HARD TO MISS Passers-by examine Christmas items displayed in the window at 43 Camden Passage, owned by Bob Borzello, in London on Dec. 20. —Agence France-Presse
LONDON, United Kingdom — With its twinkling Christmas fairy lights and nostalgic array of vintage toys, the window of one London “shop” never fails to enchant passers-by.
A Punch and Judy puppet, old board games, model trains and planes, papier mache masks adorn the window of Number 43, Camden Passage in the north London neighborhood of Islington.
Article continues after this advertisementWould-be shoppers intrigued by the quirky collection immediately start searching for the entrance.
gtb77 slotFEATURED STORIES GLOBALNATION South Korea now a 'super-aged society' amid shrinking, aging population GLOBALNATION One nurse’s journey: How a nation loses its caregivers GLOBALNATION South Korea opposition vows to impeach acting presidentBut Number 43 is not a shop and nothing here is for sale—to the huge disappointment of the excited children who press their noses up against the glass.
READ: Objects of desire
Article continues after this advertisementThe adjacent blue door with its festive wreath remains firmly closed and no one answers the bell.
Article continues after this advertisementSandwiched between a Chipotle Mexican grill and a jewelry store, neighboring shopkeepers say people are forever asking where the entrance is.
Article continues after this advertisementIn fact, the property is the former home of Bob Borzello, 88, and the window display is the result of a lifetime obsession with collecting, or “accumulating,” as he prefers to call it.
“Everyone comes and says, ‘Oh look at that, I wonder when they’re open,’” his daughter-in-law Belle Benson, 51, who recently took over the displays with her daughter, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Article continues after this advertisement“People just like it, especially little children,” added Borzello.
The property was once home to a poster shop where Borzello and his former wife sold pin-ups of iconic figures like Che Guevara.
Originally from Chicago, the former businessman and tabloid newspaper editor came to London in the 1960s to study at the London School of Economics.
After a short spell back in Chicago he and his now ex-wife returned to settle in London in 1967 and ran the poster shop and a print business from the property.
AccumulatorAll along, however, Borzello was “accumulating” his vast collection of items picked up in antique shops and junk sales.
“The fun of it is looking around and finding it… a lot of it is just things I find interesting,” he saidroyal888.
A decade ago Borzello began displaying the items, and the window in the property he still owns is now something of an Islington institution.
The toy collection began with airplane models which are soon to be the subject of another themed display.
As well as toys, Borzello has accumulated lots of souvenir items from the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
Other collections include clocks, badges, wedding cake toppers, shop mannequins, his children’s old school reports, even his old COVID tests, which he has lined up next to his phone.
The fireplace in Borzello’s nearby flat is surrounded by all things green, from glass vases and ornaments to ladies’ shoes, hats and necklaces.
He says he thinks he picked up the “collecting gene” from his Italian-American mother and that his children are also collectors in different ways.
Comments from top Federal Reserve officials suggesting they would like to see a slower pace of rate cuts tempered hopes for another bumper cut at the bank’s next meeting, while Middle East worries pushed gold to a new record.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
“My daughter, she’s a ‘mudlark’ and she’s got her whole house filled with things that she’s got from the (River) Thames,” he said, referring to people who search for treasures on the shores of rivers. —Agence France-Presse
READ NEXT Nearly 2 dozen die within a day in Mozambique after disputed p... One nurse’s journey: How a nation loses its caregivers EDITORS' PICK Firecracker victims are mostly children, says DOH 2024 not a very good year for IPOs in PH Pandi mayor’s rape trial suspended for 30 days Rainy Christmas Day to prevail in Luzon due to shear line, amihan EDITORIAL: Hallmarks of Filipino Christmas PH has right to allow US missile system despite China’s opposition – DND MOST READ PH has right to allow US missile system despite China’s opposition – DND Not just ex-President Duterte: House panel flags VP Sara, too Cagayan de Oro family lose 5 members in pre-Christmas road tragedy Peso may further depreciate to 60 vs $1 territory in 2025 Follow @FMangosingINQ on Twitter --> View comments