A new chapter
- willa
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Today, no stories about porcelain. Today I am letting you in a major change, the beginning of a new chapter. After nearly 25 years of life in London I will be moving to France in March 2026.
As you are reading this I am probably eating a croissant in my new house in a tiny hamlet in the Limousine, in South-Central France, not far North from Limoges, the French city of porcelain. I haven't moved permanently yet, but will spend a few weeks here to get everything ready to move. Then I'll have about 2 months in London to wrap up life there, and then I'll move - for good!
Why? You ask. Well, there are many reasons why moving to the French countryside is a fabulous thing to do... so I guess the answer is: why not?
Your next question will be: "What is going to change for me?" And the answer is: some things, but not all. I will continue with my business and my website. I will be in a different jurisdiction - but I'll also have access to a whole new market in terms of buying and selling. I will be living near Limoges, which of course is the centre of French porcelain, and I will not be far from a thriving market in beautiful faience from Normandy and Brittany... it is very possible that I might get tempted to try out some new stock!
So how will this work?
Shipping in general:
Shipping options are just as attractive from the French countryside as from London, so I expect to find my preferred shipping channels quickly. I have already noticed that there are more post offices in the French countryside than in London...
Shipping to the UK:
Small boxes that used to cost £10 to ship will end up costing around £20. Unless you are patient and you'll let me take your treasures to the UK in my hand luggage, in which case I can still ship them for the old price. I will be travelling to the UK every 6 weeks or so.
Tarriffs, VAT and duties:
USA: Tarriffs from the UK to the USA have been 10% since April. On British porcelain that will remain the same. On French items it will be 20%.
UK: VAT from France to the UK will be 5%, and there is no import duty on antiques. However, if you let me take your treasure to the UK we can avoid the VAT charge in most cases.
EU: No VAT or duties, so if you are in the EU you will be able to buy without paying VAT at customs, and shipping will also be significantly faster as there won't be the usual Brexit hold-ups at customs.
Australia: no change.
For now... I will resume shipping in January
The shop will be open during the festive period, but I am currently not shipping anything. I will resume shipping after 11 January.
Where to find things
You can find all my available stock here. If you always want to see the latest additions, follow me on Instagram... I post pictures and a story several times a week.
Happy weekend everyone, and I look forward to moving into this next chapter with you all! 🇬🇧🇫🇷
This week's treasures:
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