Last week I attended the wonderful Antiques For Everyone Fair at the NEC, Birmingham, along with Judith Miller. Held three times a year, it’s the largest vetted fair in the UK, attracting hundreds of dealers, and tens of thousands of buyers and collectors. This time around, Judith and I had been asked to help with […]
Last Saturday saw the launch of the first ever exhibition and book dedicated to Caithness Glass and the work of its co founder and first designer Domhnall ÓBroin. Over 300 pieces of glass from the Cooley Collection were beautifully displayed at Broadfield House Glass Museum, covering fifty years of world-renowned design since the company was […]
I’ve never been a prize before, let alone a first prize! Last Thursday, Judith Miller and I visited the Bath Decorative & Antiques Fair to give a personal tour of the fair to 6 of their competition winners. They also received a bottle of vintage champagne, and a free Miller’s book. One lucky couple also […]
#TT #antiquesroadshow #antiquestweetshow – all these hash tags and more were flying around the internet last night as Antiques Roadshow became one of the top topics being talked about across the world on Twitter for the first time. Of course, a large percentage of the tweets were from people questioning why it was trending, thus […]
Since the nationwide National Antiques Week campaign last November, I’ve had a lot of emails asking me where the chair I’m sitting on in the poster (below) came from. That particular example is owned by the photographer who took the shot, Graham Rae, but I’m delighted to say that if you like it, it’s not […]
It’s not that I’ve been lazy since the New Year (doesn’t that seem like a long time ago?!) with my blog. It’s just that my time has been completely taken up with my next book – on Caithness Glass. Although planning started over two years ago, for various reasons I wasn’t able to start it […]
My main reason for visiting the Czech Republic last week was to attend the opening of a major retrospective exhibition of the work of eminent Czech glass designer and maker Frantisek Vizner. I was kindly invited as the guest of the Ajeto Glassworks, whose smart and spacious museum in Novy Bor was the location of […]
Could you become Britain’s next Antiques Master? The BBC are searching for passionate amateur antiques aficionados to take part in the second series of their quiz hosted by my good friend Eric Knowles and much-loved comedienne and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig. Contestants battle it out over a series of exciting challenges using amazing antiques to prove […]
I’ve just got back from visiting our stand at the wonderful Winter Olympia Fine Art & Antiques Fair in London, where I’ve been supporting this year’s National Antiques Week. As you can see, the campaign has enjoyed a terribly smart stand, courtesy of the venerable LAPADA antique dealers’ association. If you don’t know Olympia’s legendary […]
This Sunday was spent at the last glass fair of this year – the National Glass Fair at the Motorcycle Museum just outside Birmingham. This fair is perhaps the most prestigious and best known of the superb fairs run by Paul Bishop & Christina Glover of Specialist Glass Fairs. But there are plenty more planned […]
National Antiques Week aims to promote antiques, vintage and collecting. Over the past year, a growing number of young people have seen the value and individuality of antiques, and the thrill of the hunt, and begun to buy antiques and vintage pieces for their homes. Furthermore, a report commissioned by the antiques trade from industry […]
Research into ‘new’ areas of collecting is always an immensely valuable activity for so many reasons. When I first went out to Canada six or so years ago, my eye was caught by a number of extravagant and elegant glass bowls and vases in a rainbow of vibrant colours. You can see an example here. […]