An avid collector with a love of all things military and pubs has turned his passion for antiques into a business.
Paul Waterhouse, from Dereham, has opened Norfolk Mantiques and Collectibles at Aldiss Court in his home town.
The ex-soldier has been collecting since he was young, with football stickers and pin badges and then records, before it “snowballed from there".
In the last 15 years, he has started collecting militaria and breweriana (anything to do with pubs) mainly Coca-Cola and Belgian/German beer items.
The 51-year-old worked for Sky TV as an engineer and a team manager for 17 years but decided to take redundancy when offered it last year.
Despite plenty of offers to stay in the industry, he felt the need to come away and after trying other jobs which didn’t suit him he spoke to his partner, family and friends about embarking on his new venture.
“I decided to take the leap of faith,” he said.
“I love spending hours walking around collectors and antique shops looking for anything unusual or something that had a life previously.
"Not necessarily a specific thing, but if I like it, I’ll buy it.
“It's my hobby so to work with what I love is something.”
“Mantiques is a play on words which are manly antiques,” he added.
“Because of my military background and the collection of militaria and my love for pub stuff, I have many items that would be classed as manly. However, there are lots for all genders and ages.”
Since opening, the owner said he had “lots of positive feedback, which tells me I did the right thing".
He is now making his stock turnover high to keep people coming through the door, and trying to stay “one step ahead” of trends.
The shop is also offering rental space in some cabinets if people want to dabble in this industry - people can make enquiries at paul@norfolkmantiques.com
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here