Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i Homes & Antiques

At H&A we’re delighted when a particular antique, crafted during a specific time in history, suddenly starts to feel on trend today. Over the last few months, we’ve seen vintage wall charts – originally used in 19th-century classrooms – pop up in the styling for fashion and contemporary interiors brands, and they seem just the thing for our walls this autumn. Perhaps it’s the continuation of the industrial vintage trend that makes these educational posters look so current, or maybe it’s their black backdrops, which echo the moody, dark florals we are seeing in the latest homes collections (a trend we celebrate on p37). Whatever the reason, with their myriad topics – they cover everything from botanicals to zoology – there’s a subject that lends itself to every room of…

Vase fans My wife and I are retired professional ballet dancers, and were introduced to Homes & Antiques magazine by one of our neighbours. We were so enthralled reading past copies that had been passed on to us that we have become subscribers ourselves. We recently received your Summer Special 2017 edition and, whilst reading through the Precious Vessels cover story, were amazed to come across a picture of a French light-pink opaline vase, as we have a pair of those that we acquired in the 1970s. It was a wonderful surprise to see it, and we have attached a picture of our own vases. We congratulate you on producing such a fine magazine, and long may it give inspiration and joy to so many homes. MARIAN & MICHAEL BEARE,…

SALES OF NOTE STARRY SALES On 26th September, the Vivien Leigh Collection will go on sale at Sotheby’s with lots including a Victor Stiebel dress (est £200–£300) and diamond brooch (est £25,000–£35,000). The next day comes the Personal Collection of Audrey Hepburn at Christie’s with estimates from £100 to £80,000. Lots comprise this photograph of the actress by Bud Fraker c1957 (est £500–£800) and the c1966 Givenchy dress (est £10,000–£15,000) pictured. * Christie’s 020 7839 9060; christies.com. Sotheby’s 020 7293 5000; sothebys.com LOTS TO LOVE PRETTY PIECES Made in an Arts and Crafts style, this Edith Linnell citrine brooch (est £150–£250) is for sale 23rd Sept. * 01969 623780; tennants.co.uk This pearlware jug (est £200–£300) dates from 1839 and is for sale on 18th October. * 01722 424500; woolleyandwallis.co.uk On…

OLD Alabaster chandelier c1880, £10,000, Dimitri Stefanov Chandeliers. 020 7352 2171; rockcrystal chandeliers.co.uk OLD Oil painting of red deer by Thomas Henry Gibb, £6,350, Regent Antiques. 020 8809 9605; regentantiques.com NEW Traditional banker’s lamp with rail, £985, Besselink & Jones. 020 7351 4669; besselink.com OLD Manning’s terrestrial globe 1861, £4,800, Bentleys. 020 7730 6832; bentleyslondon.com NEW ‘Metropolitan’ umbrella stand by Linley, £575, Amara. 0800 587 7645; amara.com OLD Victorian deep-buttoned leather chair, £2,100, Marylebone Antiques. 020 7723 7415; maryleboneantiques.co.uk OLD Regency secretaire bookcase, £19,850, Windsor House Antiques. 01832 274595; windsorhouse antiques.co.uk NEW ‘Tatra’ decanter, £75, LSA International. 01932 789721; lsa-international.com OLD Snuff shoe c1820, £330, Spencer Swaffer. 01903 882132; spencerswaffer.co.uk OLD Bust of WD Keyworth c1882, £550, Town House Traders at 1st Dibs. 1stdibs.com…

HOME OF THE MONTH THERE IS AN UNDERSTATED charm to Tina Pasco’s seaside home in Deal. Having spent her working life as an antiques dealer specialising in architectural and garden antiques, she was able to draw on her extensive experience and contacts to transform a run-down property just a few minutes from the beach. PAGE 54…

