 Do you have an eye for style and a concern for the environment? Then the place to go is Ripley Castle and the upcoming Home Restoration & Salvage Show held on 18th and 19th May.
Recognising the growing trend in true reclamation and recycling, the show is an Arthur Swallow initiative that takes place twice a year at two different venues – the famous Ripley Castle in Yorkshire and the popular Cheshire Showground near Knutsford.
With large displays of reclaimed objects, statuary, upcycled furniture and innovative products, it’s the occasion to find real treasures imbued with history and character.
Exhibitor Fulbeck Woods are planning a show-stopping stand for visitors, from kitchen units to large industrial style tables. The showcase will include a new range of furniture that looks identical to large cast iron machine bases – but with a twist – they’re all made from old metalwork, roof beams and waste wood (where possible).
Large metalwork furniture is not only expensive but also extraordinarily heavy. These transformed pieces are accessible to the masses, easy to manoeuvre and send a message of support to a sustainable environment. Now that’s the way to shop!
The Ripley Castle event will be 50 per cent larger than last year, with over 70 stalls outside, and in the marquee and shopping arcade.
www.arthurswallowfairs.co.uk
 Michael Delage-Pandeli is a very familiar face on the fairs circuit for buying and selling good quality watches; but did you know that he also has a shop?
Now celebrating its first year on Trinity Street, The Mews not only stocks a greater selection of watches than you’ll find at a typical antiques fair, but also a good selection of fine jewellery including named pieces by designers such as Cartier, Tiffany, Van Cleef and Arpels.
These items are complemented by a selection of British pottery, Lalique glass and antique silver. The stock changes weekly and there’s always something of interest on offer; for example at the moment Michael has a Meiji period Japanese bronze tiger, and a leather bound illustrated copy of The Song of Hiawatha from the 1890s. In fact you can buy nice things from as little as £15, such as a Caithness paperweight, or spend up to £10,000 for a Patek Philippe watch! This month he has a rare 1960s Patek Philippe 3468 in 18ct gold, a Breitling 808 2-dial Chronomat with slide rule bezel, and also a Jaeger Le-Coultre Reverso Night and Day two time zone watch.
You can see all of these and more at the shop, which is open from Wednesday to Saturday, or you can view the collection on his website. You can also see them ‘in the flesh’ at the next Shepton Mallet Antique Fair on May 11th and 12th – Michael can be found in his usual spot in the Showering Pavilion, or turn to the advert on page 14 for full contact details.
www.skjwatches.co.uk.
 When Rachel Skentelbery opened Saltram Auctions and Emporium in a fantastic Grade 2 listed railway depot back in March, she couldn’t have ever imagined just how quickly her new venture would take off.
The building offers 6,000 square feet of space, which lends itself beautifully to an emporium of dealers, while auctions and antiques fairs take place each month; and after all that, you can also grab a drink in the cafe? area and relax in a comfy Chesterfield suite.
To combine your visit with one of the monthly auctions or fairs, turn to the advertisement on page 4 to find out more.
 Any visitor to Cornwall will leave with picturesque memories of the Duchy, be it for the natural beauty, the old tin mines or the rugged coastline. Any of these reasons are steeped in history and past times can also be rekindled by objects and curios. Perhaps there is no better place to discover these than at one of the many antique and collectable fairs held in Cornwall.
AFC fairs organise events at four regular venues, so there is no excuse not to visit one – traders from all over the South West sell all kinds of items varying from stamps to furniture.
The permanent base for AFC fairs is at Antique Alley, which can be found at the Cornish Market World in Par near St Austell. It opened some four years ago and has been so successful that it has had to be re-housed. Open every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year, during the summer months Wednesdays are also included.
On every last Sunday of the month, traders can also be found in Pensilva, a small village near Liskeard and nestled on the edge of the beautiful Bodmin Moor. With around 60 stalls, its closeness to Devon sees a slightly different variety of traders and exclusive jewellery stands are often found here.
The Golf Resort at St Mellion is the location of another fair. Held three times a year, high-end antiques are often on offer. Dates vary so it is advisable to check the AFC website for further information.
The Royal Cornwall Showground at Wadebridge is the location for AFC’s bi-annual Antique & Collectable Fair, which takes place on the Friday and Saturday of the August Bank Holiday. This massive fair includes stalls inside and out.
Additionally this year a Craft, Shabby Chic & Retro fair is held in a new building. This established fair is not only the biggest event of its kind in the South West but it also has been the location for the filming of one of the Bargain Hunt episodes.
