Christmas is here and its been a good year full of cheer...

I have been waiting to exhibit at my last fair in December, which was Newark,... before I uploaded this latest blog,... so I could give you an honest opinion of the year....the year started with Ardingly in January and it always is a bit of a gamble as who knows what the weather will be....it was kind , as it was frosty and clear and quite a few brave punters came to the fair....it didn't set any records, but sales were had,.... including an impressive delft charger, a set of Avery weights....silver repousse cream jug and a pair of pewter goblets....the next few months the fairs followed the same theme....slow to start, but always finishing with a profit....sometimes a small profit....Things started to pick up with the March Newark fair, where a kind American gentleman bought several items before the fair, from my website and then came to the fair and added some more to the list....it turned the fair into an excellent fair. The April Peterborough fair was a sad occasion being the final fair at the Peterborough Showground, as the council are building on the showground ....so sad as it was a great venue and fair....I use to go to the agricultural shows there fifty years ago and also watch the Peterborough Panthers speedway race after the show..! The last antiques show was good and it will be sadly missed....in June I only did one fair as I was away in Norway on a cruise (I really needed it, but was very sad to miss two fairs....bad planning)....just as it was warming up here, so I was glad of the cooler weather....I was back in time to do the one day fair at Newbury in July and it was a great success, with many of my Shepton customers coming to see me....then on to Ardingly in July, which was very difficult....the weather was hot and the public stayed at home....I think I nearly lost money at this fair and Ardingly had been a struggle all year, so I thought let's see what the next two Ardingly fairs do and if they do not perform well, sadly I might give them up....great news the final two fairs made up for all the bad ones....so I certainly will continue with them....the Shepton and Newark fairs have been continually very good....so summing up the year, it has been excellent considering the gloomy financial news....

I have had some wonderful buys this year....recalling just a few....... 14thc/15thc English Bronze candlestick....sold so quickly , I didn't have time to photograph it....!.....a rare Elizabethan Dutch dated needle holder in silver....a very special "Turners" chair....found in a glassless greenhouse...or should I say saved...!....several very collectable 18thc English "Bosun's" Persuaders....a very collectable 18thc Windsor Comb-Back armchair....gone to a very nice gentleman collector....also one of the best 17thc Oak Joyned Side Tables, I have had with an X stretcher....two 17thc brass "Trumpet" English Candlesticks, from the Cromwellian period...a very good horn cheroot box and a rare Scottish Powder Horn with the name of the maker Robert Wyatt dated 1792....again selling to another very nice gentleman collector....and many many more wonderful items....I am always so surprised that these rare items keep turning up....but what a priviledge to handle all these amazing items and help them on their way to new owners....

Finally from a health point of view, I have been very lucky with no signs of the dreaded cancer....all clear and everyday is a true blessing....fingers and everything else crossed...!

So I would like to thank all my very special customers for your support, kindness, banter and so much fun....looking forward to seeing you all very soon at a fair near you....may you all have a wonderful , peaceful and happy Christmas and New Year...

Mark.