I started in the property business, converting houses into flats, but the hours were long and the work dusty, so in 1987 I went in for antiques instead, with long hours and lots of dust too, but a great deal more intellectual stimulus.  I started off at Portobello Road, then went into a shop on Richmond Hill,  the London  Sunday Fairs and some of the larger one-off fairs such as The Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair.  I specialised in Art Nouveau, Art Deco,  Arts & Crafts and anything else that took my fancy along the way.

The great thing about antiques is that there’s always more to learn, and it never gets boring, though it can be a cold and uncomfortable way to earn a living when you’re out at a boot fair at six in the morning in the middle of winter (or summer come to that).  I started selling on eBay three years ago, and it was good fun and a pleasant way of passing on purchases to satisfied buyers.  I still sell there, but my husband is an IT consultant as well as my partner in 2centuries – yes he’s got the bug too – so I asked him to build us a site where we can create a more personal touch where customers can get to know us, and vice versa.   I missed the shop atmosphere I suppose.  I still specialise in all the things I used to, but am always on the look-out for old and exciting or unusual pieces to bring you, so it’s worth popping in regularly to see what’s around.