Angel Strawbridge

If ever there was a vintage-clad, firey redhead that knew how to bring all the glam of the golden years to life, it's Angel Strawbridge. Angel has written down her well-honed insight for all things 'tea party' so that everyone can share the magic f this timeless era anywhere and for any occasion.

Angel's eye for beautiful things began at the age of thirteen, when she started acquiring fur jackets, jewelled bags and glamorous hats from the vintage eras. A market stall followed and when the stall couldn't cope anymore, Angel moved to a big converted school house in Bethnal Green. It was here in 2001 that she launched The Vintage Experience, where Angel offered advice, styling and hand-picked vintage delights for her clients - as well as providing them with delicious cakes! The Vintage Experience lasted for seven years. When this could grow no more, the Vintage Patisserie brand was born.

Angel appeared on BBC Two's Dragon's Den in 2010 and instantly became the face to remember when she was offered a £100k investment from Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis for developing her website and business, The Vintage Patisserie (http://www.vintagepatisserie.co.uk).

In the same year, Angel met and fell in love with ex-Army colonel, engineer, inventor and author, Dick Strawbridge. Life moved quickly! They are now married and have two children, Arthur and Dorothy. The Strawbridges have embarked on the renovation project of a lifetime in rural France, bringing the fairytale 19th-century Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson back to life. Together they make quite a team and their adventures in craft, vintage weddings, engineering and all things DIY can be seen in the popular Channel 4 series Escape to the Chateau.