Lace

When it comes to period costume antique footwear can often command some of the strongest prices.

Recently my son Phil Swift (Antique Laces – stall 1 Portobello Road) sold a piece of antique lace via the internet to a lady who lived in Kyiv (Ukraine).

Anne Swift and her son Phil run Swift Antique Lace, trading from a stall in London’s Portobello Road antiques market.

Betty Mendes, who has died peacefully aged 90, was one of the leading lights in the field of antique lace and textiles.