VE Magazine Issue 42

ve Vi n ta g ex p l o re r.co.u k

Issue 42 October/November 2018

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

£4.50/€5.50 WHERE SOLD

V I N TA G E A N T I Q U E S D E C O R AT I V E S A LVA G E M I D - C E N T U R Y M A N T I Q U E S

DESIGN CLASSICS THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018

TRADING PLACES WITH DREW PRITCHARD

a n t i q u e x p l o r e r. c o m ■ v i n t a g e x p l o r e r. c o . u k ■ m a n t i q u e x p l o r e r. c o . u k 01 VE42 Cover Drew A.indd 1

24/09/2018 13:58

BRIDPORT ANTIQUES Situated on West Street, in the heart of Bridport, is a wonderful 3-storey buiding housing a diverse range of stock for a collective of dealers. From fine art and antiques to Mid-century finds and collectables - there is something to cater for the most eclectic of tastes.

OPEN DAILY 10am to 5pm EARLY CLOSING Thursday at 2pm CLOSED SUNDAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF THESE HOURS

T H E O L D C O U RT, 4 1 W E S T S T R E E T, B R I D P O RT, D O R S E T D T 6 3 Q U T E L E P H O N E : 0 1 3 0 8 4 5 5 6 4 6 W E B S I T E : w w w. b r i d p o r t a n t i q u e s . c o . u k

VE42 Bridport IFC.indd 2

24/09/2018 17:31

ISSUE 42 October/November 2018

ve

Cover: Drew Pritchard pictured at his shop in Conwy. Photograph by Eleri Griffiths

Contents FEATURES

10 WOW, IT’S NEARLY winter, and with Halloween just around the corner, my thoughts are turning to outdoor events and parties...

We kick off this issue with a rather appropriate auction that could be a real game changer for all future Halloween parties... by scaring your guests to death with a lifesize statue of Pinhead from Hellraiser! Then our final article takes us outside to a full-on Gothic folly – I am so jealous.

I thought I was being clever last New Year’s Eve when I bought a pile of cheap Christmas trees, grabbed some railway sleepers, a fire pit/come bbq, some furs and hung a lampshade from the tree, and threw an outdoor party... but what I’d give to have a permanent theatrical ruin in my garden all-year-round! While on the topic of theatrical, we have the most amazing (sometimes disturbing) anthropomorphic creations on page 13, brought to you by three incredibly talented artists, all of whom have been inspired by their vintage finds from fleamarkets and fairs.

Recently somebody asked me: “How do you decide what goes in each issue – do you plans months ahead?” To which my response was: “It actually happens quite organically!” However, looking at some of the articles in this issue, it would seem there was quite a deliberate intention to go East, however I assure you, this was not the case – let me explain. Paul Stewart had recently visited the Russell Cotes Museum in Bournemouth and, in a follow-up to our Victorian inspired ebonised furniture in the last issue, wanted to write a piece on the last Victorian house to be built in the UK, and the lives of the owners who explored the world to furnish it. Meanwhile, I wanted to look into a term I’d heard used quite a bit, ‘Modern Oriental’, and see if I could create a similar feel by just searching around our own warehouse. Then my husband pointed out that the pair of lamps I’d just grabbed for the photoshoot were “very James Mont”. This led to more research...It turns out he coined the phrase ‘Chinese Modern’ and was the designer to the Mafia... now I really was intrigued. Lucky for me, top-end 1stDibs dealer Todd Merrill is about to publish a second edition of his book Modern Americana, and helped me out with images.

Now, we also happen to have a 1970s Kawasaki in the warehouse, which everybody admires when they come in. As you know, VE is quite partial to a motorcycle, and seeing that seventies motorbikes have become increasingly popular in the last few years, that was a good starting point for an article. Then I tracked down a guy online who had a fantastic collection of Japanese motorbikes – job done! That very same guy just happened to ask if I also fancied running an article on a Gothic folly he’d built - “It’s very VE”, he added. Which brings me full circle.

So you can see how a theme can unitentionally develop – sometimes it just happens that way...

Iconic Moments An exhibition of black and white photographs by Michael Ward comes to Lorfords in October

13 Anthropomorphism Karyn Sparks tracked down three highly skilled exponents of anthropomophic works of art 20 Modern Oriental When Eastern designs fuse with Mid-century style – a look that blends traditional craftsmanship with simple, functional design pieces 26 Cosy Nostra Designer to the Mafia, James Mont was the man who claimed to have coined the phrase ‘Chinese Modern’ – blending Oriental flourishes with Hollywood glamour 32 The Fantasy Seaside Villa - Russell Cotes Paul Stewart takes a trip to Bournemouth to visit the extraordinary home of two great Vintage Explorers!

46 Seventies Superbikes Karyn Sparks looks into the allure of 1970s Japanese motorbikes and meets a collector who chooses his top four favourites!

50 Full On Folly The ups and downs of building your own outdoor living space. By Paul Brace REGULARS

6

Auction Explorer Propmasters’ unique Movie and Television archive up for auction at Ewbanks

39

Trading Places Dealer Kieran Mathewson talks with the best known dealer and TV personality, Drew Pritchard

54 Events October/November

Karyn www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

03 VE42 Eds letter and contents.indd 1

ve / October-November 2018 / 3

24/09/2018 12:02

Station Mill is a clean, fresh and attractive space which shows off a wide variety of antiques over two levels.

We house 80 genuine antique dealers and our stock and displays are forever changing – there is always something different to see and inspire you.

Open seven days a week, Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sundays 11am to 4pm

Station Road, Chipping Norton, Oxon, OX7 5HX Email: info@stationmill.com

Ample Parking and Tea Room

www.stationmill.com

THE EMPORIUM

Antiques / Collectables /Lifestyle

112 High Street, Hungerford, Berkshire RG17 0NB Telephone 01488 686959

OVER 60 DEALERS UNDER ONE ROOF Attractively presented within a beautiful three-storey 17th century building, The Emporium Antiques Centre offers a wide range of antique and vintage items, including furniture, jewellery, silver, china, glassware, books, coins, gardenalia and many interesting collectables Open 10-5 Monday to Saturday 10-4 Sundays and Bank Holidays

Regularly seen on BBC’s Bargain Hunt

www.emporium-hungerford.co.uk 4 / October-November 2018 / ve

04 VE42 Ads.indd 2

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

23/09/2018 15:36

ve

Gemma Redmond JEWELLERY EXPERT Gemma is our vintage costume jewellery specialist and writer and founder of online boutique Gemma Redmond Vintage.

