Does anybody else assume you have to live out in the country in a massive mansion or huge cottage before we can begin to take an interest in antiques. I have a slight advantage here in that I volunteered as a room steward at just such a property. I live in an area where there are many properties dating back to the English civil war and before. Admittedly they are all just up the road from the most famous civil war battle ground, which suggests much support for the winning side at the time. The furnitue in the house I know does not all fall into the ‘family antique herloom’ category and is in fact made up of odd buys from other country house sales. At one time the house was livedin by a very famous inerior decorating socialite who came over from the US with her husband and wanted to buy theur way into the very top tie of society. Leasing this housde and filling it with ‘appropriate’ aged furnishings enabled her to look the part and buy into society she certainly did.