ESSENTIAL GUIDE Create warmth underfoot with our guide to woollen carpets that inject colour, pattern and style PAGE 104 IN THE FAMILY See how Sir  Edwin Lutyens’ granddaughter has revolutionised his furniture and lighting designs for the 21st century PAGE 123 TRAVEL Antiques expert Philip Serrell reveals his top destinations and antiques-hunting hotspots in Worcestershire PAGE 140 AUCTION FOCUS We explore why painterly studio ceramics are the on-trend investment of the season PAGE 112…

The multi-talented ceramicist and writer Edmund de Waal is a breaker of barriers and his latest project is to create designs for the Royal Ballet’s 2018 season at the Royal Opera House in London. A lover of white pottery and Japanese aesthetics who has recently experimented with black glazes, De Waal works from his south London studio, a former munitions factory, to create his beautifully proportioned porcelain pieces. Like De Waal’s other work, this unusual pale blue celadon jug with crackle glaze draws on the pottery traditions of the Far East in shape and feel, and is indented with his potter’s mark just next to the handle. The estimate of £800–£1,200 rose to a hammer price of £1,500 at Maak online auction house in May this year. De Waal is…

Hailing from Aberdeenshire in Scotland, but now based in London, Jennifer Lee is fast becoming a name to watch in the studio pottery world, with her works rapidly gaining currency at auction. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and subsequent travels to the USA, Egypt, India and most recently, Japan, have fed into the look and style of her practice. Her tactile pots are meticulously hand built and are coloured by mixing metallic oxides into the clay before making. Her pieces have been bought by many public collections, including the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts and the V&A, which holds three of her pots. At a recent Mallams sale, two Lee pots did exceptionally well, with her 1990 ‘Asymmetric Speckled Pot’ (pictured right), making £4,200 against an estimate of…

1 THE EMERALD MAN Around 1200BC, in the tropical climes of the Mexican lowlands that slope gently down to the Pacific, an elaborate civilisation was forming. Using ancient hand tools, the Olmecs carved colossal statues from rock, often in honour of their eight gods. But they also created miniscule marvels, including the world’s oldest carved emerald – shown here. The Olmecs considered emeralds and jades to be sacred stones and this tiny figure, at just 5.6cm tall, is cut from a single piece of emerald. It is the only carved emerald from Pre-Colombia known to exist. 2 CLEOPATRA’S MINES First discovered around 500–300BC, the complex of emerald mines at Wâdi Sikait in Egypt were an exciting prospect for jewel-obsessed Cleopatra. Lured by their beauty and supposed healing powers, she claimed…

We’ve all been there. We like the look of an antiques shop or an antique for sale, but on further investigation find that the dealer operates ‘By appointment only’. What do you do? Phone the number and book a slot to view? Or decide you weren’t that keen on it anyway? Many of us may veer towards the latter, a little too daunted to pick up the phone and book an appointment to visit a showroom or view an object. We decide it’s only for the super-rich or serious collectors. But as more antiques dealers choose to trade this way, running their businesses from their homes, industrial units, barns, antiques centres and offices around the country, perhaps it’s time to embrace this method of shopping. There are many different reasons…

Constructed of dove-grey stone, weathered by centuries of rain and sun, the manor house of Glyn Cywarch (or Glyn as it’s affectionately known) sits in seclusion near the Gwynedd coast, north west Wales. In one direction lies the curve of Tremadog Bay, in the other the dramatic peaks of Snowdonia. Built in 1616 and Grade II*-listed, the house has been part of the aristocratic Harlech family estate for over 400 years and has entertained politicians, diplomats, actors, musicians and even the royal family. Stuffed with antique furniture and paintings, and dotted with quirky inherited possessions such as military uniforms, vintage luggage, top hats and decoy ducks, it’s the sort of place auctioneers dream of. In summer 2016 the dream came true for Charlie Thomas, director of Bonhams’ House Sale and…

I was born in Worcester and as a 13-year-old boy I used to visit the Museum of Royal Worcester, which sparked my interest in antiques. Now my office is 50 yards from the museum. Worcester is lovely; it’s known as the Faithful City, and is very historic. The Battle of Worcester [the last of the English Civil Wars] took place here in 1651, and the Malvern Hills are close by. My work is my hobby and I feel very lucky to do what I do. Worcester’s museums The Museum of Royal Worcester is a fantastic museum that has had a great impact on the city (museumofroyalworcester.org). There are plenty of other museums too, like the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum and the Masonic Library and Museum, which no one…