She travels far and wide sourcing designer jewellery and accessories from the 1800s through to the 1990s. Gemma can be found selling at shows all over the UK.

www.molecula.co.uk

Kieran Mathewson DEALER & EXPLORER Kieran has spent his entire adult life dealing in antiques, hunting for pieces that tell a story and represent his personality.

His online shop ‘River and Jones’ which he runs with his wife Amanda, is a well balanced mix of rustic furniture and decorative pieces, that in Kieran’s words: “Evoke a sense of adventure”.

www.gemmaredmondvintage.co.uk

Woo Gilchrist SALES & WEBSITE Woo is the person you’re most likely to encounter when contacting the VE office. Woo is also our webmaster and responsible for all our social media. Being a keen collector of vintage textiles and Scandinavian ceramics she loves nothing better than a good rummage at a flea market or fair.

www.riverandjones.co.uk

Alan Ashby ART EDITOR A man of 10,000 layouts!

Alan has art directed the launch or re-design of at least 40 national and regional magazines. His passion for photography, art and design combines in VE to give the magazine its own unique look. Alan also has a lifelong interest in natural history and recently began to collect, buy and sell taxidermy.

woo@vintagexplorer.co.uk

Karyn Sparks MANAGING EDITOR Undeniably the driving force behind VE, having been writing about the trade since the year 2000.

Karyn loves photography, vintage cars and being her own boss! When not on a deadline, she enjoys travelling around Europe on busman’s holidays sourcing stock, whilst adding to her rather eclectic office space!

COLLECTIVE

alan@vintagexplorer.co.uk

karyn@vintagexplorer.co.uk

THE

Jez Speed DEALER & RESTORER Jez loves anything old and interesting. He’s primarily a restorer specialising in lighting, but also deals in design from the last century – everything from desks to motor cars. Selling his wares directly to the trade; through design shows across Europe, and through his website and design portals.

Keeley Harris FAIRS ORGANISER Keeley has taken an interest in vintage clothes, curios, cars and music since the age of 10 and visited many Antiques Fairs & Classic Car shows as a teenager! Today, she’s a vintage dealer and event organiser and loves every minute of it, having founded numerous fairs up and down the country.

info@vintagexplorer.co.uk

Paul Stewart SARTORIAL EXPERT Paul has been wearing vintage clothes since his teens. Working at Brooklands by day, by night he can be found scouring the planet for Bakelite, tinkering with old wireless sets and drooling over classic cars and believes the ‘good old days’ are still here if you look hard enough.

www.discovervintage.co.uk

Samaya Ling FASHION EXPERT When it comes to topend vintage fashion, Samaya really knows her stuff. Dealing in 1920s to 1970s, fashion and accessories from Gucci and Chanel, to Ossie Clark and Dior. You can find her at London fairs such as The Hammersmith Vintage Fashion Fair or Frock Me in Chelsea.

info@vintagexplorer.co.uk

Drew Pritchard TV PERSONALITY Based in Wales, Drew is a bit of an all-rounder; architectural antiques dealer, restorer and Quest’s very own Salvage Hunter. Drew has had a fascination for cars and motorbikes for as long as he can remember, with a particular penchant for air-cooled VW’s and Porsches.

www.samayalingvintage.co.uk

www.drewpritchard.co.uk

@vintagexplorer Matt Whitney MOTOR EXPERT Want to know everything about motoring? Then Matt is your man! He’s an automobilia expert, auctioneer and valuer, not to mention all round top chap. He writes regular columns for magazines and newspapers and has an appreciation of gentlemen’s vintage clothing.

vemagazine vintagexplorermag vemagazine vintagexplorer vemagazine

Advertising enquiries: info@vintagexplorer.co.uk / 01935 814995

GUARANTEE YOUR COPY OF ve

Subscribe for just £29.99

To get six bi-monthly issues delivered straight to your door, simply fill in the coupon below and send us a cheque, or go online to the VE website shop at www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

✂

PLEASE SEND ME SIX ISSUES OF VE MAGAZINE COMMENCING ISSUE 43 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2019 NAME: ADDRESS:

POSTCODE: EMAIL:

I ENCLOSE PAYMENT OF £29.99

PLEASE MAKE ALL CHEQUES PAYABLE TO SMP LTD AND SEND TO: UNIT 10, THE OLD YARN MILLS, SHERBORNE, DORSET, DT9 3RQ

VE MAGAZINE UNIT 10, THE OLD YARN MILLS, SHERBORNE, DORSET DT9 3RQ 01935 814995 info@vintagexplorer.co.uk www.vintagexplorer.co.uk ©2018 SMP Ltd. We cannot accept responsibility for any mistakes or misprints. Unsolicited material cannot be returned. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without our written permission. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. Please note we reserve the right to use all photographs supplied elsewhere in VE magazine and related publications.

If you do not want to cut out this coupon, please state your requirements in a letter.

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

05 VE42 The VE Collective.indd 1

ve / October-November 2018 / 5

24/09/2018 12:14

Specialist sales and up-to-date information in print and online at the click of a button!

PROPMASTERS’ UNIQUE MOVIE AND TELEVISION ARCHIVE UP FOR AUCTION

The tiger motif jacket, worn by Angelina Jolie in the film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle Of Life has an estimate of £5,000-8,000

WHAT WITH HALLOWEEN on it’s way, what could be better than scaring your guests with a lifesize statue of Pinhead?

Straight from Pinewood Studios, this figure was made for promotional purposes for the horror movie saga Hellraiser, and carries an estimate of £5,000. It is up for sale as part of what is being billed as the ultimate sale of collectable film and TV props, costumes and memorabilia. The sale celebrates the 30th anniversary of Propmasters – the specialists in all things movie-related.

When Lara Croft races on a motorbike along the Great Wall of China in the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle Of Life, this is the jacket she wears. As a highly identifiable and a signature wardrobe piece to both the character and the movie, it will appear as a highlight in the sale at Ewbank’s Auctions in Surrey on 15th November with an estimate of £5,000 to £8,000.

The 250 plus lots on offer will feature items solely drawn from Propmasters’ unique movie and television archive, which spans from the 1930s to the present day. Other

Above: An incredibly rare production used mould for the iconic Facehugger creature used in the 1986 film Aliens, the sequel to Alien, carries an estimate of £3,000. Left: A lifesize Anterean Alien model from the film Cocoon, with an estimate of £3,000

6 / April-May 2018 / ve

06-07 VE42 Auction Explorer.indd 2

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 13:24

Above: This production made Darth Vader helmet from the Star Wars franchise dates to the period leading up to the release of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980.

