I spent my Summer holiday this year on a very American type of vacation – a road trip. Starting and finishing in Los Angeles, we took in San Francisco, the Napa Valley, Yosemite, Death Valley, Palm Springs, and much, much more. Although it was strictly a holiday, how could a diehard collector like me miss […]
I spent my Summer holiday this year on a very American type of vacation – a road trip. Starting and finishing in Los Angeles, we took in San Francisco, the Napa Valley, Yosemite, Death Valley, Palm Springs, and much, much more. Although it was strictly a holiday, how could a diehard collector like me miss […]
Since picking up this striking poster a few years ago, I’ve been a follower and admirer of the 1980s & 90s work of contemporary French poster designer Gérard Courboulieux, who works under the pseudonym of Razzia. I was delighted to be asked by BBC Homes & Antiques magazine to write a short article on him, […]
Steven Moore, my good friend and Antiques Roadshow colleague called me yesterday. He is Senior Specialist at Newcastle’s Anderson & Garland auction house, and had spotted something in their general auction today that he thought might interest me. And indeed it did – very much. Regular readers of my blog or Collect It magazine will […]
You see something new and unusual once, and it sticks in your mind. By the time you see it a third time, you’re thinking that there’s something more going here than a chance encounter. I’ve collected etchings since I was a geeky schoolboy, when I used to visit a couple of dealers in Guildford’s town […]
I spent yesterday at the excellent Ardingly antiques fair, with my dear friend and Cracking Antiques co-presenter Kathryn Rayward. With the sun in the sky, only a few clouds in site and a small but comfortable sum of money in our pockets, a-hunting we went. And, as ever, Ardingly didn’t disappoint. I was also there […]
On Saturday, it was back down to Surrey for me, as Kathryn and I were invited down to Garsons Farm in Esher, Surrey. We had been asked to open their fantastic annual Food Fair, and sign Cracking Antiques books. Blue skies and blazing sun greeted us – as did a car park packed with cars […]
Phew – what a busy day! I’ve just got back from today’s Antiques Roadshow at the beautiful Hatfield House in Hertfordshire. For once, the location was within easy striking distance from home, so I was able to come back to relax tonight. However, I’ll miss discussing the exciting treasures everyone unearthed across the day over […]
I always enjoy visits back home to see my parents – not only because I get the chance to see and catch up with them, but also because I can return to my old antiques ‘stomping ground’. Times have changed, and many of the shops I used to love hunting for treasures in as a […]
My good collector friends Kath and Eddie, who I first met at the first Fat Lava exhibition organised by Graham Cooley in 2006, are lucky people. But then they also work jolly hard at finding the most amazing pieces and researching them, so they deserve it. I have to admit to turning a rather strong […]
I spent last weekend in Paris and, unusually for me, I didn’t intend to spend any of it in collectors fairs or junk or antique shops – even though the vast wonders of Clignancourt were hardly far away. Much as I love my job (which actually makes up most of my life), we all need […]
Along with so many more traditional collecting areas, Carnival glass seems to have fallen largely out of fashion over the past decade. This is both a shame, as I think it’s a fascinating and visually impactful area, and a wonderful opportunity as falling demand has led to lower prices, making it much more affordable. Visiting […]