they have done for many years, to raptuous applause.  The public were enthralled! Jonty then cut the magnificent cake, much to the delight of everyone, signed autographs and then walked around the Arcade meeting people, signing more autographs and thoroughly enjoying himself. There were fourteen classic cars and their owners from the West Berkshire Vintage Classic Club which caused a lot of excitement and pleasure. The first to arrive was a beautiful and special black Daimler Drophead Coupe, (year to follow) one of two which was specially made.  This one for the Norwegian Ambassador and the other for Marlene Detriech! A very old Post Office van (year to follow) also arrived outside the Arcade delivering special celebratory good wishes.  The cars were lined up along the road and in the car park at the rear.  They had a terrific day, raising money for their charity, Lukaemia & Lymphoma Reseach.   Atwell-Wilson Motor Museum Trust at Calne also came and raised £100 for the Museum by selling raffle tickets,  The prize is for a stunning 1979 Triumph Dolomite 1500 which will be drawn in December.   This very special day at Hungerford Arcade will be remembered by everyone for a very long time, 
Rita


































Saturday 8 September 2012

HUNGERFORD ARCADE
40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
SUNDAY, 9TH SEPTEMBER 2012
11.00a.m. to 5.00 P.M.



HUNGERFORD ARCADE


Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all ready for our 40th Anniversary celebrations tomorrow - we are! We have around 14 classic vehicles coming, courtesy of the West Berkshire Classic Vehicle Club Members who do wonderful work through their classic cars, raising money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. We also have Jonty Hearndon and he will be cutting the cake in the afternoon and also 70s music by our own Adam Thompson - Brilliant!


See you there!


Rita

Wednesday 5 September 2012

HUNGERFORD ARCADE 40TH ANNIVERSARY SUNDAY, 9TH SEPTEMBER

Hi everyone,
At Hungerforde Arcade, we are frantically getting ready for our 40th Anniversary Celebrations, this Sunday, 9th September. The cake has been ordered; the West Berkshire Vintage Car Club are all set; Jonty Hearnden is looking forward to it, and will be cutting the cake to mark this landmark occasion. Don't forget, Hungerford Arcade is the oldest antiques centre in the UK, possibly the world  and has won the  Best Antques Centre in the UK award, as voted by our wonderful customers in the BBC Homes and Antiques Magazine!  So come along and see why for yourselves!                         Rita

Sunday 2 September 2012

Hungerford Arcade Weekend

Hi everyone,

We've just had another great weekend at the Arcade!  This week behind the scenes, we will be preparing for our 40th Anniversary celebrations which is next Sunday, 9th September.  Can't believe its here already.  Hope you will all come and join in the festivities with the vintage cars, Jonty Hearndon, 70s music and the cutting of  the cake.  It will be a great day out!  Hungerford Arcade will be open from 11.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m and it promises to be a brilliant day!

See you there.

Rita