It carries an estimate of £15,000. Left: A lifesize statue of Pinhead made for the horror movie saga Hellraiser is estimated at £5,000

highlights include a production-made Darth Vader helmet from the Star Wars franchise (estimate £15,000), the jackhammer used by vampire killer hero George Clooney’s character in From Dusk Till Dawn (£5,000) and even a lifesize Anterean Alien model from the film Cocoon (£3,000).

For Trekkies, autographs from all eight central actors of the original 1966 Star Trek series – from William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy to DeForest Kelley and James Doohan – are lotted together at just £300.

When it comes to rare scripts, how about an original production script for the 1968 film Where Eagles Dare, starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood (£400-600)? Or the 1979 BBC strike-hit Dr Who series SHADA, starring Tom Baker and written by the legendary Douglas Adams, more famous as the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (£1,000) Propmasters are pioneers in the world of movie prop collecting, serving the collector as a business since 1988 and collecting privately prior to then. Over the years they have supplied Planet Hollywood, major auction houses throughout the world and, most importantly, collectors.

“The popularity of collecting seems to have no end as more and more people join the growing snowball in search of film props and costumes,” says Propmasters founder David Oliver. “We have sold items within the last 24 months which we have seen more than quadruple in price, amazing to consider we are talking ‘thousands’ rather than ‘hundreds’.

“Prop collecting is now very firmly established which we are more than proud to see as when we first started the reaction was more of a ‘What do you want that for?’ rather than a ‘Wow, where did you get that?’ as it is today.” www.ewbankauctions.co.uk

ve / October-November 2018 / 7

06-07 VE42 Auction Explorer.indd 3

24/09/2018 11:52

Alfa Romeo P2 made by CIJ (Compagnie Industrielle du Jouet) France, circa late 1930 finished in green. Estimate: ÂŁ1,800-2,200

Toys & Models: 4 October Entertainment & Memorabilia: 4 October Vintage Posters: 5 October Antique & Collectors’: 10 October TLC Deck of Cards, Charity Art Auction: 12 October Decorative Arts: 25 October Contemporary Art: 25 October Asian Art: 8 November Textiles / Vintage Fashion: 8 November Propmasters, 30th Anniversary Auction: 15 November

08 VE42 Ewbank's ad.indd 2

23/09/2018 15:30

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

09 VE42 Ads.indd 1

ve / October-November 2018 / 9

24/09/2018 12:59

Right: Ursula Andress photographed in 1962, the year that she shot to stardom in the first James Bond film Dr No. Below: Michael Ward captures his reflection in a mirror

AN EXHIBITION OF BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL WARD COMES TO LORFORDS IN LONDON THIS OCTOBER

10-12 VE42 Michael Ward.indd 2

connections that he acquired during that period of his life helped him as a photographer in later years.

His first published photograph appeared in Woman’s Own magazine in 1958 and was of Sterling Moss’s wife, watching the race in which her husband won the British Grand Prix. However, his big break came about in the show pages of the Evening Standard, where he photographed the era’s emerging talent.

When he joined the Sunday Times, his news assignments took him all over the world. He ended up working there for more than 30 years, specialising in pictures of actors, writers, painters, politicans and even royalty.

Some of his most iconic images were taken in 1963 for Honey magazine. He spent 24 hours with

▲

10 / October-November 2018 / ve

RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER, Michael Ward (1929-2011) had an eye for the unexpected and authentic, and as a portrait photographer he brought out the best in people.

An amazing collection of over 60 black and white photographs, which beautifully capture the mood and zeitgeist of 1950s to 70s Britain, will be exhibited at Lorfords in London this October.

Both of Ward’s parents were prominent West End Stage actors, so he grew up in an unconventional, bohemian environment. He studied music at the Trinity College of Music, but decided he would never be good enough to make it a career.

Blessed with good looks and charisma, he became an actor, appearing in several films, although his acting career didn’t last, the friendships and

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 10:51

Above: Richard Branson in the bath on his boat at Little Venice in London. Left: One of Michael’s best known images taken in Belfast in 1977

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

10-12 VE42 Michael Ward.indd 3

ve / October-November 2018 / 11

23/09/2018 16:18

Left: Michael Ward was photographing The Beatles on the day they heard that Please, Please Me had become their first Number one hit. Below: The Managing Director of Berlei seated on the sofa and hard at work

‘I DIDN’T KNOW WHO THE BEATLES WERE, I’D NEVER HEARD OF THEM’

▲

– Michael Ward

The Beatles on the day when they heard that Please, Please Me had become their first Number one hit. “I didn’t know who they were, I’d never heard of them” Michael remembers, “I wasn’t interested in them and they weren’t interested in me, or having their photograph taken”. That day he took some incredible natural, and rare images of them on the cusp of their worldwide domination.

In 2006, Ward wrote a fascinating autobiography called Mostly Woman, revealing a neglected childhood but an amazing life.

Ward is survived by his widow, the Tony Award-winning actress and dancer Elizabeth Seal, who manages his archive, and who kindly agreed for Daniel Mankowitz to mount this exhibition. The exhibition will show a selection of Michael Ward’s black and white photographs, some of which have never been seen before, including archive signed prints and limited editions.ve ICONIC MOMENTS EXHIBITION – PHOTOGRAPHS

BY MICHAEL WARD. Curated by Daniel Mankowitz When: Thursday 18th October to Friday 9th November Where: Lorfords, 9 Langton Street, London SW10 0JL Tel: 020 3434 3133 Website: www.lorfordsantiques.com

12 / October-November 2018 / ve

10-12 VE42 Michael Ward.indd 4

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

23/09/2018 16:20

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

13-19 VE42 Anthropomorphism.indd 3

ve / October-November 2018 / 13

24/09/2018 11:48

Karyn Sparks tracked down three highly skilled exponents of anthropomorphic works of art and sent them each the same 12 searching questions:

1

In a sentence, please describe to our readers what it is that you create...

2 How did you first become interested in creating your anthropomorphic creatures?

3

What inspires a new creation?

4 Can we see inside your workspace please?

5 What is it about using vintage and preloved materials that appeals to you most?

Mandy Hawkins www.facebook.com/UnderMossWood I’VE BEEN A vintage dealer for over 40 years, now under the name of ´Under Moss Wood’ instead of ‘The Hat Faerie’.

I love making all kinds of weird and wonderful wearable art... hats are my favourite passion – my grandmother was a milliner in the 1920s so I suppose it’s a family thing... I love wearing them too!

