Fairs and Markets

Helen Bowman and Ben Wray of Bowman Fairs launched their first fleamarket earlier this month in the unusual setting of the Skipton Auction Mart in North Yorkshire. In its daily life, the venue is a cattle market.

“Seeing the vans arrive and all the wonderful things being unloaded and then built into something beautiful on their stands is a real buzz: we can’t wait.” These are the words of Richard Burgoin, director of Arthur Swallow Fairs, when talking about his ‘summer of salvage’.

As Fox & Moon Fairs, Tony Crellin has been running regular vintage events at the National Coalmining Museum in Yorkshire, near Wakefield, for the past four years.

Since its launch eight years ago, Derwen Fairs’ antiques and vintage market at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales has gone from a one to two-day run, trebled in size to 100 stands and has four dates this year.

A framed limited edition print is Cattle Market by Jo Willis priced at £170, measuring 12 x 12in (30 x 30cm). It will be for sale at the Reading Contemporary Art Fair this weekend.

Petworth has faced some speculation about its future as a hub from members of the trade during the past few years. Once a celebrated spot for art and antiques, the closure of several local shops led to fears that it was losing its footing as a destination for collectors.

Since Lynn and Alan Cartwright of Jaguar Fairs ceased their antiques and collectors’ fairs at the Derby Roundhouse, there has been a gap in the market in the East Midlands city.

Back for its 10th year, the annual Modern Movement Design Fair is held in a watery setting alongside the outdoor pool at the Grade II-listed Art Deco Brockell Lido in south London.

Based in the West Sussex town of Worthing, Henry Nicholls began dealing in antiques when he was eight years old, rummaging through the clutter at his grandmother’s house and then selling anything that caught his obviously keen eye.

Alexandra Alfandary specialises in Meissen ware and other European porcelain, with a particular concentration on 19th century Meissen. She is a regular exhibitor at fairs and is a member of BADA and LAPADA. Her shop is in Portobello Road.

One Tuesday last month, Edward Cruttenden of Sunbury Antiques, the organiser of the hugely popular fortnightly market at Kempton Park Racecourse, had his busiest day this year.

Someone else who has seen a gap in the market is Gaynor Lloyd. Her new antiques centre opened last month in Neath, seven miles north of Swansea.

Plans have been approved by Wakefield Council to create an antiques centre and café at the Grade II-listed court house in Pontefract.

Fair organisers gear up for a busy weekend of antiques and collectables trading

Judging by some of the comments Naomi Knight has received from dealers at the March launch of her new monthly sister market to the wellestablished Bath Vintage and Antiques Market, the Vintage Vauxhall Market is on a roll.

Justin Evershed-Martin is the former director of Mallett who has launched a business specialising in 20th century decorative art and furniture. This week he exhibits at the Decorative Art Antiques and Textiles Fair in Battersea with a selection of privately sourced pieces all priced under £8000 (see right).

This year’s event was another step on the organisation’s road to modernisation

Paris art and design fair PAD has lost its vetting committee following concerns about the brief time allowed to view stands.