When someone is happy to make a 13 hour round trip to an antiques shop you know there must be something special about it. That's exactly what a Belgian couple did when they drove to Cambridgeshire (via the channel tunnel) to drop in to see us at the Abbey Antiques shop. They told us that they were members of the club and huge Attwell fans. They stayed a couple of hours, we all had tea and biscuits and then they drove off back to Belgium!

Our passion for Antiques dates back to John's boyhood when he began hoarding stamps, coins, bits of china and even old wind - up gramophones. As soon as we got married the collecting bug rubbed off on me. Now the charming little shop is home to an assortment of porcelain, such as Goss, crested china, Royal Doulton and Beswick.  There's also glass and silver, small pieces of furniture, and an ever changing collection of Mabel Lucie Attwell pieces.

John and Rita outside Abbey Antiques

Abbey Antiques is in Ramsey, a small Fenland town near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. It is set in a 600 year old house, with sloping floors and heavy oak beams. When we bought the property the floors were so uneven and the beams so low it was a hazard to anyone taller than 5 foot!" We decided to lower all the floors so that our customers could at least stand up comfortably! 

At the rear of the premises is a museum full to overflowing with wonderful items that have been produced throughout the years from Mabel Lucie Attwell's colourful artwork, much of which evokes happy memories to so many people.