Last Easter, around 5,000 visitors came along to enjoy the food, entertainment and of course the wide variety of bargains offered.
www.afcfairs.co.uk
 Charlie Campbell, the organiser of Cothay Manor’s Fine Art, Decorative & Antiques Fair, looks at our love affair with antiques and discusses why it’s such an ageless hobby. “As I sat on the hospitality bus that collected various members of the public to take them to the NEC Antiques For Everyone the other day I took a look around, curious to see who was on the bus with me; it was a mixture of men and women between 50 and 80 years old – I thought how marvellous the human spirit is. Perhaps it’s arrogant and some- what naive of me to say, after all I am only 40, but just that lovely sense of expectancy on their faces, the anticipation of finding a gorgeous antique to buy, whether an octogenarian or not, that col- lecting bug had obviously bitten and is something that all collectors and dealers have in common.
“I know that’s why we set up our fair at Cothay Manor four years ago, because of that inveterate bug that I happen to share with my mother; and by the way we are now on our seventh fair!
“My mother who is not an octogenarian either, and in my mind never will be, has a marvellous saying: ‘Thrifty till 50 and spend till the end...’ Looking around on that bus I came to the conclusion that all of us in the antiques world should keep that rather wonderful motto in the forefront of our minds!
“Whilst at the NEC, I asked Keith Richards (of Keith Richards Antiques not the Rolling Stones) what started him off? He must be younger than me (with less wrinkles anyway), he said that when he was young, he had been taken by his parents to endless antiques fairs and had by osmosis grown to love them. One day he was able to afford a couple of silver spoons, and when he later sold them for a profit, he found himself hooked!”
So, if you’ve also got the collecting bug and find yourself scouring the countryside for a quality antiques fair set in the most beautiful surroundings, then a visit to Cothay Manor between May 24th and 26th will certainly help to fuel your passion!
www.cothaymanor.co.uk
 International Antiques & Collectors Fairs Ltd’s (IACF), latest addition to their calendar took place on Monday 15th April and was heralded a great success by stallholders and buyers alike.
The Stoneleigh One Day Monday Antiques & Collectors Fair had over 300 stalls completely filling two new halls, and overflow to a third building!
“We were adamant that we wanted the Stoneleigh event to have as good a start as possible”, explained Keith Harris, IACF Director. “We were eager for our customers – both stallholders and buyers – to experience the fantastic facilities at this phenomenal Midlands venue, so we put measures in place to encourage a high attendance.”
The next fair will take place on Monday 16th September and a further two-day outing will take place on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd November.
“We wanted to give those dealers for whom a one day fair just isn’t suitable, the opportunity to experience the Stoneleigh event”, continued Keith. “By incorporating a Saturday we are also allowing buyers who would normally be at work to attend. We are trying out different for- mats to see what works best and feedback is welcome as we would like to tailor Stoneleigh to suit all.”
For further information about IACF’s entire event portfolio and full contact details turn to page 27.
www.iacf.co.uk
It is said that if a business or event can survive a hard financial recession then its future can only go from strength to strength. Dovehouse Fine Antiques Fairs is one such organisation. Sisters, Debbie and Jane Alexander, who opened their first fair in Cobham in 2012, will be celebrating their first year of trading this June. Surrey-based, The Cobham Fine Antiques Fair has stuck with a philosophy which provides a good quality monthly fair full of good quality antiques but at affordable prices.
Praise has been regularly expressed by the public, dealers and exhibitors on the standard of antiques exhibited and the organisation of each event. Promotion using print and the internet has also been essential to the fairs on-going success along with good AA signage.
Situated in an affluent part of the commuter belt, minutes from the M25 and A3, the village hall venue is well positioned, offering a bright open space, (with an extension due to open), free parking and a cafe?. Exhibitors present antiques that cover all creative mediums from fine art to furniture, silver, jewellery, decorative arts, ceramics and glass. In addition exhibitors are happy to offer their specialist knowledge and experience to buyers.
The next event is Saturday 18th May – enquires can be made to Jane Alexander on 07952 689717 or email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
 Two C’s return to the Chateau Impney Hotel for the first of their two fairs in 2013 on Saturday and Sunday 18th/19th May. This is a really good venue due to its size and location. Firstly, it holds 80 stands comfortably, and gives plenty of room to view items and allow wheelchair access. It comprises of a main hall, a further room know as the Kings Suite that runs parallel with the main room, and includes two walkways linking it up with the main room plus a small annexe, whilst there are further stands in the Foyer.
