There aren't many places these days where you can buy a sparkly Michael Jackson hat, a cricket bat, antiques or original art all under one roof.

But that's what Jordan Middleton has created in the heart of Sittingbourne.

The 30-year-old businessman from Sheppey and his dad Steve, 64, who used to run the clubhouse at Seacliff Caravan Park at Minster, have taken a former pool hall at the top of an abandoned department store and turned it into an Aladdin's cave of knick-knackery.

But Buckleys isn't just an excuse for an indoor boot fair. It boasts new art from some of Swale's best crafters and a selection of children's clothes sadly lacking elsewhere in the town.

It is still a bit of a secret. Its entrance, opposite the now-shut New Century cinema, can be a little misleading as the words "pool, snooker, darts, nightlife" remain clearly visible. But persevere by climbing the stairs, or taking the lift, and a new world opens before your eyes.

Visitors are welcomed by a coffee bar which is staffed on a rota by the stall holders.

Jordan has disposed of the snooker tables and replaced them with a series of cubicles, a bit like London's Covent Garden, and rents them out to 30 budding entrepreneurs.

Kirsty Stevenson, from Conyer, is selling homemade K Wax candles, soap and bath bombs from her booth. She said: "This is a great idea. There is no way I could afford the overheads of a shop but this way I can have a presence on the high street."

Sittingbourne mum-of-six Rita McDonald, 53, has taken two plots for her Lavish Patch children's clothes.

She said: "I started selling clothes during the Covid-19 lockdown after getting bored with home-schooling and because I found it very difficult to buy for children aged from birth to 14 in the town.

"The business has grown from there. I've tried the Friday market but that can be badly affected by the weather. This way, shoppers can find my goods all week."

Down the corridor is Cllr Ken Rowles who has taken a cubicle to sell off part of his vintage camera collection. The rest is on show at the Swale Media Centre across the road.

The filmmaker, who admits to remembering the premises when they were owned by Hulburd's, said: "This is a great idea. It is helping to bring this end of the High Street to life, especially now we have lost the cinema. It deserves all our support."

That will certainly help Kaspa's dessert restaurant which is next door.

But the true delight is browsing through various cabinets in search of long lost treasures from yesteryear like crockery, records, watches, renovated furniture, a discarded drum pedal, that cricket bat and MJ's hat.

You just can't Beat It...