1. My passion is creating art for lovers of the weird and wonderful.

2. My love of nature and creatures inspires me... mix that with a passion for textiles and fashion and you have magic!

3. The seasons inspire my creations, the colours and textures of what’s around me in my woodland world.

4. My studio is my cottage ‘Under Moss Wood’, that nestles in a woodland on the banks of a river in deepest Wales. It’s currently being renovated so a peek inside isn’t possible. Sorry.

5. Vintage textiles and finds come with their own stories, a history that asks to be never forgotten and lived over and over again.

6. My creations are a part of me and I love them all... they fill my dreams until they become reality... they are like my children and so I love them all the same!

7. All creatures great and small fascinate me - we live in a world full of enchanted wonders.

8. I am totally inspired by vintage

treasures I find, they speak my language and fire my imagination.

9. My creations are sold to lovers and collectors of the unusual... word of mouth that floats on the breeze and whispers that reach far flung places.

10. At the moment I am working on a story for my grandchildren... magical creatures that inhabit my world at Under Moss Wood!

I created the Hare and Raven for the launch of my new business called ‘Maven & Hare’... I have collaborated with another vintage dealer friend of mine called Bronia Lee and we are Maven & Hare.

My anthropomorphic creations were made to represent us and demonstrate our love of the unusual... we are purveyors of the weird and wonderful. For the opening of our business they sat and stood in various poses... like living breathing art.

The Hare and Raven heads

6 Which one, out of all

your creations, has been your favourite and why?

7 What animals fascinate

you the most in life, and why?

8

Do you ever find an object first, say from a fleamarket, and create a creature around it? Or does the creature always come first?

9 How do you sell your creations, and to what kinds of people?

10 What are you

working on at the moment?

11

After lavishing so much work and putting so much love into these pieces, how do you let them go?

12

Can you give me one word that describes your usual state of mind?

14 / October-November 2018 / ve

13-19 VE42 Anthropomorphism.indd 4

Annie Montgomerie WELCOME TO MY WORLD of storybook beings. Curious creatures from the outside to display inside. Each piece is individual and unique, and because of the recycled nature of my work, no two pieces will be quite the same. I use muslin, 100 per cent wool felt, ‘up-cycled’ wool garments, velvet, leather, cotton, moleskin and blankets for wall hangings and figures. I then stitch on curious little things I find including vintage buttons, charms and jewellery.

1. I create one of a kind figures using vintage fabrics, doll clothes, glove leather, plastic dolls and pretty much anything I find that I can use.

2. I used to make wool dolls and as time went on the appliqué themes on their dresses became more elaborate and always seemed to feature animals in clothes. I was fascinated by the idea of animals being children in grubby clothes from being out in the woods etc. So it kind of grew

www.anniemontgomerie.co.uk from there.

3. I get inspiration from many different things but mainly music sparks my imagination for a new being. A certain lyric can create a whole new character in my head with their own story and personality running through them.

4. My workspace is my kitchen, here I’m surrounded by hundreds of visual treats from various and random objects I find in flea markets, charity shops and car boot sales. I have a table in the middle of the room with piles of dolls underneath. Every cupboard is stuffed with fabrics and remnants for me to use and incorporate in my work.

5. I like to think that my work has a reminiscent quality about it so using vintage fabrics and other findings lends to the theme of a piece, if I find a certain piece of textile or object to incorporate, it makes a piece look more authentic to the era I want them to look like they came from.

Besides, my favourite pastime is

going to flea markets etc, I just can’t get enough of the stuff.

6. Mainly flea markets, eBay, car boot sales and charity shops. I do get friends giving me stuff they think “suits me” though and I’ve even been known to pick stuff up from the ground like old chamois leather, twigs and shells.

7. Lambs are my favourite animals to make but the most fascinating are cats, I’m lucky enough to live with two and I love to watch their different personalities, from playful to spiteful, I can literally spend hours watching them, every move they make is so photogenic.

8. Yes, absolutely. Something I come across can totally start up my mind for a piece, an example of this is I saw some little white shells and thought how much the markings looked like curly locks so born from this was the fleece of a lamb.

9. Most of my work I sell through Etsy, I have lots of different kinds of collectors from all over the

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 11:58

Mister Finch www.mister-finch.com were both needle felted onto an armature with natural wool fleece.

The Hare’s dress is a cashmere piece I found that has been needle felted with woodland creatures and flowers and embellished with vintage sequins and vintage yarns.

Put together with a tule underskirt, wicked witch stripey tights and sequin pumps.

The Raven’s dress is a vintage find that was in tatters so I went with the tattered look and needle felted rats onto it, leaving many ripped layers. The jacket is a Victorian piece covered in jet beading and lace. Put together again with a tule underskirt and stripey tights and finished off with a pair of vintage shoes. A weird and truly wonderful expression of my art.

11. When a story has been created and the photos are taken I love them to find their forever homes!

12. Magical.

world, a few famous ones too (who shall remain secret).

10. At the moment I am working on a collection for Pollocks toy shop in Covent Garden London for their Christmas window display along with my own collection for Christmas. I have a small exhibition in January at the Copro Gallery, Santa Monica to work towards.

11. Sometimes I feel little tugs on my heart strings when it’s time for pieces to go especially if I have grown fond of a particular character I’ve created. One of the reasons I make collections of pieces to sell is so that I can have them with me for a few months around the house before they go.

12. Jittery.

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

13-19 VE42 Anthropomorphism.indd 5

MY NAME IS FINCH – it’s actually my surname but everyone calls me Finch and I like it. I’ve called my business Mister Finch so it’s clear from the start that I’m a man, and one that sews. We are a bit thin on the ground but we are out there! I stitch and pull scraps of thread and fabric to make fairy tale creatures looking for new owners and worlds to inhabit.

1. I’m a maker who uses fabrics and found objects to create creatures and plant life, often with a fairy tale aesthetic.

2. I’ve always been able to sew since being a child and have always fixed clothes and made curtains, that kind of thing. I’ve had a sewing machine since being about 17. Sewing has always surfaced in my work in some way and when I made jewellery for years I made the fabric bags that they went in. I wanted to leave making jewellery and try a new area, it wasn’t that I didn’t love it I just grew tired of having to rely on so many others to get work shown and seen... photographers, models, makeup etc. I wanted to be able to make something and do everything alone and so I began to play around with making simple insects from cloth and textiles and that’s how it began.

3. Inspiration comes from so many places it’s almost impossible to pin down. I try to flood myself with imagery and films and listen to audiobooks whilst working and try to just see as many new things as possible. The tiniest thing can be inspirational. Once I was on a train and sat opposite were two old ladies talking about their garden and their blossom trees, the ticket inspector was talking to a customer who asked which station to get off and I heard ‘blossom’ and ‘which’... Blossom Witch. That was it, I was off, the idea of a blossom witch was just beautiful and I loved the idea of her sitting in a tree hiding, and creating a back story for her. So you see it comes from anything and everything.

