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Collector couple fill their house with items from Victorian Britain - including a Penny Farthing

Collector couple Jackie and Graham Reed’s house is a the ultimate time-warp - after they filled it with hundreds of items from the early 19th century.

The history-mad pair have spent their married life hoarding items from Victorian Britain, including penny farthing bicycles, century-old furniture and pre-war food packets.

The couple have items spanning centuries but both have a particular love of 19th century and pre- and post-war Britain.

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Their collection boasts around 100 bicycles - including penny farthings and a ‘Boneshaker’ from 1868.

The couple's 'history house' is also full of antique ornaments, clocks, plates, paintings and even tins and packets of food.

Jackie, 57, a former office worker and housewife of many years, said: 'My husband started collecting bicycles when his aunty gave him one at the age of 16.



Graham, 62, a retired social worker, often takes his penny farthing for a ride and has been known to cause a traffic jam from intrigued motorists taking a quick snap.

Jackie said: 'Our collections reflect our interest in history. We buy items because we just like them, as individual items. We are really passionate about history and for me it is about learning as much as you can.

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'Domestic history is my real love. I like to experiment and mess around with recipes from old magazines using historic cooking utensils. I also collect clothing and I just love to see tiny delicate repairs on Victorian baby bonnets and the hand stitching that would have taken so much time.

'All of my items are on display in the house and one piece that I love is my 1913 Hitchings pram. This pram is a lovely model and became a top ranking pram when Queen Victoria bought three of them.

'In my kitchen I have a 1947 pram which I have used for all my grandsons. I still take Archie out in it because he is still small enough. Some of my prams on display in the house have been paired with a doll from the same era.

'My mum liked my collection of prams. When she died she left me some money and I bought a pram out of that. Every time I see it I am reminded of her.'

The couple, from Leeds, West Yorks., have been married for 40 years this year.

They don't own a computer and prefer the more personal approach to growing their collections.

Jackie said: 'I love going to antiques centres, walking around and then something just clicks when you see it. It may cost £1, it may cost a lot more, But it's about buying a piece that tells me something about the history behind it.'

Both Jackie and Graham do occasional talks about their collections and Graham is considering what he can do with his many bicycles for the much anticipated Tour De France.