George Johnson owns Lady Kentmores antique & collectable shop in Callander it is very different from the majority antique shops that you might come across. But what else could you expect from someone who has a mission to make antiques and collectables;

"The New Rock'n'Roll"

His life goal is to inject the antiques trade with a shot of fun and quirkiness. He started trading in antiques from an early age and has knowledge in the traditional aspects of the market,but its the quirky side that he finds really interesting. From 1970s platform shoes to 15th Century Pirates chests, He loves anything different.

"Antiques can be great fun"

George has a great presence and personality that shines through, with a younger flamboyant edgy style. George has written about vintage items and antiques for many magazines and newspapers. He also writes a regular antiques feature for Antiques Info magazine which is available from W.H.Smith and all other good retailers.

You might have seen George on television in various antiques programs including the BBC Antique Roadtrip program.

George is an expert antiques picker, whether its beating down bargains at car boots sales to collecting collectables at country houses George loves the frill of the chase and the possibility that he might strike gold with that fantastic find, he goes a far as describing himself as a;

"Modern Day Treasure Hunter" 

 

 One of George's missions is to get a new generation involved and interested in the antiques trade, Antiques is seen by a lot of younger people as dull and uninteresting but George is slowly changing attitudes to the trade by showing people the quirky and sometimes even weird side to his trade.

George says "even though I love traditional antiques and collect many traditional items myself including Royal worcester, meissen and fine silver, I also find myself drawn to the weird and strange side as well. I love Victorian mourning items and old medical objects and equipment"

"The stranger the antique object the more interested I am,

I can't help but be curious. I suppose I'm just like my namesake Curious George"

A lot of George's quirky style and tastes stem from his unique background, he learnt the ropes in the trade from his mother who was a dealer of Royal Worcester and fine porcelain, George accompanied her around Portobello antiques market and other places since before he could walk, he very quickly fell in love with the trade and its quirky characters.

George's family are all Traveling Showman and he can trace his family back over hundreds of years within this unique business and this is a background George is very proud of. His early years were spent living in a showmans living wagon and he fondly remembers the care free childhood this enabled him to have. The love of Fairground items has stayed with him and he loves dealing in fairground & circus antiques.

 

So after a life time buying and selling antiques and collectables George finally set up shop four years ago and Lady Kentmores Antiques was born. George's ambition was to set up an antiques and collectables shop were serious collectors could find fantastic items but it would still be appealing to non-collectors as well. His forsight paid off as Lady Kentmores quickly became a must see destination for both groups.  BBC Homes & Antiques Described the shop as;

"Fabulously eclectic"