4. You are more than welcome to.

5. It’s the story and often the visible wear that textiles can have. I love to use old clothes more and more now and there are so many components that you can use; the pockets, lining, shoulder pads etc. I do love to use things that are way past being rescued and that they are turned into something completely new. An old coat becomes a toadstool or a threadbare wedding dress is wound around wire to make a large spider with her egg case.

This process in itself lends itself to really wonderful storytelling and is what I adore.

6. I made a huge moth years ago from a rug that was in a skip, the contents of the skip were from a fire damaged property and half of the rug was destroyed but a good chunk of it was fine and I used it for the wings. I had a simple moth pattern that I was using and I enlarged

it on an overhead projector and made her up. I called her Oonah and she means a huge amount to me. It was around this time my work was selling well and this allowed me to leave my jobs and sew full time. So she’s a reminder of a really great time!

7. I do love spiders and making large ones is hugely satisfying, especially making them with heavy embroidery, it seems to fit them so well.

Spiders are hugely symbolic all around the world and mean so many different things and this is really attractive to me.

8. Both. Sometimes I’m led by what I find and other times I’m on the lookout for certain things. The last show I did ‘The Wish Post’ had me making large life-size swans and I needed all different weights of white and cream fabrics for the feathers and I actively looked out for them and collected them. So it really is a case of both.

9. I don’t work on commissions, I generally work on solo shows which is wonderful and so I tend to work with galleries and parks. I don’t get as much time to make and sell myself as in the past, so now my work can get quite big and heavy and so it lends itself to going to a show. I have all types of people who have my work and also for many different reasons. I had a lady buy a spider years ago to help her deal with her crippling arachnophobia, which is a huge compliment really.

10. Currently working on a small Christmas show which launches on 1st December at Bluecoat Display Centre in Liverpool (www. bluecoatdisplaycentre.com/shop).

11. If I’m making for a show then I know from the beginning that they are going to be for sale and so I don’t form attachments, which is easier said than done, but usually I’m better now with letting things go. In the past when I have made creatures, for example my greetings card range, I knew I would be hanging on to them and so now I’m used to them being around and would be sad to see some of them go.

12. Upbeat.

ve / October-November 2018 / 15

24/09/2018 11:58

‘My anthropomorphic creations were made to represent us and demonstrate our love of the unusual... we are purveyors of the weird and wonderful...’ - Mandy Hawkins 16 / October-November 2018 / ve

13-19 VE42 Anthropomorphism.indd 6

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 13:07

‘I’m surrounded by hundreds of visual treats from various and random objects charity shops and car boot sales...’

- Annie Montgomerie

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

13-19 VE42 Anthropomorphism.indd 7

ve / October-November 2018 / 17

24/09/2018 12:00

18 / October-November 2018 / ve

13-19 VE42 Anthropomorphism.indd 8

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 12:00

‘I love to use old clothes more and more now and there are so many components that you can use; the pockets, lining, shoulder pads etc. I do love to use things that are way past being rescued and that they are turned into something completely new...’ - Mister Finch

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

13-19 VE42 Anthropomorphism.indd 9

ve / October-November 2018 / 19

24/09/2018 12:02

www.molecula.co.uk

MODERN ORIENTAL When Eastern designs fuse with Mid-century style – a look that blends traditional craftsmanship with simple, functional design pieces

20/ October-November 2018 / ve

20-24 VE42 Chinese modern.indd 2

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 11:07

www.theexchangeint.com

www.molecula.co.uk

A selection of rare pieces from designers such as George Nakashima, Vladimir Kagan and Paavo Tynell create the most stunning room sets with a subtle oriental feel

By Karyn Sparks AS WITNESSED IN THE ebonised pieces of furniture in our previous issue, the Victorians certainly loved their Oriental influences, and today the look is just as alluring as it’s ever been.

I’d heard the words ‘Modern Oriental’ mentioned a lot recently - but what exactly does it mean? I was intrigued to find out more. Some describe it as a fusion of styles: minimalistic Japanese to opulent Chinese, finding harmony with Modern Design pieces... It’s sourcing pieces designed in the 1950s and 60s with an Oriental style... It’s about using a careful combination of texture, natural colours,

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

20-24 VE42 Chinese modern.indd 3

unique treasures and handmade items...

Others suggest using patterns and motifs, a splash of Chinoiserie, a Cloisonne vase, and simple sculptures for a carefully-considered look... and whilst symmetry is very restful to the eye, beware of becoming too militant or staged... Keep your room clutter free by selecting pieces of furniture with a lot of hidden storage (I guess the four-foot caiman I have sitting on my sideboard at home doesn’t quite fit the remit!).

I quickly figured out it’s a look that allows for a great deal of interpretation! Nevertheless, there are

ve / October-November 2018 / 21

24/09/2018 17:41

www.theexchangeint.com

A modern day living room with a rare George Nakashima lamp sat on the fireplace designed in 1974, and made from walnut, rosewood, cedar and parchment. Isamu Noguchi’s stylish Rudder Stool for Herman Miller designed in 1944 from carved walnut, and steel

some constants, namely including organic materials like wood, which is intrinsic to any Modern Oriental interior, and everything in the room is to be considered.

Now, as with everything, there are top-end versions of this style as shown by the likes of London based dealers, Talisman. They describe this look: “Modern Oriental, incorporates a fusion of several styles. From the innately minimalistic and zen Japanese style to the opulent and grand Chinese style. You can find a balance and harmony between the styles by indulging in key pieces that will not over complicate the interior”. Their exquisite 1950s red velvet ebonised armchairs and 1960s Asian Modern cabinet are stunning examples of such key pieces. Whilst Houston based dealers, The Exchange Int, bring together a selection of rare

22 / October-November 2018 / ve

20-24 VE42 Chinese modern.indd 4

pieces to the table from designers such as George Nakashima, Isamu Noguchi, Vladimir Kagan and Paavo Tynell to create stunning, carefully considered room sets with a subtle Oriental feel.

I however, thought it would be an interesting exercise to take some of these tips on board and create my own interpretation of Modern Oriental from items I had to hand in our showroom space.

We had bought an attractive black lacquered Chinese-looking sideboard at auction recently, which wasn’t particularly old but had the most stylish and simplistic brass handles – this would be a great starting point. I began looking around for pieces to help me create my Oriental inspired shot, and managed to pull together a Japanese Obi wedding sash I’d found in a box for a splash of colour; a pair of lamps, very much in the style of James Mont

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 14:00

.com dern .lamo www

Pair of chairs (left arm and right arm) designed by George Nakashima in 1955, in American black walnut

A pair of James Mont style Ebonised Wooden Armchairs from the 1950s in red velvet with Geisha scene back cushions in original upholstery.