The location is very central, only a mile off the Droitwich exit of the M5 and only a short journey from Birmingham, the Cotswolds, Bristol, Wales, Staffordshire and Cheshire. It will be well signposted from the motorway, however it’s
such an impressive building, that you’d be hard pushed to miss it as you drive towards Droitwich! The Fair has been fully booked from October last year and should offer visitors a good mix of disciplines with something to suit all pockets. If you’re looking for furniture, there are dealers in oak and country, fine mahogany and inlaid pieces to Arts and Crafts and superb Art Deco furniture.
For lovers of glass this is also well represented from the 18th to 20th century, along with a large selection of fine jewellery, watches, linen, textiles and costume, paintings, militaria, gardenalia, lighting and all manner of ephemera.
If you want to make an ‘antiques weekend’ of it, the hotel is offering a special rate for visitors to the fair, which also includes entry to the event; make sure you quote the Antiques Fair Rate, when booking. There are also several hotels nearby should the Chateau be fully booked – you can phone the organisers Ben or Stephanie who will help you organise accommodation.
www.twocsantiquesfairs.co.uk
|
 This year, Towy Antiques Fairs is pleased to announce a completely new fair of a somewhat different nature to their usual events. In conjunction with the Trustees of Picton Castle, the Pembrokeshire Antiques Fair will be staged at this picturesque venue on Saturday and Sunday, 1st and 2nd June.
Although on quite a different scale to their usual showground events, Carmarthen-based organisers Towy Antiques Fairs were approached by the Director of Picton and tempted, not only by the picturesque setting, but by the impressive track record of well-attended events that already take place in the castle in this prosperous part of West Wales.
With just 40 selected dealers, stands will be laid out in the purpose-built exhibition galleries at the castle as well as within the castle itself. This new venue has proved popular with dealers and already some three-quarters of the stand space has been taken up with some well-known names heading the exhibitor’s list.
Visitors can expect a good cross-section of antiques and genuine collectors’ items including some excellent silver, jewellery, textiles, books, country artefacts and ceramics. Towy organisers Robert and Carol Pugh are excited at the prospect of this new addition to their calendar.“We feel there is great potential in this part of West Wales for a smaller, selective fair which Pembrokeshire people can regard as their own; and obviously our dealers agree. We have been delighted with the enthusiasm with which they are taking up the stands. But it won’t be exclusive. Lots of good quality yes, but also lots of affordable and interesting things to buy!”
Picton has a strong following of regular visitors who already enjoy other prestige events at the castle, and it is this, together with Towy’s own loyal following of collectors and buyers, which should prove a winning combination for this new fair. Already plans are in place to make this an annual event.
Located just three miles from Haverfordwest, admission to the Pembrokeshire Antiques Fair will include access to Picton’s lovely gardens (which should be at their best in June), as well as the castle. There is plenty of parking and refreshments available.
www.towyevents.co.uk
 May is with us once again and with it comes the long- awaited Hyson Garden Fairs in Budleigh Salterton on the 5th, and Chagford on the 25th ( Topsham will be on the 2nd June).
For those of you who can’t wait to start gardening again this year, these fairs are a delight – lots of wonderful plants, garden furniture etc, in fact anything and everything to do with the garden from palms to pots.
Hyson Fairs also have their Exeter Flea Market on the 11th May which will also include items for the garden.
Finally don’t forget the regular Flea Markets at Budleigh Salterton on Thursdays (not 2nd or 30th May) and Chagford on Fridays, both open till 1pm.
www.hysonfairsltd.co.uk
 Following on from last month’s magazine when we announced the Walton House Antiques grand opening on Friday 19th April of their new in-house Contemporary Gallery – we thought we’d find out just how well their celebrations went.
“What a fantastic opening to our new gallery”, commented part-owner Nicholas Arkell, “We had over 300 people through the door in three hours, with good sales in the gallery and several good sales in the antiques department as well.”
There was live music for the preview held on the evening and a great jazz band on the Saturday, interspersed with canapés and champagne. On Saturday the show carried on with apparently both new and old clients arriving and making purchases on the day.
With the expansion, the shop now has 3,000 square feet of space and really is a great destination for serious antiques hunters and interested browsers.
Nicholas Arkell Adam Gallimore and Paul Gafney look forward to greeting Antiquexplorer readers in their shop over the coming year.
www.waltonhouseantiques.co.uk
 The pretty market town of Crewkerne with its attractive honey-coloured neo-Georgian architecture, has undergone quite a few changes over the past year as far as the world of antiques, collectables and vintage is concerned.
