The Travelling Souk Season is upon us. Owners of beautiful manor houses will once more throw open their doors to stall holders and by doing so make money for their chosen charity (10% of each purchase goes to a charity). It is a great way to find special, unusual gifts and products you cannot find in department stores, and at the same time wander around houses that are not normally open to the public.
This year the list is even longer than last and unusually kicks off in May with an event at Leeds Castle on 22nd and 23 May.
The Autumn Diary 2010Â
28th September – Micklefield Hall, Hertfordshire
1st October – Mill Hall, Berkshire
5th October – Frome Valley Vineyard, Paunton Court, Hereford
7th October – Lyford Grange, Oxfordshire
8th October – Kilver Court, Somerset
12th October – Delbury Hall, Shropshire
14th October – Donhead House, Dorset
18th October – Gunthorpe Hall, Rutland
19th  & 20th October – Kimberly Hall, Norfolk
1st & 2nd November – Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire
8th  & 9th November– West Bradfield House, Devon
10th November – The Arundell Arms Hotel, Devon
15th & 16th November – Thyme at Southrop, Southrop Manor, Lechlade
18th November – Knights Hill Hotel, Norfolk
19th & 20th November – Ascot Racecourse
22nd & 23rd November – North Hidden Barn, Berkshire
24th &25th November – Hexton Manor, Hertfordshire
Early December – Parnham House, Dorset
Eighteen one or two day private events are to be held in beautiful houses and exciting venues, like Ascot Race course, during the autumn of 2010. Each event has up to 55 stallholders selling superb quality wares ranging from luxurious cashmere clothes and throws to delicate silver jewellery and ornaments. All can be seen decorating the hosts’ furniture from boot room to bedroom giving the feel of a real Arabian souk.
Travelling Souk events happen all over the UK and have raised well over £300,000 for charity since 2003. Over the years they have travelled the length and breadth of Great Britain, from Dundee to Devon and from Norwich to Newport. Charities that have benefited are many and varied and include, Maggies Cancer Caring Centres, JDRF, Marie Curie Cancer Care, and Help for Heroes.
The magical ingredients that keep visitors coming back to The Travelling Souk can be summed up in three words: location, temptation and sensation. The venues are captivating and extraordinary; unseen manor houses of Great Britain sprinkled with a liberal dose of revamped barns and racecourses.
Tickets for the events are available on the Travelling Souk website. If you are not able to visit an event, you can find many of the exquisite products on www.thetravellingsouk.com supporting The Travelling Souk’s online charities, Breast Cancer Haven and Leonard Cheshire Disability.