As well as being relaxing, the two weeks I spent in Mexico for our Summer holiday this year were most revealing. I had never really considered Mexican design before and, although I had seen Mexican folk art, I hadn’t considered it properly. These two weeks gave ample opportunities, from visiting museums to wandering the streets […]
I was delighted to find that my blog was rated as one of the ’50 Best Blogs’ for 2012 by Homes & Antiques magazine. All 50 were profiled in the August issue of the magazine, which was also the ‘vintage special’. The 50 top picks were divided up into different categories, from ‘Eat, Drink, Travel […]
As the nights grow chilly and draw in on us, there’s nothing more enjoyable than the cliché of curling up on a comfortable antique chair with a good book. Books about antiques and collecting that don’t focus on a particular subject area are rare, probably due to the potentially limited readership. Those that do get […]
I’ve split my blog posts about antiquing in Mexico City into two, each focusing on different areas of the city, to make it easier to read. My first post, which covers the two nearby markets in the upcoming Roma Norte district, can be read by clicking here. If you’re looking for something more upscale than […]
I didn’t have high hopes of finding much of interest in the first leg of our annual holiday, which took us to Mexico City. Of course, the banker saw this as a good thing – a break for me from work. Mexico doesn’t have a great reputation for antiques. Even though it has been wealthy, […]
It’s out and it’s on! Last Saturday I joined Graham Cooley at the King’s Lynn Arts Centre in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, to launch Alla Moda, the exhibition behind my latest book. With over 750 ceramics on display, Graham’s private collection is almost certainly the largest private collection of Italian ceramics in Europe, if not the […]
My new book on mid-century modern Italian ceramics, Alla Moda, has just arrived, and the exhibition is about to be launched. Sitting last night looking through the book made me remember the long journey I’ve made putting it together. I also thought about all the elements that went into making it, here are some statistics: […]
At the recent marvellous Antiques For Everyone fair at the NEC in Birmingham, a friendly dealer approached me with a folder of around 50 photographs of furniture, home accessories, and room designs. Her father was a teacher and had used them in the late 1950s and early 1960s as props for lessons. Since he retired, […]
Over Easter, the banker and I cashed in some air miles (or Avios points, as they’re known today) and took a five day Spring break in New York. We’ve both been lucky enough to travel there on business and pleasure before, so could relax rather than rush around and do all the tourist hot spots. […]
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 […]
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 […]