IF the Victorian costumes, fun and entertainment in this weekend’s Ulverston Dickensian Festival encourages you to take home an authentic souvenir - then the Coronation Hall has the answer.

Today, from 9am, it is hosting an antiques and collectables fair as part of the extensive festival programme of events.

You can expect to see stalls filled with hundreds of vintage books, items of jewellery, glass, silver and ceramics.

In past years the Coronation Hall has hosted a filming session for the BBC Antiques Roadshow and many charity valuation days and specialist fairs for collectors and gift hunters.

In October 2000 Willy Stanton, a member of the Lifeboat Ladies Guild turned up at Barrow's Abbey House Hotel in a vintage sea survival suit.

It was never going to be worth a fortune but added some extra fun for the Sothebys Cumbria valuer Judith Heelis at a valuation day organised by the RNLI.

There was a similar event held in September 2000 at the Ulverston Heritage Centre when auctioneers Howard Whitaker and Jim Newby provided the appraisals for items brought in by members of the public.

They included Christine Woodburn, of Ulverston, who had an oriental lacquered glove box from around 1930.

An interesting venue can add to the attraction of an antiques fair and in November 1995 one was held inside Holker Hall, near Cark.

Organiser Robert Bailey was delighted with the numbers of people who attended the event, including 800 on the first day.

He said: "People are buying small items of furniture and paintings. People are really spending.

"It's a lovely venue in the hall with log fires burning."

The Mail, on November 13, noted: "Antiques dealers from throughout the country turned up over the weekend to show their wares, including silver, portraits, clocks, jewellery and furniture.

"Prices started from around £15 for antique maps to a cool £3,000 to £4,000 for oil paintings.”

A more unusual host for an antiques appraisal day was the Invincible car showroom on Barrow’s Holker Street.

It was visited by expert David Dockree, of auctioneers Phillips, in March 1991.

Quality items brought in included burr walnut breakfast table worth £1,000.