1 Home & Colonial Antiques Store Antiques Centre Five floors of inspirational antique and vintage shopping for you and your home. A delicious lunch in the Black Goo Cafe is the perfect way to complement a visit to one of the UK’s most attractive and innovative antique shops. • Open seven days a week. 134 High Street, Berkhamsted, Herts, HP4 3AT. Berkhamsted is approximately 45 minutes north of central London and very close to both the M1 (J8) and M25 (J20). homeandcolonial.co.uk 01442 877007 2 The Old Flight House Antiques centre The Old Flight House is a refreshingly different antiques centre. It has a fantastic range, from quality traditional antiques to vintage and retro items and stunning painted furniture, all set out in beautiful light and spacious surroundings. A licensed cafe serves…

WADDESDON MANOR This metre-high Elephant Automaton, created c1770, is just one treasure on view at this country estate p90 CARPET COLOUR Thanks to developments in digital printing, you can now choose coloured carpets from a limitless palette p104 LUTYENS’ HERITAGE Designer Sir Edwin Lutyens attributes his career to childhood illness; unable to play, he learned to draw p123 GREEN WITH ENVY Cleopatra adorned her palace, and herself, with emeralds from mines discovered c500–300BC p118 BY APPOINTMENT A fifth of all LAPADA dealers are now open by appointment only – we find out why p129 Follow us... FOLLOW THE H&A TEAM… … on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for regular updates and to find out which fairs we’ll be visiting…

From the rich history of terracotta to decorating tips for extending summer, you all embraced the sunny weather with our September issue. Here’s what some of you thought... TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM • Utopia: Unexpected @UtopiaUnexpect My fave time of the month... when @homes_antiques arrives • Brian Smith @glendaleantique I’ve things to do today, and this month’s @homes_antiques magazine has just arrived. Looks like a change of plan is necessary • Daniel Duffy @vintiquers_uk It’s here! Always a great day when the latest issue arrives! @homes_antiques • Woods&Rose @WoodsandRose Tea break in the sunshine with @homes_antiques • The Quality Lock Co. @TheQualityLock_ Our team love @homes_antiques September issue for loads of #inspiration • Janis Mottern-High @gardengirl244 It’s always a wait on my side of the pond for the latest issue.…

Fumio Sasaki lives in a flat in Tokyo with three shirts, four pairs of trousers and four pairs of socks. Extreme though it may be, here he explores how minimalism changed his way of life. (Penguin Books Ltd, £9.99) Fay Wolf is a firm believer that when your home is more organised, your creativity shines. In New Order she explains how to arrange your belongings for more productive living. (Ballantine Books, $20) Marie Kondo’s first book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying sold over five million copies, and her latest title is full of tips to declutter the Japanese way. (Vermilion, £10.99)…

THE DECORATIVE ANTIQUES AND TEXTILES FAIR 160 exhibitors storm Battersea Park for this swish shopping event. 3rd–8th October. £10 entry. 020 7616 9327; decorativefair.com THE ESHER HALL ANTIQUES AND FINE ART FAIR With prices ranging from the modest to six figures, this fair features 25 specialist exhibitors. 6th–8th Oct. £5 entry.esherhallfair.com THE NORTHERN ANTIQUES FAIR Taking place in Harrogate Convention Centre, discover 40 specialist exhibitors selling everything from maps to decorative sculptures. 19th–22nd Oct. £7.50 entry. 01797 252030; harrogateantiquefair.com…