Price: ÂŁ4,400 available from talismanlondon.com

An four door cabinet designed by Renzo Rutilil with fretwork and acid etch metalwork from the 1960s. Price: ÂŁ8,500 available from talismanlondon.com

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

20-24 VE42 Chinese modern.indd 5

ve / October-November 2018 / 23

23/09/2018 17:22

‘The key to this look is: nothing is by accident, nothing is in excess, and everything is beautiful’

for a bit of symmetry, a decorative Chinese carved wooden plaque and a pair of ornately hand carved maplewood picture frames.

As everything must be considered, I had to show constraint, and so resisted going over the top and adding a 1960s woodblock print I’d found of a Japanese warrior, a stack of Chinese abacus sets, a rather nice piece of bogwood on a stand and a miniature Oriental tea set under a dome – all of which would have worked, but I had to bear in mind that the key to this look is: nothing is by

24 / October-November 2018 / ve

20-24 VE42 Chinese modern.indd 6

accident, nothing is in excess, and everything is beautiful.

So did I succeed (see page 20)? That again is a matter of opinion. It’s a beautifully clean look, and one that I’d certainly enjoy waking up to in my bedroom each morning. However, I’m afraid my own eclectic tastes wouldn’t allow such simplicity throughout my entire home. My snug little lounge for example, where my shelves are laden with all sorts of treasures. I love it that way and that’s my Zen, being surrounded by my hoard! ve

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

23/09/2018 17:23

MARCHAND ANTIQUES

4a St John’s Hill • Hollybush • Sevenoaks • Kent • TN13 3NP Tel: 07889 540789

www.marchandantiques.co.uk

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

25 VE42 Ads NEW.indd 1

ve / October-November 2018 / 25

24/09/2018 19:10

Cosy Nostra Designer to the Mafia, James Mont was the man who claimed to have coined the phrase ‘Chinese Modern’ – blending Oriental flourishes with Hollywood glamour

BY KARYN “MONKEY-FACE” SPARKS JAMES MONT (1904-1978) - formerly known as Demetrios Pecintoglu - was a designer and interior decorator that established a reputation in the States for creating custom made clandestine bars for movie stars and gangsters during Prohibition, with clever compartments for drink, guns and jewellery.

His life and work were shrouded in mystery. He was both a rogue and a charmer with an incredibly bad temper, which repeatedly got him into trouble and debt during a roller-coaster career that lasted four decades.

He started out as a decorator in the 1920s whilst running a small electrical supply shop in Brooklyn, where he sold his own lamps. The story goes that one day a Mafia member visited with his girlfriend and was so impressed he hired Mont to refurnish his house! He quickly became the decorator of choice to crime bosses and his clients included the likes of Mobster Lucky Luciano, and Frank Costello. By the mid-1930s, his business in New York City was thriving and he employed between 40 and 50 staff.

He married in 1937 (with Bob Hope as Best Man), but it was short lived as his new wife, 25-year-old Korean-American actress Helen Kim Mont, was found dead just 29 days later in their Park Avenue apartment... it was ruled as suicide. It gets worse...

He was a womaniser with a bad temper, who frequently

26 / October-November 2018 / ve

26-31 VE42 James Mont.indd 2

The best of James Mont represented by Todd Merrill, featuring a full suite of Mont silver gilt 1940s and 50s furnishings presented in grey Dessin Fournir silk velvet on a white goat skin rug Above left: Mont’s artistic expression manifested itself in many moods, from the exotic and ornate to the sculptural and sometimes naturalistic.

The Octopus lamp from c.1950 cost $1,000, a tremendous sum for the period. The legs were cast bronze and were affixed to a curvaceous black lacquered wood core

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 12:07

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

26-31 VE42 James Mont.indd 3

ve / October-November 2018 / 27

24/09/2018 12:08

‘He was a womaniser with a bad temper, who frequently entertained the mob in his apartment with private floorshows full of girls’

Above: Opium Den Sofa in oak, c.1950. The sofa’s platform has a soft white rubbed patina and a beautiful texture. One of Mont’s first pieces using cerused oak, is a wonderful early example of his iconic ‘Chinese Modern’ style Left: Cinnabar Lacquered and Gilt Chinoiserie Server, c.1950s Opposite: Many of Mont’s preferred touches and signature motifs are united in these elongated white gold-leaf shelves, including stylised bamboo, expert gilding, and reinterpreted Asian forms. The pagoda shelf would reappear in several different guises throughout his career

entertained the mob in his apartment with private floorshows full of girls. In 1940 he was sentenced to, and served, five years for “savagely thrashing” lampshade designer Dorothy Burns who had refused his advances. She felt so humiliated – she hung herself during the trial.

Mont created true Hollywood glamour using bold, exotic, often Chinese-inspired pieces and luxurious materials, such as gold and silver leaf, lacquer, faux animal skin with expensive and lustrous finishes. Pieces often had four different undercoats in different colours, then three or four layers of gold or silver leaf, followed by graining with wire wool to create an antiqued look. Understandably, his one-off pieces were expensive for the time.

As a custom designer, his taste always ran to opulence and drama – producing pieces that were large, exquisitely crafted, and fabulous – for people who had, or wanted to look as if they had

28 / October-November 2018 / ve

26-31 VE42 James Mont.indd 4

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 12:09

JAMES MONT

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

26-31 VE42 James Mont.indd 5

ve / October-November 2018 / 29

24/09/2018 12:10

plenty of money.

He was a showman and perfectionist, and was known on occasion to destroy pieces in front of stunned clients in order to demonstrate his high standards. The theatre worked!

From the 1930s to the 1960s, Mont was one of the most prominent designers and decorators on the East Coast. His forte for creating furniture that offered a stylish and dramatic, yet modern look, was unsurpassable.

There are many different stories about how he died, but apparently there was no funeral, and nobody knows exactly where he’s buried! ve

30 / October-November 2018 / ve

26-31 VE42 James Mont.indd 6

Above: Fretwork Club Chairs, 1963 Below: James Mont, Lotus Low Table, USA, 1963. This table features a round top with Chinoiserie fretwork on a beautifully carved column pedestal with a lotus motif base.

The table is finished in silver leaf with gold leaf accents.

