24/08/2026
We are just finishing our breakfast and refreshing ourselves before we gather up our roadsignage and perform some other clearing up tasks after a very successful good humoured throughly agreeable The Yorkshire Flea event up at Thirsk Farmers Auction Mart & Rural Business Centre on the 23rd August. A large amount of thanks are due to the many folk who collaborate with us to make these Fleamarkets as good as they are first of all my fearless, competent, compassionate, most wonderful bold and imaginative wife the truly remarkable Helen Bowman who I have worked alongside building antique and vintage events for more than 35 years. We are now beginning to believe that we know what we are doing. We have a crew of people our Flea crew who are a joy to work alongside who radiate competence flexibility and embody in their working practices all the good stuff, solidarity,compassion, thoughtful dedication. They watch out for each other take care of each other and support each other in a high pressure intense working envoroment. While I wouldn’t say that they would walk through fire for Helen and I, I do know that if I i myself walking through fire real or metaphorical I could glance around and the crew would be there with me doing what they do with calm competence.
Huge thanks to our suppliers
Thirsk Auction Mart for friendly support and ensuring that the venue is clean and ready for use when we arrive. The hardworking friendly and exceptionally good value service provided by the always excellent team at The Gavel Cafe & Bar and our trusted and reliable van hire people Northway Vehicles Sales and course our beloved exhibitors some of whom we have been doing business with for the thick end of 30 years others are new to our acquaintance but almost without exception are a delight to work with. Then our gratitude extends to our treasured visitors all 1274 of you who came and admired and browsed and bought. Supporting around 90 small businesses with not a corporate in sight helping us to make true our claim that small business is the best business. For all our social media followers and friends who liked, and shared and commentated on the semi relentless posting for all things Flea, we value your support and offer you our thanks.
We are back home now after all the mopping up has been done. We’ve had a walk down to the river, picking blackberries on the way.
As is the way all great feasts we have saved the finest dish for last….. we received a wonderfully thoughtful and moving gift.. from a dearly beloved exhibitor Helen and I are the happy recipients of the Yorkshire Flea crest a mounted framed heraldic rendition of the Yorkshire Flea.
It’s in the pictures attached to this post.
We are taking a few days for rest and restoration and spending some time with old and new friends at the Shambala festival where we will be enjoying shenanigans making whoopee and there will be high jinks. Lots of photographs of some cracking stock a river view and The Yorkshire Flea crest ( with a brief commentary)
TLDR
People are lovely
Old things are cool and desirable
We are happily tired
We like our work
small business is the best business
the best work is collaborative work next Fleas are
October 18th Skipton
October 25th Thirsk
Facebook event pages to follow
