My sharp-eyed friends Marc & Maiken at the excellent Utopia2000 in Germany are currently selling an opaque white large Holmegaard or Kastrup ‘Gulvvase’ designed by Otto Brauer in 1962. In another instance of seeing great vintage design on the small screen, they spotted an identical piece in Emma Peel’s fashionable 1960s house in the first […]
Looking at the pictures here, I’m giving you no guesses about where I spent my Summer holidays this year! Carefully saved air miles were cashed in, and at the end of August the banker and I went on a two week trip across China, a place neither of us had been to before. Although I […]
A few months ago, I wrote a quick blog entry on a particular passion of mine – Mordan propelling pencils. You can read it here. You can imagine my delight when BBC Homes & Antiques magazine commissioned me to write an article on the subject. As well as a history of the company and its […]
…is Richard Long. So I was delighted to finally find the time to visit his first major retrospective at the Tate gallery in London this weekend. At last, the right attention is being paid to someone I consider to be one of the great 20th century artists. I won’t go into his art or the […]
Because: * They look like something has gone terribly wrong with the website. * They do not demonstrate linear thought patterns. *They are confused and confusing. * They are a typical, pretentious Web 2.0 gimmick. * My eyes and head hurt when straining to read the smallest fonts. * Half the population don’t know what […]
Having seen so many prehistoric, neolithic and paleolithic designs on modern ceramics and glass, I’ve often wondered how much these were inspired and driven by the discovery of some caves. In Summer 1940, four French teenagers out walking their dog in the Dordogne discovered a cave, the walls of which were covered with prehistoric cave […]
The grateful guest of a law firm to see Madonna perform at the 02 arena in London on Saturday night, I came across this poignant tribute to the undisputed ‘King of Pop’. Scheduled to perform some 50 concerts at the arena during July and August, it’s possible that the mental and physical strain these caused […]
And I bought a hat specially too! Having experienced the blazing Summer heat the UK is experiencing on past Roadshows, I thought I’d come prepared this time. You can imagine my annoyance when both the Met Office and BBC weather both predicted rain and thundery showers. Well I should have trusted my instincts – not […]
Last week I found myself lecturing in Worthing, where I was confronted with my fantasy antiques shop. Alas, as the sharp eyed will notice, it was closed for the day. So no chance for me of tasting some of Mrs Overall’s delicious homemade macaroons with a nice cup of tea, or even a wee dram […]
Every now and again in Miller’s Towers, we come across names that make us smile in the course of researching our books. Here’re some we’ve found recently: May Doorbar, Charlotte Rhead’s housekeeper. Gwendoline Suckling, decorator at Poole Pottery from 1935-39. Thelma Bush, decorator at Poole Pottery, from 1966-68. Fuller Pilch, cricket batsman, known for his […]
Well, at least the rain held off! It was that that everyone seemed most worried about as the merry band of Antiques Roadshow production crew and specialists gathered in the beautifully manicured grounds of Saumarez Manor on the idyllic island of Guernsey. The photo above shows the event just before the gates opened. What you […]