Kevin Marshall Antiques Warehouse (4/7) By Michelle Dee

(1/7), (2/7), (3/7), (4/7), (5/7), (6/7), (7/7).

Photograph Gallery   Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3,   Gallery 4,   Gallery 5.

He proudly shows me one of his favourite things, a negative print given to him by a spiritualist priest. The highly-prized print, carefully kept inside a box wrapped in paper, is squirreled away in a drawer, stuffed with similarly wrapped treasures. The print is a grey coppery colour and depicts the famously faked Cottingley Fairies. I can clearly see the delicate gossamer wings on the magical creatures that stirred so many, many years ago. As I talk with him I notice every new story is accompanied with a glint in his eye, warmth of feeling and genuine passion seldom seen today.

Kevin tells me that the murals on the walls were done by artist friends of his, who lived in buildings overlooking the warehouse. One day his friend S.R. Willie felt inspired to paint on a grand scale. "Feel free to use my walls," he said generously. So inspired was he by the Bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar, Steve painted the fabulous scene depicting Nelson's flagship laying waste to the French fleet.

Another artist friend Graham Brook was experimenting with photo-realism and produced the roman villa scene on the upstairs wall. He then went on to do designs for paying customers and developed his own business.

I asked Kevin about the history of the building itself and he told me that the building dates back to 1890. The owner wanted to set his son up in Haberdashery but the son John Downes bought a whole load of slates. His father couldn't see the point in this purchase but the young Downes didn't hesitate for a minute. He sold them to schools for the pupils to write on as was the way back then. Later on the building was left to a Stan Train and became a tailor's shop. During WW2 a Mr. King and his four sons took on the business and sold to shops up and down the coast including Boyes.

During the war the building had a very lucky escape. A German bomb released by the Luftwaffe, fell through the clouds and lodged itself in the roof at the far end of the warehouse. Miraculously it didn't explode and the hole in the ceiling, where it crashed down, can still be seen. Stan retired and it was said the four sons would continue trading from the warehouse. Kev had a small shop at this time and saw the To Let sign advertising space within the warehouse. When enquiring about the available space Kevin met the four brothers "They all looked the same," he says, "Entering the place it was like time had stood still."

Continued .... Next Page (5/7)

Photograph Gallery   Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3,   Gallery 4,   Gallery 5.

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