We’re standing on the steps of Parliament House straining our eyes to catch sight of ‘Florence’ the Fiat. All of a sudden, she rounds the corner and comes barreling down Spring Street. I can see ‘Betty’ with her big hair in front, ‘Harry Hoover’ behind the wheel, and in the back ‘Miss Shirley’ dressed in a brown polka dot dress. As we jump in the back seat, I’m immediately transported back to an era of knee-high boots, vinyl records and polyester. We’re handed a vintage inspired shopping bag along with Betty and Miss Shirley's personal journal and freshly sharpened pencil for making notes. I catch the eye of my friend who is grinning ear to ear. It’s going to be a fun day.
I’ve signed up for Melbourne’s quirkiest new experience, ‘A Vintage Outing’, run in conjunction with Fiona Sweetman, a curly-headed Melbourne gal who recently collected a Melbourne Award for her contribution to the city’s profile, through her unique Hidden Laneway, Art and Design tours. Her business, Hidden Secrets Tours, started life as the tour arm of the successful Deck of Secrets series.
If anyone can give you the lowdown on the best this city has to offer in terms of local retail, art and design, it’s Fiona. She reels off names of local labels, designers, tailors, artists and galleries as if she’s reciting the alphabet – a walking encyclopedia of what makes this city tick. And not only does she relay her vast knowledge to lucky participants on her various tours, she also brings valuable tourism dollars to the doorstep of many homegrown businesses that she showcases along the way, with no kickbacks and often little recognition from the very people who benefit most.
Now the girl that’s become synonymous with her Lanes and Arcades tour, has kicked off two new ventures, the Sommelier's City Walk, and for those with a penchant for all things vintage, the tour we’ve joined today. Run by vintage queens and long time friends, Lyn Gardiner of Empire Vintage and Kinky Gerlinki buyer Danielle Pumo, alias ‘Betty and Miss Shirley’, ‘A Vintage Outing’ takes participants on a nostalgic journey unveiling some of Melbourne’s best-kept ‘vintage’ secrets. Participants explore the city in beautifully restored 1950s Fiats, like Florence, which is being driven today by Sholto Allbrook (alias ‘Harry Hoover’).
The girls are in fine form as we head for the leafy bayside suburb of Albert Park where Lyn’s store has been selling one off vintage furniture, homewares and glamorous frocks for the past 15 years. There are sparkly chandeliers, French original upholstered beds, rustic tables and chairs, chintzy wallpapers and crockery downstairs, while upstairs feels like granny’s attic, packed to the rafters with gorgeous vintage frocks, slinky nightgowns, fur stoles and more. Big girls can lose track of time playing dress ups here where, sentimentally, I purchased my God daughter’s first vintage dress five years ago. Harry Hoover however is leaning on the horn prompting us to move on.
Back in the Fiat we head for Izzy and Popo, a vintage furniture and antique store run by husband and wife team Harry Silman and Bernadette Wyer at South Melbourne. All items are sourced predominantly from Belgium by Harry's mates Daan and Mariette who scour markets, haggle with antique dealers and travel snow covered roads to find the next great thing. Bernadette, a former fashion designer, shows me downstairs to the basement where the latest shipment of stock has arrived. I’m drawn to a large red tin sign, which until recently lived in the shed at her brother’s farm - until I see the $5000 price tag! Upstairs the girls are captivated by a collection of butterflies and Lyn, unable to restrain herself, has put another ‘treasure’ on hold.
On the way to our next hidden secret, we discuss why Melbourne has gone crazy for all things vintage. “The resurgence in vintage fashion has led to a huge interest in vintage furniture, homewares and collectibles,” says Danielle, while Lyn adds; “People love finding ‘one offs’ that noone else has, pieces that have been previously treasured by someone else and that have a story to tell”.
As we pull up at our next stop, the Fiats attract the attention of passers by who stop to take photos. We’ve arrived at Arthur’s Circus, a relatively new shop and gallery specialising in vintage toys and collectables. The store is run by Nicholas Fitzgerald and Natalie Jeffcott, parents of three-year-old Arthur (hence the name). The couple spend their time rummaging around markets, garage sales and on eBay looking for kid’s stuff that takes their fancy. “After we had Arthur, we went looking for interesting items other than mainstream stuff to decorate his room, which is how this all started,” explains Natalie. Their store makes me instantly melancholic for my own childhood, with its wooden toys, colorful one-off cushions, retro signs, matchbox cars, board games and Enid Blighton books. My friend, Melinda Bey and I both buy cute miniature dinner sets for our six-month-old babies. It’s hard to leave, but Madame Brussels is calling our name.
Three levels above bustling Bourke Street, Madame Brussels’ pink parlour is decked out in Astroturf and chintzy garden furniture. Staff in tennis whites serve up Pimms, pots of steaming hot tea and neat picnic lunch packs from Sugardough wrapped in vintage teatowels. Over lunch, Melinda says the thing she likes most about the tour is meeting the storeowners personally, as well as receiving a small gift and discount on purchased items from each place visited. I have to agree.
But as far as revealing the rest of the itinerary, well unfortunately that’s top-secret information and if you must know, you’ll simply have to book. With an air of Lady Penelope from the Thunderbirds, we summon Harry Hoover to take us and our vintage treasures, “home”.
A Vintage Outing run by Hidden Secrets Tours costs $245 per person including vintage inspired shopping bag, tea, homemade treats, and Betty and Miss Shirley's personal journal. Tours run Thursday, Saturday and Sunday (or by private arrangement). To book phone 03 9329 9665 or online at www.hiddensecretstours.com
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