Vintage view: Clever uses for antique and vintage buys

It’s the spring season yet again, and if you’re doing up a dump and sick to death of trawling the high street glamour hangars — rejoice.

Enriched by a dozen house clearances, the general antique auction can throw up just about anything, from an unrecognised period gem to a pram load of typewriters and a vintage car.

The lion’s share of the bidding will be for a tangled ballast of everything else and prices are often on the floor for good strong furnishings that are useful all over the house.