Although it offers all the amenities you’d expect from a modern day market town, including a new supermarket, various pubs and a Farmers’ Market, there are also a variety of small and independent businesses, such as Crewkerne Antiques Centre, which is one of the most established antiques haunts in the town. Here you can find everything from small gifts to large items of furniture, with 30 display cabinets spread over two floors. They also have a wonderful range of garden furniture, statues, pots and ornaments, which is a must see for anyone looking for practical, elegant and decorative items.
In contrast, the Vintage Thrift Market is the newest shop in town. When Julia Henry decided to turn an empty and neglected former tobacconist and sweet shop in West Street, into a charming up-cycled shop, she couldn’t have imagined how well it would be received.
Julia said the whole concept for her was that there would be no contracts; everyone’s rent is all-inclusive on a month’s notice that gives them a real chance to try it out. She’s also offering hanging space for artists in the stair- well for a nominal fee. “Everything I needed for the shop I got locally - the floor paint, fixtures and fittings. I really believe local businesses should support each other.”
When she started to offer small units within the property, the first to take her up on the shop was Dan Wakeman who has opened AMOS, a haven for boy’s toys, where he has everything from chairs decoupaged with old Beano pages to lamp stands decorated with an assortment of plastic cartoon characters. Another of the dealers to join was Methuselah Antiques who specialises in commemorative china and ephemera, amongst studio pottery, Cornishware and vintage model locomotives. The ‘new kid on the block’ is Steve who has just opened Art in the Market, specialising in modern art, original paintings, lithographs, and a range of very interesting antiquites - all at very reasonable prices.
This shared approach to taking on retail space seems to be the in-thing in Crewkerne at the moment. Heading out of town on South Street, towards Lawrences Auctioneers, you’ll find Antiques Bazaar. Regular readers will already be well aware of this friendly collaborative trading centre that brings a good mix of antiques, vintage and retro goods together. Although a relatively new antiques centre, they’re obviously firmly placed on the antiques map, as they’ve already been visited by the BBC 7th series of Antiques Road Trip.
This month, they’ve announced the opening of their new cafe? - The Home Bakery - undertaken by Laura Taylor, who is an artisan baker and member of the Real Bread Society. Laura is brandishing her rolling pin seven days a week, offering good honest food freshly made on site and locally sourced. There will be breakfast, lunch and hot and cold drinks (including ‘proper’ coffee from the Clifton Coffee Company), plus cakes and snacks throughout the day.
So, if you haven’t been to Crewkerne for a while, perhaps now is the time to re-visit, you won’t be disappointed!
An important collection of hundreds of volumes of books, The Phelps/Clifford ‘Gloucestershire Collection’ comes up for sale at Chorley’s on Thursday, 16th May, with estimates ranging from £20 - £2,000.
The ‘Gloucestershire Collection’ of books relating to the major histories of the county of Gloucester, biographies of eminent local persons and the natural history of the area, represent the bulk of a collection built up over four generations of the Phelps and Clifford families.
The original collection formed part of the extensive private library of John Delafield Phelps (1764-1842), a Gloucestershire landowner and mill owner, who lived at Chavenage House near Tetbury. Phelps, along with Earl Spencer and the Duke of Sutherland, was one of the 18 founding members of the Roxburghe Club - a group of collectors and bibliophiles - formed at a dinner during the 46-day sale of the Duke of Roxburghe’s library in 1812.
Highlights include a rare first edition of Annalia Dubrensia – upon the yeerely celebration of Mr Robert Dover’s Olimpick Games upon Cotswold-Hills, published 1636. Robert Dover (1575/82–1652) was a lawyer and author but it is as the founder of the Cotswold Olimpick games that he is best remembered.
Originally from Norfolk he studied at Cambridge before moving to Saintbury, near Chipping Campden in 1611. Shortly afterwards he founded his annual games in the Cotswolds above Chipping Campden, which he oversaw for 40 years.
Annalia Dubrensia is a literary celebration of the games which coined the term ‘Cotswold Olimpicks’ and contains poetic tributes to Robert Dover. Events at the games included physical challenges of wrestling, running and jumping while attendees could also play cards or enjoy horse racing. A temporary structure was erected known as Dover’s Castle which contained the starting cannon used to signal the beginning of events.
