AUCTIONS
SHOPPING
Do you watch programmes such as Antiques Roadshow? I’m a hard core fan and spend most Sundays sat on the sofa and guessing the prices. Over the years, I have had the pleasure to meet most of the specialists, and we have filmed a number of shows at Criterion including Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, Bargain Hunt, and Antiques Road Trip. Tell us about your most memorable sale… We had the privilege of selling a three-metre-wide observatory dome from Wilton House, Salisbury. It was originally installed by Henry the 17th Earl of Pembroke in 1979 to overlook his Italianate gardens, and is fitted with electrical tracking, a 360-degree turret and a telescope. We were thrilled it reached its justifiable hammer price of £3,700 – a small price to pay for an exquisite piece of history. What would be your dream item to bid on for yourself? An original Bridget Riley. What, at first glance, seems such a simple application of block colours in line and circle formations, transforms into illusions of movement and the canvases almost swell, creating patterns all on their own. Jaggards House, Jaggards Lane, Corsham; www.criterionauctioneers.com
DAVID HARE BRIONY HARFORD Auctioneer and valuer at Criterion Auctioneers & Valuers
Tell us about the local auction house... It’s a Jacobean country house set within acres of beautiful gardens. This is one of the most unique salerooms in the UK, and it attracts a vast range of buyers from around the world. The business was set up by Graham Richards nearly 30 years ago with nothing more than a van and a passion for antiques. He saw that there was a need in the auction market for quality items to be sold at affordable prices in a unique setting, and our Bath country house is a beautiful backdrop to enhance any buyer’s experience. What items does Criterion specialise in? Everything from the wacky to the wonderful, for example: vintage furniture, Old Master paintings and exquisite jewellery. We also hold specialist sales where you’ll find fine watches, taxidermy and memorabilia as well as fine art and antiques sales quarterly. We host general weekly timed online auctions, too. Share your top auction etiquette tips… We encourage loud and proud bids; with so many bodies in the room there is no place for a sly head nod to initially grab my attention. Our regular buyers all have their own style of bidding – ranging from a cry of ‘ME!’ to a wink in the front row; as an auctioneer, this certainly keeps me on my toes.
Victorian ‘Mr Punch’ mustard pot, sold by Aldridges of Bath
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HISTORIC MANUSCRIPT LETTER BY
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Director at Gardiner Houlgate
What is Gardiner Houlgate’s focus? We are specialist auctioneers where you’ll find watches, clocks, musical instruments, paintings, jewellery, antiques and 20th century design. It’s one of the premier firms of auctioneers in the country, handling thousands of lots a year, in 46 specialist auctions. Your top tips for a first-time bidder? The internet is becoming a popular and more common option, where you can participate as if you were in the room. The more conventional way, of course, is having the experience of attending the live auction and encountering the action yourself. Does ‘auction fear’ actually exist? Yes, it is the accidental bid made by scratching your nose – all a little exaggerated, of course. In the modern day, the latest excuse or buyers’ remorse we hear from online bidders is ‘the cat jumped on the keyboard and bid!’ What’s the most memorable item you’ve sold at auction? We sold a Rolex last year for £168,000. The true charm of this story is the watch was originally purchased for £69 in 1966. The dial thankfully was not replaced despite the owner wanting a new one. Had it been replaced then the value of the watch would have been worth around £5,000. 9 Leafield Way, Corsham; www.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk w www.mediaclash.co.uk I BATH LIFE I 65