NEW ‘Sacre Coeur’ pink velvet bed, from £1,980, The French Bedroom Company. 01444 415430; frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk NEW ‘Floralism’ velvet stool, £270, The French Bedroom Company OLD Dutch still life, c1870, £5,950, Lennox Cato Antiques & Works of Art. 01732 865988; lennoxcato.com NEW Night Flower ‘Azalea’ four-drawer cabinet, £360, Out There Interiors OLD ‘Avventurina’ glass vase, c1970, £375, L&V Art and Design. 020 7819 9655; landvdesign.com OLD Black decorated lacquer bedside cabinet, £645, Orchid. 01264 811111; orchidfurniture.co.uk NEW ‘Blair’ pendant light, £49.50, Marks & Spencer. 0333 014 8000; marksandspencer.com NEW ‘2 Anemones’ perfume bottle, £990, Lalique. 020 7292 0444; lalique.com NEW ‘Bloomingville’ flower-print cushion, £49, Out There Interiors. 020 8099 7443; outthereinteriors.com NEW ‘Midnight Garden’ cushion, £15, House of Fraser. 0345 602 1073; houseoffraser.co.uk OLD Iris still life by Gerard Albouy, 1960s,…

There is an old French clock that hangs on the wall above Clementina Stiegler’s dining table. It’s handsome, but has no hands. ‘That was my father’s idea,’ she smiles. ‘He said, “If you have friends for dinner, you don’t want them looking up to check the time”.’ Instead, dinners were for conversation and stories. ‘Always so many stories – my family does love to tell a tale,’ adds Clementina. And what tremendous stories they were… Her father was the 20th-century artist Caziel, born on the eve of the First World War in a Polish town not far from Kraków. Clementina grew up hearing of how, as a young boy, he and his family had fled through their war-torn homeland to revolutionary Moscow and then into the frozen wastes of Siberia.…

The extraordinary Elephant Automaton, a star of the Waddesdon Collection, was made in London in 1774 by Hubert Martinet. The elephant stands an imposing 1.3m high on a purpose-built carved oak base. When wound up with its two keys it plays four tunes, and the complex mechanisms make the trunk, tail and ears twitch, the eyes move, the circular jewelled motifs spin, turbaned figures on the top turn, figures appear in the howdah, the flower petals rotate, the musicians on each corner spin round and the low relief figures in the lower section move. FUNCTION Large 18th-century automata, often known as ‘sing-song clocks’ were chiefly made for the export trade to China and India, usually as diplomatic gifts for high-ranking officials, or as marriage gifts. Such was their popularity, there…

INSPIRED BY NATURE Flowers and foliage have influenced the design of carpets throughout its history, and sinuous trails, sprig motifs and stylised plant forms continue to feature in our most popular patterned carpets. William Morris is the best-known carpet designer and, although he lived over a century ago, his patterns continue to be revived and reinterpreted today. Modern artists make new demands on carpet makers to produce their ideas as closely as possible to the original and while over 30 colours can be included in carpets woven on Axminster looms, digital printing offers a limitless palette. Printing on carpet is a new technique and until recently only possible with synthetic carpets. Fi Douglas believes that her company, Bluebellgray, is the first to print designs on pure wool pile. ‘With digital…

There is a new design label on the virtual high street. It specialises in furniture and lighting with a distinctive, geometric edge. Anyone familiar with the work of the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens will notice a resemblance as they scroll through the array of sharply angled acrylic tables, multi-armed pendant lights and wooden chairs with their mathematically precise, carved-out backs. The aesthetic echoes are no coincidence of course. This is Lutyens Contemporary – a brand launched last year by the architect’s granddaughter Candia Lutyens in order, she explains, ‘to bring the Lutyens design idiom into the 21st century.’ This may be a recent project, but Candia has been recreating her grandfather’s furniture and lighting designs through her bespoke brand, Lutyens Furniture and Lighting, for the last 30 years. The…