For further details regarding the sale contact Catrin Hampton on 01452 344499 or email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
From mid-April you can view the fully illustrated on-line catalogue at www.simonchorley.com
 The next, intriguingly titled antiquesintents fair at Burton Court in Herefordshire will take place on Sunday 19th May. This will be their twelfth one-day quality antiques fair, the first was held at Hampton Court Castle in 2009.
Many well-known, and now familiar exhibitors will again be offering the usual selection of traditional, decorative and quirky items, from country furniture, folk art, textiles and garden furniture to ceramics, silver and jewellery. Forty stands will be presented in a marquee on the lawns as well as within the rooms of the house. The cafe? will be serving delicious home made cakes and light lunches and there is also a bar.
The new venue and now permanent home, is Burton Court, Eardisland (Satnav: HR6 9DN). This lovely country house set in beautiful countryside, has all the excellent facilities necessary to perfectly compliment this very popular event.
www.antiquesintents.co.uk
 March went with a resounding bang of the auctioneers gavel, when a pair of Georgian library globes dated 1816 by Cary were knocked down at Carmarthen Auction House Peter Francis. They came from a local country house from which the auctioneers had sold a large consignment in both of their March auctions.
They were expected to raise £20,000 to £30,000 due to condition issues including the loss of the original compasses in the bases, but they sailed past the estimate to £50,000 (plus premium).
Other highlights in the catalogued sale included a massive ebonised, 19th century bracket clock which realised £3,000; an interesting 19th century painting of Laugharne by William Pitt which made £2,400, and a spectacular pair of Copeland Parian porcelain figures emblematic of ‘Night’ and ‘Day’ which realised a total of £2,950 despite significant repair and damage. A cannon barrel made £1,700 and a Clarice Cliff ‘Summer House’ jug made £1,400 after much competition on the phone and internet. Furniture was more subdued but a rare 18th century Carmarthen longcase clock by an unknown maker made £1,000 for a local museum.
Earlier in the month a country house ‘attic’ sale produced a huge reaction with a packed saleroom and massive internet presence. There were over 800 lots, all sold without reserve, and many left their modest estimates far behind. The day was led by a big silver tray at £3,000, followed by a massive (but broken) Dresden centre piece at £2,300, various Chinese and Japanese porcelain items up to £2,100, a delightful Asprey’s silver wax seal set at £1,150, and some vintage board games at £1,050 (which stunned the crowd!). The sale total more than doubled expectations and £40,000 came from online bidders alone.
The two March sales together totalled close to £250,000 – a record for the firm and a reflection of the huge amount of hard work put in by their dedicated small team.
This month sees two more diverse sales, where close to 2,000 lots will be on offer in all price ranges. Full contact details for Peter Francis can be found on page 13.
 The 49th Buxton Antiques Fair returns to The Buxton Pavilion for a four-day extravaganza, which starts on the 16th May in the historic Pavilion Gardens building located near the centre of town.
Featuring exhibitors from across the UK, this annual event attracts collectors from across the Midlands and North of England and is widely regarded as one of the major events in the calendar of the UK art and antiques market.
The fair offers something for every- one, from classic jewellery, silver and ceramics to fine paintings, period furniture, copper and brass, bronze Art Deco statuary, Persian rugs, fine glass, impressive mirrors, medical and scientific instruments, antiquarian maps and prints; Chinese and Japanese collector’s items and much more.
Among the many fascinating stands will be a display of antiquities belonging to AB Antiquo, who specialise in early Chinese pottery from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD221), Tang Dynasty (AD 618- 906), Song Dynasty (1254-1324) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Among the pieces on display will be large earthen- ware glazed pottery camels, tomb figures, models of mythical dragon creatures, storage jars and vases, with prices from less than £100 to more than £10,000.
Exhibiting at the fair for the first time will be leading London Art Deco special- ist Hickmet Fine Art who sell the work of the finest bronze sculpture designers of the period, including Demetre Chiparus (1888-1947), who used dancers from The Ballet Russes to model for his figurines; Fritz Ferdinand Preiss (1882-1943), whose figures captured the spirit of the 1920s and 30s; and Otto Poertzel (1876- 1935), whose many early works featured in the salons of the German Royal courts.
The are too many dealers to mention, however you are guaranteed a good selection of furniture, jewellery and porcelain specialists, alongside Persian rugs and carpets, period silver and fine art.
Admission to the fair is £5 and the open hours will be 11am to 5pm daily, with a special opening reception of refreshments and canapés.
www.cooperevents.com
|
