Salvo Fair, held from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 June 2015, Europe's largest salvage event had a record 1,300 tonnes of reclaimed, salvaged and antique items delivered to site during the build up yesterday, including over 25 artic loads of material - the most displayed in its 18 year history which this year includes the original cast iron gothic balustrade from London's iconic Westminster Bridge.
 
Salvo Fair 2015 features rescued architectural elements, garden and decorative salvage from dozens of UK and European dealers, alongside Tiny Salvaged Spaces, an exhibition inspired by the trend towards small spaces for living, relaxing and working. First-time buyers struggling to purchase a home might be inspired by small houses that are not only more affordable, but also ecologically friendly. Maria Speake of Retrouvius will be signing copies of their book 'Reclaiming Style' which features the reclaimed garden cabin Retrouvius built for DJ George Lamb. Posing questions like 'why should men have all the sheds?', Gill Heriz, author of 'A Woman's Shed' will also be signing books.
 
Noteworthy at the fair this year, and all for sale, will be:
 
1. The original 1854 cast iron gothic balustrade from Westminster Bridge
 
2. A tin tabernacle church, and other tiny salvaged spaces
 
3. A masonry spire from a demolished Black Country church
 
4. A rare 1940s showman's wagon (flickr)
 
5. Victorian heritage architectural salvage for sale (flickr)
 
6. A display of restored English Rose kitchens from 1948 to 1960s
 
7. A Victorian gypsy wagon for DIY restoration
 
8. A large stone flour mill and other stone garden antiques
 
9. A collection of De Stijl stained glass from Holland
 
10. A revolving summerhouse and other antique and salvaged buildings
 
12. A display of Victorian and later antique cast iron radiators
 
13. A rare maple and ebony Art Deco panelled room
 
14. A large collection of Victorian and Edwardian front doors
 
This year the fair is being held at Fawley Hill, Henley, on the private estate of Sir William and Lady Judy McAlpine, amid a private (full scale) railway, including an old station and royal railway carriages, and fields of rescue deer and zoo animals. Ironhenge, the backdrop to the Salvo Fair at Fawley Hill, was made by Sir William McAlpine from 32 columns from London's St Pancras station (photo Salvo)
 
Salvo Llp was established in 1991 to promote the trade in architectural salvage rescued from demolished buildings and gardens. The first Salvo Fair was staged in 1997, and in 2006 large parts of the fabulous stone and marble 1903 Baltic Exchange were exhibited at the fair, resulting in its sale to Estonia for £800,000 - the largest reclamation sale since London Bridge was sold to Arizona in 1966. Salvo has undertaken three surveys of the UK trade (BigREc 1997 and 2008, MiniRec in 2012), funded by and presented to the UK government, which showed that the amount reclaimed in some sectors was declining. The UK trade enables salvage reuse which reduces UK carbon emissions by over 3m tonnes CO2 annually.
 
Salvo is a very small business which consists of a nucleus of three people of which two are the partners Thornton Kay and his daughter Ruby Hazael.
 
Thornton Kay