The Long Awaited Blog Is Here....!

At long last my yearly round up of the year is finally here as a blog....you can tell by the one blog a year, I would rather be out looking for antiques or exhibiting at one of the many fairs I do around the country...anything than sitting at my computer writing this...but hey-ho the demands of my customers must be obeyed...!

The year started with Ardingly in January, cold but dry at least, ...and I am always pleased that this fair works and I sold five dutch delft plates to one gentleman and most pleasingly I sold a very good William & Mary walnut gateleg table, which was bought at the Newbury fair in a field in the rain....I polished it and plenty of "TLC" and a very nice lady from New York bought it and it now resides in a very smart New York town house....what a wonderful journey....it is what makes this wonderful business so enjoyable....as well as the fascinating people I meet on my journey....

Then on into February and it was off to a very cold Newark....we did shiver...the cold weather kept the punters and some of the trade away and although I managed a few sales it wasn't a great fair....but at least the costs were low and I could drive to it each day....

Back to Ardingly in March...dry, bright but cold.....I bought well, several items of metalware including a 17thc brass salamander and a very good example of a copper coffee pot, both which sold quickly ...and they say metalware doesn't sell...! ....Overall a reasonable fair

In March it was the first outing of the year to Shepton Mallet in the west country....always a firm favourite of mine as I have many great customers , whom seem to love my "country" stock....and this fair didn't fail to please, with sales of a 17thc Latten Apostle spoon, a 19thc coquilla and boxwood powder flask, a rare mahogany treen viewing /collection box....just to mention a few....I also bought a rare medieval pew end and a west country primative child's chair...I ended up having a very good fair....

In March I also did a new IACF fair in Norfolk at the showground....it started well with sales of glass and treen and purchases of two oak panels....I hoped it will build into a very good fair....next one is in October...more on that later...!

Back to Newark for April and the fair was boosted by a very good American client / friend and his wife coming to the fair especially to see me and some other dealers....he bought an early 16thc bronze "bell" candlestick, latten "seal top" spoon and many more early brass items, which made it a very good fair.....

In May I finally bought a lovely house in the North Bedfordshire countryside with ten acres of land and a small reservoir....so the spring and summer were busy working on the lawns, hedges and logs for the new log burner, which we are now enjoying, so a great pull to be outside, as I have gone back "home" to my country roots....another good reason for no blogs...! No fairs in May, but we did say goodbye to the Stoneleigh Antiques fair, which was a great shame as it was building into a very nice fair...but the showground made it very difficult with rules and regulations, so IACF stopped doing it...

June was busy with Newark, which rained and was a bit of a wash out...Shepton was fine with some excellent sales including a 15thc oak ceiling boss, 16thc oak beam corbel, 17thc English pewter chalice just to mention a few....the year continued well and looking back over the year, the two consistent fairs were Shepton and Ardingly with Newark a poor third...I did the Norfolk showground again in October and it was terrible...all the customers seemed to be interested in was gold, rings and scrap silver....I will not be going back...! Looking forward I am doing a new fair at the Haycock Hotel , Wansford, near Peterborough and one on the outskirts of Bedford at the Kings House on the Ampthill road....looking forward to meeting new customers...so all I would like to say now is ...HAVE A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR and thank you for your continued support and fun....!! Mark xx.