Mont’s repertoire reflects the Hollywood glamour typical of his era, which he captured through his use of sumptuous materials and luxurious finishes. Adding Oriental flourishes to his custom pieces of furniture, Mont was the first to coin the term, “Chinese Modern.” In a 1996 New York Times article, Mitchell Owens describes Mont’s distinct style as a “stylish uptown fusion of Eastern silhouettes and Western modernism”

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 12:11

JAMES MONT James Mont’s lamps are arguably the most precious pieces from his oeuvre and demonstrate a fusion between chinoiserie and Hollywood Regency. Each lamp was truly a work of art and was realised using an array of elaborate treatments and finishes. Lamps, despite their functional nature, engendered Mont’s fascination with Eastern cultures and flaunted his innovative lacquering or gilding techniques. Exotic found objects would often be incorporated. Although many of his lamps, which were always ornate, were made in the 1940s and 50s, they defy the prevailing interest in modernism, embracing ornament and glamour instead Far left: The ceramic Thai deity is another reclaimed exotic object used for ornamentation.

The figure was antiqued and gilded on a similarly treated gilded wood base. Mont used sculpted and applied plaster to create the band that surrounds the shimmering gold-leaf paper shade. Once applied, the plaster was hand carved and polished Left: A silver-plated metal falcon sits on a perch, while the structure alludes to both a Japanese torii, or sacred gateway, and the Greek letter pi. The shade was constructed with interwoven patinated parchment strips and a white gold–leaf finish Left: As a custom designer, his taste always ran to opulence and drama. Pieces often had four different undercoats in different colours, then three or four layers of gold or silver leaf, followed by graining with wire wool to create an antiqued look

With thanks to Todd Merrill Studio who are about to publish a second edition of their 2008 book: Modern Americana on 15th November.

This book debuted the first real information about Mont that had been published after his death. The 2018-second edition has 60 additional pages, many new photos and updated information. www.toddmerrillstudio.com

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

26-31 VE42 James Mont.indd 7

ve / October-November 2018 / 31

24/09/2018 14:19

THE

FANTASY SEASIDE VILLA PAUL STEWART TAKES A TRIP TO BOURNEMOUTH TO VISIT THE EXTRAORDINARY HOME OF TWO GREAT VINTAGE EXPLORERS! P H O T O G R A P H S : MARK CARNABY (www.markcarnaby.com)

C

ARVED INTO the East Cliff facing the soft sands of Bournemouth’s coast, is one of the last Victorian mansion houses to be built in Britain and undoubtedly, one of this country’s greatest treasures.

Just a three minute walk from Bournemouth’s pier and I arrived at the entrance to the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum; a fantasy house of art, sculpture and architecture with a love story at its heart. The house was built in 1901 by Merton Russell-Cotes (1835-1921) as the ultimate gift of affection for his wife Annie.

THE BEGINNINGS Despite Merton’s success as a business man, he suffered with bouts of lung disease. Taking medical advice to seek a fresher climate, he and Annie spent the summer of 1875 exploring the south coast with a two-week stay at the Bath Hotel in 32 / October-November 2018 / ve

32-37 VE42 Russell-Cotes.indd 2

Annie and Merton Russell-Cotes

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 11:43

Courtesy of the Russell-Cotes Museum

Bournemouth. As it happened, the hotel was up for sale and so the lure of a new business opportunity in the healthier seaside location proved too irresistible, and on Christmas Day 1876, the couple became the new owners of the Bath Hotel.

It was small and unassuming but they soon expanded it and made it luxurious, offering guests billiards, Havana cigars and an own-branded Scotch whisky. What really marked it out however, was the collections of art and lavish objects they had amassed on their travels throughout the world.

Notable guests who enjoyed staying there included Benjamin Disraeli, DH Lawrence and one Oscar Wilde who wrote in the visitor guest book: “You have built and filled up with the greatest beauty and elegance, a palace and filled it with gems of art, for the use and benefit of the public at hotel prices�.

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

32-37 VE42 Russell-Cotes.indd 3

ve / October-November 2018 / 33

24/09/2018 11:44

RUSSELL-COTES MUSEUM

Later, on learning that the hotel was once patronised by the Prince of Wales, Merton appointed it as the Royal Bath Hotel. It soon attracted the rich and famous and it was this success that allowed the couple to embark on their travels around the world and feed their passion for culture, art and collecting.

In 1884 the couple embarked on an epic tour taking in New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, Japan, China, Singapore and India that lasted 18 months. When they returned they had over 100 crates of objects ranging from shrines, armour, masks and swords as well as every day objects giving us a tantalising glimpse of normal life in far-away lands that only the wealthy had seen first-hand at that time.

EAST CLIFF HALL In 1896 Merton commissioned local architect John Frederick Fogerty to design a new house in the grounds of the hotel as a birthday gift to his wife. Set in the cliff face it had stunning views of the coastline and would be the ideal place for the couple to live, filled with their treasures serving more as a showcase than a family home.

They lived there until Annie died in 1920 and a year later, Merton followed. It was in 1921/22 that the house and its contents (which had been presented to the people of the Borough of Bournemouth in 1907) opened as a public museum. This incredible house is sealed in time and has the couple’s passions, love and personalities stamped all over it.

The beautifully landscaped gardens lead to the entrance but it’s impossible not to stop on the balustraded imperial steps and look up to the magnificent, pyramidal roof flanked by two conical roofs, stained glass and balconies beckoning you inside.

The main hall is a breathtaking mix of styles which has echoes of the Arab Hall at Leighton House in London with its mosaic fountain in the floor directly below a stained glass skylight depicting the three transitions of the sun of morning, noon and evening.

Mahogany and rosewood accentuate the rich, dark hues of the oil paintings, columns 34 / October-November 2018 / ve

32-37 VE42 Russell-Cotes.indd 4

‘THE MAIN HALL IS A BREATHTAKING MIX OF STYLES’ www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 11:44

Courtesy of the Russell-Cotes Museum

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

32-37 VE42 Russell-Cotes.indd 5

ve / October-November 2018 / 35

24/09/2018 11:45

RUSSELL-COTES MUSEUM

and carpet on the grand staircase lead to the upper balcony. On the way, you will pass a beautifully preserved argus pheasant which is just the beginning of Annie’s fascination with natural history, fossils, shells and specimens.

In an alcove on the staircase is a stunning alabaster sculpture called ‘The Bathers’ by Orazio Andreoni. This momentarily reminds you that you are at a seaside location in Britain but don’t worry, you will soon slip back again into thinking you’re in a French or Italian villa of aristocratic lovers in the 1880s.

Ceilings are painted throughout and the wall coverings, stencils and decoration is exquisite with not a square inch left untouched.