• ALEX MACARTHUR High-calibre dealer Alex sells a treasure trove of curiosities and decorative antiques in an enormous 14th-century monastery. Conduit Hill, Rye, East Sussex, TN31 7LE. 01273 681773; alexmacarthur.co.uk • ANGLO-ORIENTAL ANTIQUES Miranda Brankin-Frisby specialises in antiques from the East as well as British pieces, including furniture, decoration and works of art. Ladbarrow Farm, Aldsworth, Nr Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 3PS. 01451 844310; anglo-orientalantiques.com • BRANCHING OUT Judith and Sophie specialise in French decorative antiques and unusual vintage objects, selling their wares from a lovely old barn on an old seed merchant’s premises. Waterlock House, Wingham, Kent, CT3 1BH. 01227 721792; branchingoutwingham.co.uk • DOE & HOPE James Gooch and his team sell decorative, rare and unusual antiques and fine art from all corners of the globe. The pieces are displayed…

‘The market for letters, journals and diaries is constant and very strong,’ says Justin Croft, antiquarian books specialist. ‘It’s to do with the sense of the unique – the item doesn’t exist anywhere else and it casts new light on things we thought we knew.’ In this light, the discovery at Glyn Cywarch of a cache of letters sent between Sir David Ormsby Gore, Ambassador to the US in the Kennedy era, and his dear friends Jackie and JFK prompted huge excitement at Bonhams. Since Ormsby Gore’s death in 1985, the letters, plus photos and an invitation to JFK’s funeral had been locked away in two Foreign Office despatch boxes that had to be sawn open. Of most interest were 19 letters from Jackie, charting her days as First Lady,…

NORTH & SCOTLAND 1st Fancy That? Vintage Bazaar, Inglis Hall, High Street, Edzell, Angus, DD9 7TF. 11am–4pm. Free. 01356 648732; wefancythat.co.uk 7th Antique, Vintage & Collectors Fair, Albert Halls, Dumbarton Road, Stirling, FK8 2QL. 10am–4pm. £2. 01764 654555; scotfairs.co.uk 7th AdVintageous Vintage Fair, Leeds City Market, 28–34 George Street, Leeds, LS2 7HY. 10am–4pm. Free. advintageous.co.uk 7th The Manchester Vintage Furniture Flea, Royal Mills, Redhill Street, Manchester, M4 5BA. 10am–4pm. Free. judysvintagefair.co.uk 7th–8th The Great Wetherby Racecourse Antiques Fair, Wetherby Racecourse, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS22 5EJ. 8am–5pm Saturday, 9am–4pm Sunday. £4 (£5 before 9am Saturday). 01332 830444; jaguarfairs.com 8th The Vintage Home Show, Pudsey Civic Hall, Leeds, LS28 5TA. 10.30am–4pm. £2.50 (£4 before 11am). 07880 910361; vintagehomeshow.co.uk 8th The Vintage Village, Stockport Covered Market Hall, Market Place, Stockport, SK1 1EU. 10am–4pm.…

A Amiska 0844 357 1194; amiska.co.uk B B&Q 0333 014 3098; diy.com Bedeck 0333 200 7331; bedeckhome.com Black by Design 01889 502716; black-by-design.co.uk C The Cambridge Satchel Company 0800 0855 811; cambridgesatchel.com CarpetVista +46 40 18 22 70; carpetvista.com Colefax and Fowler 020 7244 7427; colefax.com D Duro durosweden.se E Etsy etsy.com F Farrow & Ball 01202 876141; farrow-ball.com Fontaine Decorative 01843 595137; fontainedecorative.com G Glass Etc 01797 226600; decanterman.com H Hauser & Wirth 020 7287 2300; hauserwirth.com J Jane Clayton & Co 01761 404505; janeclayton.co.uk John Lewis 0345 604 9049; johnlewis.com Jonathan Swire Antiques 01253 721576; jonathanswire.co.uk L Lee Broom 020 7820 0742; leebroom.com The Letteroom 01264 355488; theletteroom.com Liberty London 020 7734 1234; libertylondon.com Little Greene 0845 880 5855; littlegreene.com Lorfords 01666 505111; lorfordsantiques.com M Magnet 01325 744094; magnet.co.uk Maisons…

