Note (25th March, 2013):
Many many years ago I started this thread with the hope that it would be a good resource for the UK community. Since then I've got less and less active, and it's been nearly three years since last I posted. Stricken with guilt, I shall now get it up to date and set up notifications so that future suggestions are quickly added. If I disappear for a long time again in the future, feel free to resurrect this somewhere else and keep it up to date. Please also note that I've not checked the links, so if they're dead, or if the shops have gone, let me know!
Cheers,
Ben
Blurb
It occurred to me that it would be a good idea to have a catalogue of shops where nice steampunky things could be bought in the UK. We seem to have less choice than other countries and some shared knowledge could be a good idea.
Ideally, the list should be mainly high-street shops or the like, so that it is relevant for the most people, but feel free to point out good specialist shops or UK-based websites.
Obviously, this kind of thing would be good for other countries, so if anyone feels inclined to do the same...
I'll try and sort it into categories. Hopefully if we have enough input this will become useful. At the moment, I only really have one note-worthy shop, but if everyone keeps track of where they have got their finds from...
Right, I'll start, if people want to suggest things, post, and I'll try and edit it regularly so the first post is up to date.
/Blurb
N.B. Those shops run by BG members are in red, with the intention of supporting members' endeavours. Remind me if I've missed any
All
Clothing:Armour Realm;
Site; Goth and steampunk stuff - they also have a shop in Boscombe (Bournemouth)
Blue Banana;
SiteBig Girl's Blouse; 7-8 Wellfield Court + 28 Wellfield Road, Roath, Cardiff.
Penangalan and in particular Steamgalan;
Site; Extraordinary boots, with provision for custom creations (apparently)
Reign; 134 Cowley Road, Oxford; All manner of agreeably-priced clothing. Well recommended.
Fabhatrix;
Site; Good quality hats
Retro; off Great Western Road on Otago Lane in Glasgow; Comes well recommended.
Handbags and Gladrags; Dumbarton Road next to Kelvinhall subway station in Glasgow
Victorian Costume; Site; Costume hire.Impero London;
Site; Leather clothing, including custom jobs. Run by the BG member by the same name.[/color]
Starbright;
Site; Grandad shirts, etc. Comes well recommended.
ALLSAINTS; Camden: Boots, etc.
Bookster;
Site: Tweed of all varieties.
Fairy Gothmother;
Site: Corsetry and the like.
Lock & Co.;
Site: Hats for the discerning and affluent customer.
The Hat Company;
Site,
Ebay shop: Hats.
The Chap Shop;
Site: Headwear, neckwear, footwear, accessories and grooming products from the website of the magazine
Chap.
Vintage Clobber, Pokesdown;
Map and link to site. NB: site is apparently infected with a trojan. Access with caution.: Wide range of vintage clothing, mostly women and later period, but I'm reliably informed that in the basement they have tailcoats, frock coats, waistcoats etc.
Primark;
Site: Wing-collar shirts
TK Maxx;
SiteMiss Selfridge;
Site: Waistcoats &c.
Zara;
Site: Waistcoats &c.
H&M;
Site: Waistcoats &c.
Celia's Vintage Clothes;
Site Nottingham: Vintage apparel
The Real McCoy; Exeter;
Site: Vintage apparel
Victorian Gothic; Site; Gothic revival Victorian clothing, run by artemispanic.Army surplus
Charity shops
Car boot sales
Generic goth/rock outfitters
Toast (mail order);
SiteVintage Shirt Company;
Site; Shirts
Hogspear;
Ebay shop: General Vintage
Sutlers;
Site: Quality historical uniforms
Harlots and Angels; Site; Corsets, dresses, underwear and more: 20 years' experience, run by Captain Chard.Impossible Gears; Site; clothes and other items, run by the eponymous forum member.Haunted Summer; Etsy; mostly upcycled and sometimes scratch-made clothing, run by ShatteredRoses.Black Mirror Design; Site; burlesque, SP and alternative fashion, including custom orders, run by the eponymous forum member.Alternative Footwear; Site; the name should give you a clue. Run by the eponymous forum member.Jones the Bootmaker for well-made classic shoes
Laura Ashley
Props, jewellery and costume bits:Glasses on Spec;
Site; A very pleasing selection of retro glasses, including a monocle.
Colonel Fizziwig Steampunk on Nemesis Now; Site; Ray guns and the like. Run by forum member Cuthbert Arbuthnot.Skian Mhor; Site; LRP costumes, etc. Run by forum member Count Theodore Yijinsky.Eclectica;
SiteDickens and Rivett; jewellery, run by forum member Emily Ladybird.Cornwall Model Boats;
Site; Awesome steam engines for the affluent steampunk.
Enter the Asylum SP section; Site; accessories and some clothing.[/font]Jesters.com;
Site; some pretty natty tin toys.
Surplus and Adventure;
Site; Army surplus shop in Worcestershire with int. shipping - general AS whatnottery &c.
Professor Maelstromme's Etsy; Goggles, corsetry, masks &c. MacCulloch and Wallis;
Site: Just off Oxford Street, an excellent haberdashery shop.
All Good Ideas;
Site: Walking sticks of many varieties, plus components thereof.
Marks and Spencer;
Site: Sells gift bottles of port that make good prop bottles, and at a reasonable price.
Past Times;
SiteArmy surplus
Charity shops
Car boot sales
Hogspear;
Site
Jacob's Antique Market, Cardiff (behind Central Station; Victoriana, military gear, devices, old medical equipment etc.; really cheap. Open Thursday to Saturday.
