74 19th March 2011 fairs & markets
Three cheers for the trade
■ Gates are up, furniture is selling and young entrepreneurs are entering fairs world
Joan Porter reports
IT’S increased attendances all round at the UK’s biggest showground fairs.
We’ve already reported IACF’s largest
gate in five years at their February fair at the Newark Showground. Now Swallow Fairs report rising gates at the Lincoln Showground at their January 31-February 1/2 event. This had a new format with a trade
day on the Monday and two public days on Tuesday and Wednesday – effectively three days of trading. Trade day admission was up 43 per
cent from 1274 to 1830 on last year and increasing the public days from one to two more than doubled the number of visitors, from 1063 in 2010 to 2234. This is surely a sign of sustained
public enthusiasm for antiques, and, says Swallow’s Richard Burgoin, “the ongoing Kirstie effect”. Swallow’s next event is the Donington
Antiques Market, at Donington Park in Derby on Tuesday, March 22.
Rising sales of two cities
ENCOURAGING rises in visitors to fairs have been reported from North of the Border too… Dealers standing at Rob Torrens’
monthly antique and collectors’ fairs in Edinburgh and Glasgow were well pleased last month with the biggest crowds in more than five years at both his February fairs in the two cities. Mr Torrens of Scotfairs, who also runs
monthly fairs in Ayr and Stirling, can’t put a handle on why, but fervently hopes there will be more of the same in the months to come for the 165 dealers at the Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh, and the 135 dealers at Glasgow’s Edwardian Kelvin Hall. This is perfectly placed opposite the
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum which saw a million visitors last year. Scotfairs next fair is at Kelvin Hall on
Sunday, March 20. Tel: 01764 654555.
Extending belief in furniture
Right: Hemswell Antiques Centre owner Robert Miller with Eric Knowles at the recent opening of the extension to one of the three buildings at the Gainsborough centre.
TWO points to ponder at the recent opening ceremony of the extension to the already-bulging Hemswell Antiques Centre at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. Firstly, how does Eric Knowles, who
was there to cut the ribbon, find the time for it all, what with his TV work (he is now in his 28th year as a ceramics expert on the Antiques Roadshow), his lecture tours, corporate events, journalism, valuation business and charity work? Secondly, is furniture coming back as
the dominant line in the antiques trade? Certainly it is the big success story at
Young eyes on young market
Right: a stall at one of the new monthly antiques fairs at Bourne Hall in Ewell
launched by Natasha Kay and Jonathan Eades.
YOUNG customers are what the trade wants to see and it can only help if younger people are involved in the selling as well as the buying. Step forward 20-somethings Natasha Kay and Jonathan Eades of Kingfisher Fairs, who launched a monthly fair in Ewell, Surrey, earlier this year and who are already planning their next promotion. They have a maximum 45 stalls booked for their March 19 antiques fair at Bourne
Hall and are now looking to open up another hall at the venue specifically for vintage fashion. Said Natasha: “We aim to launch this in May/June aimed even more at those in their 20s in order to encourage this younger crowd to venture into the antiques hall and see all the beautiful things that can be bought there too.” Bourne Hall Antiques Fair, Spring Street, Ewell. Tel: 07580 858929.
the Hemswell centre which now spills across three buildings and offers buyers a choice of nearly 3000 antiques. Of the 235 dealers, 150 are furniture specialists who have taken 24 of the pitches at the new extension. Among the newcomers are period furniture dealer Hansord of Lincoln and Smithson Antiques who specialise in country furniture as well as kitchenalia and dairy antiques. Perhaps more surprisingly, dealers say
that Victorian and Edwardian mahogany sells steadily – one in the eye for doomsayers of the genre.
Above: All sorts here at Sorted, an antiques and retro shop in Cirencester, where pieces are sourced from auctions and fairs across the country.
On message at old post office
TWO interior designers who are well sorted when it comes to the ‘Antiques Are Green’ message are Alison Booth and Catherine Scudamore who opened their shop Sorted in the old post office in Cirencester last year. The shop is full of antiques, retro,
recycled pieces, vintage, quirky curiosities and some new pieces made locally. It’s all testament to the great
amount of time which the busy pair spend rushing around the country sourcing stock from auctions and antiques fairs including Newark, Lincoln and Kempton Park. If a piece is too shabby for the shop
they simply turn it into something new, such as cushions made from vintage cashmere woollies or giving old fire extinguishers a new life as lamps. Sorted is at Unit 5, The Old Post
Office, Castle Street. Tel: 01285 640350.
Cutting prices, but not quality
“AS dealers pay less to stand at these
fairs, they can afford to be more generous with their pricing,” says John Harbottle of the triannual two-day fairs he runs in Sandringham under the banner County Antiques Fairs. These are non-standfitted affairs
unlike the fairs he organises in Suffolk and Norfolk as Lomax Fairs. Mr Harbottle said: “We started these
last year and they are still quality fairs like Lomax but the venue wasn’t really big enough for standfitting, so I thought I would try something different. “It works very well. We have 30 to
35 quality dealers, half of whom stand at Lomax, and they pay just £90 for the weekend. And it’s a good trade call.” County Antiques Fairs are at the
Knights Hill Hotel between Sandringham and King’s Lynn on Saturday and Sunday March 19 and 20. Tel: 07906 716158.
send fair s and mark ets information to joan porter at
fairs@atgmedia.com
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