Cliff-hanger I recently purchased, for £5, a milk/cream jug that has the Royal Staffordshire Pottery/A J Wilkinson Ltd mark on the bottom. I believe the jug may be a second, as it has a smudge of blue paint and also some speckles of blue on the interior. It also has another number, ‘150A’, written on the bottom in paint or what could be felt pen. I have been unable to find any information online about this particular pattern, apart from some images of some pottery designed by Clarice Cliff called ‘Arras’, which has the same floral design. ALISON DANN, VIA EMAIL EXPERT ADVICE MICHAEL JEFFERY, 20th Century Design specialist at Woolley & Wallis Although Clarice Cliff did produce designs for A J Wilkinson, the company also marketed very similar patterns…

PROUD AS A PEACOCK Burleigh’s ‘Blue Regal Peacock’ range was a favourite of Queen Mary, and was first launched in 1913. This moody take on the collection is new for 2017 and would look beautiful on a contemporary dinner table. ‘Black Regal Peacock’ 12-piece place setting, £158, Burleigh. * 01773 740740; burleigh.co.uk STYLE STEER During autumn, I use a lot of leaves in lieu of flowers. Large crystal vases with foliage in burnt oranges and browns is a great reminder of the season. I also roll up half of the carpets in order to reveal more of the brown wooden floorboards. AUTUMN BUYS THE CALL OF THE WILD This cushion by Robert Gillmor is one of a collection of designs featuring stylised linocut prints of British animals and birds. One…

• 3rd & 4th Fine Art, Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, St Edmund’s Court, Okehampton St, Exeter, EX4 1DU. 01392 413100; bhandl.co.uk • 3rd & 4th Fine Arts & Antiques, Canterbury Auction Galleries, 40 Station Road West, Canterbury, CT2 8AN. 01227 763337; thecanterburyauctiongalleries.com • 4th Printed Books, Maps & Documents, Dominic Winter, Broadway Lane, South Cerney, GL7 5UQ. 01285 860006; dominicwinter.co.uk • 5th Continental Ceramics & Glass, McTear’s, Meiklewood Gate, 31 Meiklewood Rd, Glasgow, G51 4EU. 0141 810 2880; mctears.co.uk • 9th & 10th House & Garden, Mallams, Dunmore Court, Wootton Rd, Abingdon, OX13 6BH. 01235 462840; mallams.co.uk • 10th 20th Century Decorative Art and Design, Sworders, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, CM24 8GE. 01279 817778; sworder.co.uk • 10th Fine Art Sale including Silver & Vertu, Lawrences, The Linen Yard, South…

SELFIE-MADE MILLIONS Estimate: £5m–£7m Whether it was a tin of Campbell’s soup, a box of Brillo pads, a can of Coca-Cola or the faces of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, Andy Warhol revolutionised the pop art movement, and created a timeless synergy between commercial advertising and celebrity culture. The above acrylic and silkscreen ink-on-canvas was created in 1963–1964, a period in which Warhol’s fame grew rapidly. Self-Portrait comes from a collection of nine silk prints, which used a ‘selfie’ taken by Warhol in a New York dime-store photobooth as the main source material. A pivotal collection in the artist’s portfolio, it represents the moment in which his own appearance, and unusual personal style, became crucial to his rise in celebrity. He soon gained accreditation as one of the most important…

OLD William Morris fire screen c1890, £2,300, Holly Johnson. 01260 253110; hollyjohnson antiques.com OLD Set of three 19th-century brass fire tools, £2,250, Lorfords. 01666 505111; lorfordsantiques.com NEW Leather kindling bucket, £89.95, Decorator’s Notebook. 0845 474 1747; decoratorsnotebook.co.uk NEW Pine cone firelighters, £14.95, Skandium. 020 7823 8874; skandium.com NEW ‘Campden’ armchair, from £1,895, Wesley Barrell. 01993 893111; wesley-barrell.co.uk NEW Willow log holder, £70, Houseology. 0330 363 0330; houseology.com NEW Luxury matches, £6, Archivist. 01608 658601; archivistgallery.com OLD Pair of 19th-century bellows, £1,200, Windsor House Antiques. 01832 274595; windsorhouse antiques.co.uk OLD Pair of Victorian brass fire dogs, £245, Graver Antiques and Interiors. 07493 633720; antiques-atlas.com/graverantiques/ OLD Georgian mahogany and brass peat bucket, £980, Thakeham Furniture. 01798 342333; thakehamfurniture.co.uk NEW Large wrought-iron log holder, £115, Garden Trading. 01993 845559; gardentrading.co.uk OLD Rococo revival…

