Andrew Blackall,

    his story so far...

Having launched THE LODGE, AVEBURY as a very successful B&B, set amongst the Avebury stones, proprietor Andrew Blackall felt there was a niche market for Antique Tours of the southwest Shires

Based in the picturesque village of Avebury, Andrew's nearest neighbours are Neolithic stones and a few hundred sheep, which makes THE LODGE, AVEBURY a truly peaceful place to stay and a wonderful base for anyone looking to visit the myriad of Antique purveyors within the Wessex region.

Having worked extensively in film and television, Andrew found time to open his Gloucester Antique Showroom in the mid 90's; it soon became a magnet for collectors searching out the rare and unusual yet television commitments and constant commuting to London lead the way to Andrew establishing his business base in Avebury.
With the antique trade going through the doldrums in the late 90's, Andrew sought refuge amongst the stones yet continued to dabble, buying and selling at auction and generally keeping in touch with trends and prices.

"Literally dozens of people have approached me for tours, offering them just seems a natural progression." Says Andrew. The whole package is tailored to the guest and their specific requirements be they those of the Trans Atlantic dealer, collector, set designer or simply the visitor interested in Antiques. The basic package includes collection, accommodation and help with exporting purchases out of Southampton, Bristol or London.

Initially tours will be kept to a maximum of 4, primarily to give people space to breathe and keep things as relaxed as possible. The true product value, as Andrew sees it, is the way his tours cut to the chase, saving time, effort and money for the traveller whilst taking potential customers directly to the dealer.