Latest News Articles by Joan Porter
Wexford fair in tune with opera festival event
15 October 2018Since the first Festival of Music and the Arts took place in 1951, the annual Wexford Festival Opera in the south-east Irish town has specialised in neglected works and has become one of the world’s leading opera festivals.
BiblioMania in Paris looks at the appliance of science
08 October 2018Science fiction is the theme for the 110-dealer BiblioMania in Paris’ 17th arrondissement, held at the Espace Champerret from Wednesday to Sunday, October 17-21.
London mid-century fair takes film focus
08 October 2018Midcentury East is back in London’s East End with its biannual selling show at the Brutalist-Modernist Haggerston School on Sunday, October 14.
Family businesses fare well in the East of England
08 October 2018Fair organising runs in the family for Gary Sheridan and his daughter Emma.
Collecting field to relight the fire
08 October 2018Despite the fact that smoking cigarettes has been ostracised, the rise in interest for vintage smoking paraphernalia has increased.
Setting the clock for IACF Newark
01 October 2018British Horological Institute among exhibitors for ‘biggest of the year’ October showground fair.
Frock Me! venue given fresh look for this autumn
01 October 2018Matthew Adams’ monthly Frock Me! vintage fairs returns to Chelsea Old Town Hall on Sunday, October 7 after an extensive refurbishment at the hall this summer.
Discover Vintage, and an Ercol commission, in Leeds
24 September 2018Trading as Discover Vintage, Keeley Harris runs shows in Coventry, Manchester and Leeds – the next on Sunday October 7 at the 1970s-built Pudsey Civic Hall, on the outskirts of Leeds.
Young visitor numbers on the rise at Bloomsbury pen fair
24 September 2018The annual London Writing Equipment Show at the Holiday Inn in Bloomsbury on Sunday October 7 will be a sell-out, says coorganiser Jeremy Collingridge.
Kempton antique arms fair going great guns
24 September 2018There is a full load of arms fairs this month including the Antiques Arms Fair at Olympia on September 29 (see Dealers’ Diary, ATG No 2359) and the now triannual Kempton Vintage and Classic Arms Fair. Launched at Kempton Park Racecourse last year, it followed the demise in 2016 of the specialist event held for many years at the National Shooting Centre in Bisley.
Flea market gets rebranded from antiques to upmarket
24 September 2018Based just outside Norwich, Holly Graham is a music teacher, singer and a director of assorted local theatre groups including the city’s Threshold Theatre Company.
Nottingham fair features decorative tiles
17 September 2018Organised by specialist dealer Mark van Veen for the Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society, the annual tile fair will be held on Saturday, October 6, in Nottingham at St Jude’s Church, Mapperley.
Peterborough Fair stages autumn edition with 1200 exhibitors
17 September 2018One year shy of its 20th anniversary is the 2000-plus stand Peterborough Festival of Antiques held twice a year at the East of England Showground.
New September glass fair is fully booked
17 September 2018In ATG No 2354, we previewed Christina and Paul Bishop’s new glass fair launching on Sunday, September 23, at Ickworth House, the Georgian Italianate ‘palace’ near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, now owned by the National Trust. Paul, who runs Specialist Glass Fairs with Christina, updates us on the show.
Textile Society's fairs support developing talent
17 September 2018Funds from the Textile Society’s textiles fairs held in London and Manchester go towards the six annual bursaries and awards to textile historians, students, curators and conservators.
Dealers organise West Country showcase for textiles
17 September 2018Organised by the well-known Somerset textiles dealers Liz and Jack van Hasselt, the regular West Country Textiles Weekend takes place next on Saturday and Sunday, October 6-7.
York racecourse venue hosts book event hailed as the largest-ever PBFA event in the city
10 September 2018“The numbers are up to maximum capacity at 226 stands and there are a further 10 stands for calligraphers, marbled paper dealers and bookbinders – it’s the largest ever,” said York bookseller Janette Ray, spokeswoman for PBFA’s annual two-day York Book Fair.
Pickering welcomes a new antiques centre
10 September 2018The welcome news of an antiques centre opening a few doors from one which closed last year comes from the market town of Pickering in North Yorkshire.
Organisers head Wembley way
10 September 2018Alison Davis and Alan Old, who run So Last Century, organiser of quality, 20th century vintage markets at three venues in south London, are heading up north.
Praise the Lord: new antiques centre and salvage yard opened in Yorkshire
10 September 2018Former child actor Bretten Lord is maybe best known for his role as Tom Proctor in 'Lad: A Yorkshire Story' (2013), made when he was a young teenager and for which he won a best actor award in the US.