I first went to the wonderful Lincoln Homes & Antiques Fair last year when Kathryn and I were filming Cracking Antiques for the BBC. I was so taken with it, and the enormous variety on offer, that our runner Simon had quite a task keeping me under control! Although I loved shopping with the Barkers and then the Couplands, I also wanted to shop for myself…I was quite sure that the sparkly thing I could see at the stand at the end was a gem waiting for me to discover…
So I was delighted to find a window in my schedule to visit under my own steam today, and even more delighted to accompany Victor, my art expert and collector friend from New York, who was over for a visit. Annoyingly, the weather was somewhat ‘British’, and the train journey up was spent looking at rain clouds pouring their contents down on the countryside below. Sure enough, when I made it to the event, it was awash. Not at all good for dealers, or indeed the organisers, but potentially good for buyers like me that were prepared to persevere. Armed with my brolly and waterproofs, I strode the full length and breadth of the fair in search of a bargain.
Apart from the fantastic variety and number of dealers, the easy to navigate layout, selection of good quality food outlets (a real rarity at such events), and the indoor shopping area, there’s a really welcoming and positive vibe to this fair that makes it ideal for the beginner. Richard, Helen and the whole team at Arthur Swallow Fairs really do all they can to help you find your own bargain buy, whether you’re a collector or just looking for that special antique or retro something for your home. And my special tip for the event? Once you’ve shopped with the dealers, take a (bit of a) hike up to the ‘Casual Area’ to the left of the Epic Centre building. If you know what you’re looking for it could be well worth it, as there’s every chance that you’ll find a fabulous unidentified treasure…
Mark , we enjoyed a couple of days at the fair before going on to nearby Newark fair , I know the weather was not the best but we still managed to scout out a few choice pieces of pottery and glass , one slight moan however ,was at the Lincoln Fair a lot of traders had sold their stuff the day before public entry , this was because some pretend traders book an outside pitch ,to gain entry the day before, set up with bric a brac, junk,etc., then go a bargain hunt themselves ( or sometimes don’t set up at all ), leaving the odd trader stuck out in desolation row , far from any one else , PS a good place to stay at is the ibis hotel , cheap and close by for both fairs , Jaunty Hearndon and Mark Stacey stayed there while filming PYMWYMI, Eddie N’ Kath