GB Antiques and Furniture Centre really is a family run business. Set up by Allan Blackburn and his wife, Gloria, their daughter Dawn runs the tearoom, while Son, Jimmy looks after all the beautiful furniture in the centre.

Jimmy has worked part time at GB since it opened, since the age of 15. Soon Jimmy realised he was very interested and naturally enthusiastic about old furniture and any spare time he had he would use looking for old pieces of furniture to sell. What first started out as a hobby in his spare time, going round the car boots and jumble sales progressed to the auctions rooms. He has now stopped looking for that amazing bargain and now concentrates on finding a more established, expensive, rare, collectable piece.

Jimmy says " I always enjoyed learning about social history and "How we used to live". Our pieces of furniture tell a story, about what sort of families owned different types of furniture. The size of the piece and its condition and date, paints a picture of a lifestyle and is part of our history and heritage. I am always amazed how in this day and age the pieces fit into homes and trends Old pieces can look perfect in the most modern of homes."

Jimmy also knows what trade buyers are looking for. The trends at the moment are for lighter pieces of furniture. It's a seasonal trend. In the winter he sell lots of sofa's, tables and chairs, whilst the summer months see more garden furniture and bedroom furniture. Plus there's always a influx of visitors over the Christmas period.