Here at Vintage Norwich we always think of Norwich’s best Antique and Fleamarket as “Looses” because that’s the name that’s written in bog bold letters on it’s frontage on Magadalen Street. In reality however, it’s name is “Aladdin’s Cave”.

That name is very apt, because that’s really what it is. The ground floor of the cavernous building is taken up with a variety of “stalls” selling jewellery, furniture, crockery, glass wear, vintage clothing, and anything else you could possibly imagine. You could easily lose half a day examining the goodies on offer.

Stalls are unattended, as with many antiques markets, and all sales are made through a central till. Keep wandering round into the warehouse area at the back and you’ll find a wonderland of vintage furniture piled high with dressing tables, sofas, kitchen cabinets and even, once, a vintage shop counter.

Prices vary from stall to stall, but are generally pretty reasonable. If you’re looking for real bargains and the chance to do some haggling then pop down on a Saturday and head upstairs to the Fleamarket.

It’s packed with a variety of sellers, and unlike downstairs the stalls are manned, so you can test out your haggling skills on stall holders to get the best price on vintage china, fabrics for craft projects, clothes and knick knacks.

Lovers of vintage clothing should make sure that the few stalls at the back of Loose’s are on their list of haunts along with more established vintage clothing stores. The racks contain occasional hidden gems and there are baskets and shelves stuffed with hats, bags and gloves. It used to be that trying on was done in a store cupboard, but it’s lately been made a little more glamorous with the addition of a boudoir chair and some vintage magazine clippings decorating the walls.

Most vintage lovers will have this Aladdin’s Cave already on their list of haunts, but if you’ve yet to head down there, make sure you do it soon.