So typically English, Summer, Antiques and the Cotswolds. Over a period of more than eight weeks England offers a vast choice of antiques sales, perhaps the most prestigious of antiques fairs and a garden sculpture exhibition set in the beautiful Cotswolds.
News-Antique.com - Mar 16,2009 - The English summer months are usually awash with all sorts of items offered at provincial flea markets and collector’s fairs to top international events in London, and 2009 is certainly proving to be no exception, but this year there are some added extras.
Starting on May 1st in the elegant northern town of Harrogate the four-day Harrogate Antiques fair opens. At almost the opposite end of the country and set in the rolling hills of Somerset, Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair opens to the trade a few days later on Friday 8th May and to the public on 9th and 10th.
Take a few days breather and back track north slightly to explore the Roman City of Bath and hunt out some of the antiques hotspots in the area and even more in nearby Tetbury. But leave plenty of time to seek out Newent in Gloucestershire because it is here that a massive five day, 4,000 (yes 4,000) lot sale of Victoriana takes place from Monday 18th May. Fixtures and fittings from The Shambles, a delightful museum of Victorian life, which closed in November 2008, go under the hammer.
The Shambles is set in over an acre, and imaginatively laid out as a small country town of cobbled streets, alleyways, cottages, houses, shops and workshops, all of which are stocked with items of the period. The museum uniquely recreates the feel of Victorian life of the 1890s and everything from the original shop facades and their shelf-stacked interiors to agricultural corn merchants and the police station manned by its Bobby will be sold. Estimates range from £10 to £1,000.
The Museum also includes a row of estate cottages and workshops housing the Builder, the Plumber, the Glazier, the Printer, Farm Manager and a simple Gardener’s cottage, a Photographer’s Studio that has a wonderful collection of early equipment and all manner of stuffed animals and birds in the Taxidermist’s workshop!
If you would like more information on other items in the sale and Auctioneer details please visit:
http://greatbritishantiquesweb.blogspot.com
Following the Shambles sale, stay in the area for more great finds just two days later at the Malvern Flea & Collectors Fair on May 25th (Bank Holiday Monday).
Time to move on; quite possibly the two largest antiques fairs in England will soon be opening. Tuesday 2nd June sees the first of the two day Swinderby Antiques Fair, usually over 3000 stalls, quickly followed by Newark Antiques Fair about 15 miles away. Slightly larger and starting on the 4th June, expect to meet around 4000 stallholders spread over 84 acres!
London calls! The first Russian Art Fair ever to be held in the Capital at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower in fashionable Knightsbridge, just a few yards from the glittering designer shops of Sloane Street, the Russian Art Fair is poised to attract a wealth of A1 clientele.
The Fair has been carefully timed to take advantage of the overwhelming interest in Russian Art when the prime auction houses of Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonham’s and