Anchor Supplies;
SiteClockwork Cat; Facebook; Myspace; Steampunk jewellery, made by member cockworcatRapunzel's Retreat; Site; Everyday jewellery, run by the eponymous member. Fat Spider; Site; model-making supplies. Fat Spider has very kindly offered a potential discount to members who contact him via the website.Furnishings:Dunelm Mill;
SiteCharity shops
Car boot sales
Sutlers;
Site: Pistols and buttons
Black Country Metal Works;
Site: ironmongery.
Willow and Stone;
Site: ironmongery and door furniture.
Ludlow Period House Shops;
Site: numerous items of period furnishings.
Mimime; Site; Carbon filament lightbulbs, run by the eponymous forum member.Raw materials:Machine Mart;
Site4D Model Shop;
Site: tools and a vast range of raw materials, based in Aldgate.
Locks and Handles;
Site: Architectural Components Ltd. Excellent range of furniture fittings, door and window hardware, and interior pieces. Based at South Kensington.
Army Surplus
B&Q;
SiteTraditional Materials;
Site: lots and lots of wonderful raw materials.
Sew Curvy;
Site: Corsetry supplies
Charity shops
Car boot sales
Lifestyle:Tea Pigs;
Site; Tea merchant. The Chilli Chai is recommended.
The Online Shop of Dr Geof; Site; Posters, embroidered badges, comics and other things - no prizes for guessing who runs it.Local/Independent shops by vague areaBirminghamOasis market; Birmingham;
Site
The Rag Market; Birmingham;
Site
BristolVintage clothing shop, Boyces Arcade, Clifton VillageBournemouth Armour Realm;
Site; Goth and steampunk stuff - they also have a shop in Boscombe (Bournemouth)
Vintage Clobber, Pokesdown;
Map and link to site: Wide range of vintage clothing, mostly women and later period, but I'm reliably informed that in the basement they have tailcoats, frock coats, waistcoats etc.
CardiffBig Girl's Blouse; 7-8 Wellfield Court + 28 Wellfield Road, Roath, Cardiff.
The Pumping Station;
Site Jacob's Antique Market, Cardiff (behind Central Station; Victoriana, military gear, devices, old medical equipment etc.; really cheap. Open Thursday to Saturday.
Down Castle Arcade; bone buttons
High Street Arcade; beading supplies
Retro shop between joke shop and Eccentrix (what a fun place Cardiff sounds); sticks, clothing, etc.
Rossiter's, Royal Arcade; vintage cookware among numerous other things
Celtic Rose Art; Roath Craft Fair every Saturday in the community centre in Keppoch Street, Cardiff (next to The Gate theatre, behind the Farmer's Market) from 10.30-1. Also monthly at the Jacobs Antique Centre from 11-5. Run by darkshinesEdinburghFabhatrix;
Site; Good quality hats
Armstrongs in the Grassmarket and elsewhere, for vintage clothes heaven
Le Chariot Express on Clerk Street for amazing junk and some clothes, some suitcases
ExeterThe Real McCoy;
Site: Vintage apparel
GlasgowThe Barras for junk and antiques and clothes of every sort and price
Ruthven lane, off Byres road for Clothes (Starry starry night for vintage and retro, they often have uniforms and tailcoats) and junk (Relics for antiques, brass bits and bobs and all sorts of stuff)
Mr Bens in Kings Street for clothes, as you would expect
Paddys market for clothes except the wretched council hounded most of the traders out. Only one or two left on the Briggait side
Two huge jumble sales each year: 72nd Scouts, in September in the westend of Glasgow, and 29th Scouts, in March in the southside of Glasgow.
Retro; off Great Western Road on Otago Lane in Glasgow; Comes well recommended.
Handbags and Gladrags; Dumbarton Road next to Kelvinhall subway station in Glasgow
Clearwater Outdoor;
Site: Military surplus
NottinghamCelia's Vintage Clothes;
Site: Vintage apparel
LanarkArmy Surplus and Clothing;
Site: 'maybe the best surplus shop in Scotland'
LeicesterDolly Mix;
Site: Vintage apparel
LincolnHemswell Business Park; 8 or 9 antique stores, including those selling clothes.
LondonMacCulloch and Wallis;
Site: Just off Oxford Street, an excellent haberdashery shop.
4D Model Shop;
Site: tools and a vast range of raw materials, based in Aldgate.
Locks and Handles;
Site: Architectural Components Ltd. Excellent range of furniture fittings, door and window hardware, and interior pieces. Based at South Kensington.
OxfordReign; 134 Cowley Road, Oxford; All manner of agreeably-priced clothing. Well recommended.
RamsbotomAlternative Footwear; Site; 8 Cuba Industrial Estate, BL0 0NE. The name should give you a clue. Run by the eponymous forum member.RipleyAnchor Supplies; all sorts of military supplies.
TotnessRevival; wide variety of vintage clothing
WhitstablePearl and Hemmingway; retro, vintage and theatrical clothing
YorkBolsita;
Site: Fine waistcoats.
New: Recommended Car Boot Sales / Markets by countyDorsetMagna Road Car Boot Sale - Magna Road, Bournemouth. BH21 3AS.
Most Sundays, buyers from 1.
Entry 20p per adult
Wide range of good stalls. Varies greatly according to weather. Also often happens on bank holidays.
West MidlandsOasis market; Birmingham;
Site
The Rag Market; Birmingham;
Site
HertfordshireHerts. County Showground; Redbourne;
Site
Thanks to all members for suggestions.
Ben
