Real dealer is speaker at the Ladies Luncheon Club meeting

Margaret Toyne (Speaker Secretary), Alison Chapman (Speaker) and Wendy Waterfield (Committee Member)

She also appears on ‘Secret Dealers’ in which she visits people’s home searching for antiques and providing valuations.

She is an ambassador for Adams, who manufacture clothing for the larger lady, writes articles for an art magazine along with fellow collector Eric Knowles and is a prolific seller on e-bay.

Alison travelled from Hythe in Kent to be with the ladies at the Weston Rooms and told them that her interest in antiques had begun at an early age as her father was the owner of ‘The Den of Antiquity,’ an antique shop next door to their home.

The house was always full of people and regular visitors would include Michael Bentine, Spike Milligan, Tom Baker and Hattie Jaques.

Growing up she had no desire to be a dealer but rather fancied the idea of being an actress.

Such feminine dreams were soon quashed however and Alison took over the shop at 23-years-old changing its location and renaming it ‘Owlets’.

The next meeting of the club will be on Thursday 8th May when the speaker will be Paul Laver who will talk about ‘The Confessions of a Shopping TV Presenter’.

This will be preceded by the AGM which will start at 11.45 am.