Shop of the week: Pastimes

It might be easy to miss Pastimes as you head down Lower Park Row. As the name suggests, it has a sense of being from a bygone era: military medals and rifles peering out from behind dim caged windows, chipped paintwork, and opening hours that will leave you stranded on the pavement if you fancy popping in between 1.45pm and 2.45pm.

Get past all of that, though, and you are in for a treat, not least in the form of the shop’s founder and keeper of nearly fifty years, Andy Stevens. A military enthusiast and expert, Andy has been collecting and selling military items since he opened the shop in 1972, and his hoard includes medals, helmets, cap badges, uniform, weaponry, books and commemorative plates.

His stock comes from all over the world: “wherever we can find it – from auctions, private collectors, house pools, fairs,” he says, standing amidst the packed interior of the tiny shop. What is on sale represents all phases of military history, no matter how grizzly: the eagle-eyed punter will spot the swastika pins behind the counter.

RAF, Royal Navy and British Army stable belts

Andy’s passion and vast knowledge for all things military is quietly infectious, and while there is an element of chaos about the shop, you suspect he knows the individual journey of every last button, badge and belt under his care, no matter which heap they are in.

His fascination for the subject began at an early age: “I’ve always been interested in militaria since I was at school.” Afterwards he continued his education, working in the antique trade for several years, before “I went out on my own.” During our conversation Andy’s parallel passion for local memorabilia emerges: “yes I collect Bristol stuff,” he admits somewhat shyly, before an old friend who is passing through the shop quips “but that’s just a personal thing”.

A Martini Henry rifle in the window of the shop

A deactivated Martini Henry rifle sits in the shop window amongst collections of medals and badgesHis customer base is varied, from private collectors to institutions and tourists, though he observes that the latter aren’t a hugely lucrative bunch. “The idea of the rich American is vastly overrated,” he remarks dryly.

Neither is he overly optimistic about the future of his business. “The day of the small shop keeper is gone now with the internet,” he admits, going on to say that he has more success trading at fairs than in daily shop life.

Military pamphlets and magazines dating from 1941

However, to underestimate the impact of seeing the items in the real world would be a mistake. To potter around Pastimes is a historical education; the far wall is lined with antique weaponry, “bayonets and swords from the second world war and back” as Andy puts it. Most have been used in action, and seeing them up close is strangely sobering.

A deactivated Martini-Henry Rifle, used by the British army during the 1870s – marked with a price of £700, making it one of Andy’s most expensive items – sits in the window next to an AK-47 rifle. “It’s welded solid – nothing moves on it, but people buy it for its iconic shape,” Andy says.

Bayonets, swords and antique weaponry adorn the walls of this most unique shop

Whether you are into your militaria or not, Pastimes is a fascinating treasure trove of history, and Andy himself a fountain of knowledge to be drawn from. It is his own unwavering interest and passion for the subject which clearly drives him and Pastimes forward. “You’re always learning. Even now I’m learning. I never stop,” he says.

Pastimes
22 Lower Park Row, Bristol, BS1 5BN
0117 929 9330
www.pastimesahstevens.co.uk