BIJOUX Bits of Darlington is holding antique and vintage fairs on Saturday 30th October and Saturday 20th November from 10am to 4pm at the Friends' Meeting House on Skinnergate to promote sustainable and ethical shopping.

David Gray and Christopher Long are the brains behind the operation and after selling up their farm close to Guisborough and moving to Darlington, they decided to keep their tradition of running car boot sales alive.

Tocketts Twilight Car Boot Sales were held weekly and ran for 25 years.

David said: “We want to encourage people to shop sustainably, and this is a perfect way to do that.

“Too much stuff gets chucked out without being properly loved. Why not sell it on so it can be appreciated?”

With a growing emphasis on ditching ‘fast fashion’, Chris and David said they think this will be a more ethical option for shoppers.

As the redevelopment of Darlington Market continues, it is now predominantly used as a place for street food rather than for buying pre-loved clothes, jewellery and records.

Chris and David hope that their new venture will be a replacement for Darlington Market in this respect.

The pair has said there will be many stalls selling all types of things from clothing, children’s toys and upcycled furniture.

David said: “We’ll be offering a ‘Darlo discount’ so it will be £1 entry but that will be deducted when buying something.

“We think this will attract families as there will be such a variety of things to buy, not just clothes.

“This will also cater for local collectors and enthusiastic dealers all coming together under one roof selling a range of items.”

In keeping with the vintage theme, there will also be a qualified beauty therapist on site offering vintage makeup looks.

“I think when people see ‘vintage fair’ they immediately just think of women’s fashion but we have lots of stuff for men too,” David said.

As 'thrift shopping' has become more popular over the last few years, David and Chris are sure that Darlington's bargain-lovers won't come away empty-handed.

There is limited space available for stalls now but David and Chris ask that anyone interested get in touch with them by emailing bijouxbitsofdarlington@gmail.com