My next stop after seeing Ken Bull’s amazing collection of Mordan pencils was a darkened, quietly calm room where I met with a cool towel for my brow, more than one glass of something white and chilled, and a comfy chez longue. Once my equilibrium had been restored, it was back to Masterpiece to see […]
This year seems to be flying past already, and I’m now well into my list of Antiques Roadshows that I’m attending this season. Most recently, I travelled to Scarborough where the Roadshow was held in the Victorian grandeur of the Spa. I usually switch between the Collectables and Miscellaneous tables, but this time I was […]
Family duties abroad called, so we travelled to Berlin this weekend, spending Saturday looking after the banker’s 26 month old nephew. After a visit to Berlin zoo, plenty of trips on the U-bahn, and a long walk (guided solely by our little ward), we were more exhausted than he was! I did manage to steal […]
Nobody knows everything, and you ought to run away from anyone who says they do. I know very little about tiles, it’s a very specialist market. But a specialist market that is growing in size and appeal as more choose to use antique tiles in fireplaces or hallways or, in fact, all over the house. […]
The Britain’s Best Antiques Shop awards came to an exciting climax last week at The Bath Decorative Antiques Fair. Organised by Homes & Antiques magazine and Antiques News & Fairs, voting began back in October as part of National Antiques Week. Many thousands of votes were received from across the country – and even from […]
Sometimes in my world, it’s all about ‘dead people’s stuff’. By that, I mean that by virtue of the words ‘antique’, ‘vintage’, or ‘retro’, we tend to focus on things designed and made by people who are sadly no longer with us. That’s the meat and bones of the industry, but it’s refreshing, and correct, […]
As we didn’t manage a holiday this year, and Summer wasn’t exactly hot, the banker and I decided to cash in some air miles and spend New Year in the hot sun of Florida. When I take a holiday, it doesn’t usually take long for that ‘itch’ to set in and for me to start […]
Over the past few years, the mid-century modern look of the 1950s-70s has become THE mainstream look influencing many of our homes. Although many say that the magazine is dead against today’s eReaders and websites, two brave and innovative publishers have launched marvellous magazines focusing on the area. And proving that the magazine isn’t dead, […]
A little while ago, I was interviewed by the team behind Preloved, one of Britain’s largest and fastest growing alternatives to eBay. Celebrating ‘the joy of secondhand’, the company is right up my street and is a great place to search for retro, vintage, and antique, bargains. Anyway, click here to read my interview. I […]
This year’s National Antiques Week (14th-21st October) sees an exciting new nationwide competition – to find Britain’s best antiques shop. And you’re in charge, as the voting is down to you! Even better, entering a vote means you could win one of ten fantastic prizes worth £200 each! The five categories comprise: 1. best antiques […]
Back in June, I was honoured to be asked to travel to Amsterdam to open an all-new exhibition dedicated to Fat Lava. The organisers, Kevin Graham of the Pottery & Glass Forum and Emiel Monnink of Retrominded, had done a wonderful job, with hundreds of different ceramics on display. Pieces ranged from the unique, such […]
Over the past six years, the King’s Lynn Arts Centre has been integral to creation of a number of new international markets in 20thC design. Liz, Nick, Amanda and team there (seen above) have put their full support behind a number of major exhibitions that have launched new areas across the world, including the work […]