What makes this such an inviting room This drawing room isn’t simply a practical and comfortable work and living space. Nor is it just a pleasing fusion of 18th and 19th-century furnishings along with mid 20th-century fine art and sculpture. No, the antique Indian rug is an heirloom from the homeowner’s great aunt, the artist Ethel Sands; the chimney piece and upholstered armchair were junk shop bought and refurbished by the homeowner’s parents when she was a child growing up here. Her parents were the artists Caziel and Catherine Sinclair, whose paintings and sculptures adorn the walls and mantelshelf. So, above all, this room is a loving reminder and a celebration of artistic heritage. 1 WOODEN FIRE SURROUND This 19th-century reproduction of an 18th-century ‘Adam’- style chimney piece has been…

1 Capes Dunn Established in 1826, Capes Dunn has been providing auction and valuation services to the people of the North West for over 190 years. The fortnightly auction programme includes: on Mondays, the Interiors, Vintage & Modern auction providing a mix of retro, vintage and modern furniture, ceramics, glassware, paintings and collectables; on Tuesdays, a rolling programme of specialist sales, including the thrice-yearly Northern artists auction. Forthcoming auctions : 25th September - Interiors, vintage and modern 26th September - Jewellery, Silver, Watches 9th October - Interiors, vintage and modern 10th October - Northern Artists (evening sale 6.30pm) 40 Station Road, Heaton Mersey, SK4 3QT capesdunn.com  0161 432 1911 2 Dawson’s Auctioneers & Valuers Located in central Maidenhead, just a 10-minute walk from the station and with plenty…

STUDIO CERAMICS: FIRST STEPS Jason Wood, consultant specialist for Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers, spends a lot of time visiting ceramics shows and open studios to stay up to date with what’s happening in the field and to keep his eye in. For those starting out on the studio ceramics trail he advocates visiting shows such as Potfest (potfest.co.uk), mounted in Cumbria and Perth, Scotland every year. There’s also Art in Clay (artinclay.co.uk), held annually at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, and the prestigious Ceramic Art London (ceramics.org.uk) and York (ceramicartyork.org) shows, organised by the Craft Potters Association. Says Wood: ‘The best way to form a deeper understanding and appreciation of studio pottery from all eras, and to decide what you like, is to handle the pieces and see in detail…

• Give sufficient notice of when you intend to visit a dealer – if you call on the day you want to meet, they may not have a time slot or be able to attend. • There’s no need to feel pressured into spending money; the dealer is expecting to show you what they have on offer, and not necessarily to make a sale. • Inform the dealer of the item, or kind of items, you like when you contact them. That will give them the chance to prepare for your visit. • If you don’t know what you are looking for, find a dealer you think might suit your tastes and ask for their help in choosing items. • Don’t forget your appointment; a dealer may have to travel…

The county of Worcestershire has made some significant contributions to English culture. It was here that Royal Worcester, one of the oldest and best-known china brands in the world, was established; the county is also the birthplace of the composer Edward Elgar and, in 1837, the iconic condiment Worcestershire Sauce was invented in the city. But for any visitor, the first port of call should be Worcester’s magnificent cathedral, (worcestercathedral.co.uk). This religious site has seventh-century origins and has recently undergone a programme of restoration that was completed in 2011. Its library contains almost 300 medieval manuscripts as well as a music collection with works by Elgar. Dating back to 1751, Royal Worcester is one of the oldest English ceramics brands, and the Museum of Royal Worcester in the city (museumofroyalworcester.org)…