WORLD CLASS PIECES There are four galleries located on the ground floor, which boast some world class pieces and show the diverse tastes of the couple, as well as a blossoming collection of a museum that went on to acquire works in their tradition. Stand out pieces that form part of the permanent collection include the pre-Raphaelite masterpiece ‘Venus Verticordia’ (1864-1868) by Rossetti, ‘Midsummer’ (1884) by Albert Joseph Moore and a later purchase, ‘Spray’ (1940) by Harold Williamson. Portraits and huge landscapes dominate the galleries which luckily, also contain soft chairs and couches so you can sit and take in all the beauty.

Up on the first floor and you are spoilt for choice for which room to take in first. It is laid out in such a way that you linger for longer than if you were in a large gallery space as the detail is so lavish and has been so well 36 / October-November 2018 / ve

32-37 VE42 Russell-Cotes.indd 6

preserved. Even the toilets have been left ‘as is’ and you spend far more time in there than is usual, admiring the decor!

Like the artworks contained within, the building itself is a mixture of architectural styles and Merton must have been a very difficult client for architect Fogerty who did his best to understand his demands and combine his varied tastes. Throughout the halls and rooms you can see influences of Scottish Baronial, Italian Renaissance, French Chateau as well as Japanese and Moorish styles.

He even acquired some fire-damaged doors from a Florentine Palazzo midway through

the project, which meant changing the design of the Drawing Room to accommodate them.

Merton wanted glamour and drama and his love of the theatre is also evident throughout the house.

The conservatory, which was added in 1899, affords stunning views of Poole Bay from Purbeck to the Needles off the Isle of Wight and would have been the perfect resting spot with Lloyd Loom chairs and giant rubber plants. Annie and Merton used this space to tend to their cuttings and the bright red glass tiles infused with gold that line the semi-circular surround at the top are as vibrant today as the day they were laid.

Russell-Cotes is run by a dedicated army of staff and knowledgeable volunteers and guides and includes a café and shop – you can even get married there! It really has it all; stunning views and location, beautiful architecture set in sumptuous gardens and an art collection to rival the London institutions. As well as the miles of golden sands, this is without doubt the best reason to visit Bournemouth.

Note: If you visit between 2nd November 2018 and 2nd June 2019, you’ll also be able to see iconic photographs of China by John Thomson (1868-1872) reproduced on a large, sometimes life-size scale accompanied by objects collected by Merton and Annie Russell-Cotes on their visit to China only a decade later, in an exhibition entitled ‘China: Through the lens of John Thomson’.ve www.russellcotes.com www.markcarnaby.com

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 11:45

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

32-37 VE42 Russell-Cotes.indd 7

ve / October-November 2018 / 37

24/09/2018 11:45

38 / October-November 2018 / ve

38 VE42 Ads.indd 2

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 15:33

TRADING PLACES

THE MOST ANTICIPATED INTERVIEW SO FAR...

Dealer Kieran Mathewson talks with the best known dealer and TV personality Drew Pritchard

W

RITING FOR VE has been a real privilege. I am fortunate enough to have the freedom to choose the dealers that I’d like to interview, and can say, or ask whatever I like, with no restrictions or editing. This carte blanche can go either way when talking to some of the trades biggest personalities, and after easing my way into this writing gig over the past few issues, I thought it would be a good time to chat to the trade’s most controversial dealer.

Drew Pritchard is a man whose name echoes through antiques shops, fairs and living rooms all over the world.

Everyone in the trade knows of him, and all seem to have formed their own opinions – some dealers are utterly inspired by his achievements, others find him obnoxious! Having never spoken to Drew before, I wanted the opportunity to form my own opinion, one based on my own experience and gut instinct rather than what I’d heard on the grapevine.

It all started with a simple email, asking Drew if he’d be interested in chatting to me for VE Magazine. His reply: “Call me, I’ll give you an honest interview”, was brief and to the point, it offered no hint of his personality or anything to suggest he was looking forward to talking to me at all. So, with my rather comfortable position ‘on the fence’, I called him! As I waited for Drew to answer, the ring, ring, ring conjured up preconceived thoughts that I didn’t realise I had. Perhaps Drew would see me as a mere ‘ankle biter’, just one of the trades many young dealers trying to get a slice of him. After a few more rings he answered and I was prepared to be chewed up and spat out! There was no need. The hourlong conversation was natural, as if he were just catching up with an old friend. He answered my questions openly and honestly, occasionally interrupting the conversation, by saying things like “Hey, Tiger!” when his son walked in, or “Wow, look at that!” as he spotted maker’s marks on a club fender that was being photographed. Drew was simply doing what he does on a day to day basis, while squeezing in a chat with me at the same time. There were moments where he joked, showing a real raw sense of humour, as well as moments that suggested he had a softer side, perhaps even a vulnerability caused by being under the constant scrutiny of a trade that he’s loved since he was a boy.

The sceptics could say it was a well-rehearsed act, to ensure he came across in the correct way for the interview... perhaps they were right! Or maybe Drew was simply being himself, no strings attached and with nothing to hide. Either way, the phone call knocked me off the fence, and left me feeling very pleased I’d finally gotten to speak with him.

Find out what exactly what we chatted about over the following six pages.

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

39 VE42 Trading Places.indd 1

ve / October-November 2018 / 39

23/09/2018 18:05

What were you like as a kid?

I had absolutely no interest in school, that’s for sure! I didn’t want to go, and didn’t go whenever possible. I started in a tiny rural school, then a North Wales Valleys comprehensive during the 70s and early 80s and came out of there at 15 with no qualifications at all, literally nothing, I just walked out. I found the whole thing a waste of time! I knew what I wanted to do, so there was no point me being there!

Where did your early influences, or inspiration come from?

From a really young age I would comb the local tips and ex-Ministry of Defence storage sites that we had along the coast.

I used to break into the local scrap yard and wander around with all the ‘junk’. I just had an obsession with old things and I’d take little treasures I found home. I was around nine, 10 and 11 at this point. It was just something I did, and I had a natural affinity for it. My father was a sign writer, a proper traditional sign writer, and he had a good eye. He taught me how to look at things, recognising I had an eye and could be taught. At a very young age he’d plonk me in front of a building and say, “What’s wrong with that building? What’s right with that building?” or “What’s wrong with this painting? What’s right with this painting?”. It felt natural for me to do that, it just felt normal. Everything at school just made no sense, this did!

As a teenager, were you into girls and motorbikes rather than books!?

No! I was into books, that’s the strange thing! I would read voraciously as a child, even now. I’d read about antiques, interiors, art, history, architecture, medieval history, cars, motorbikes; all of these things. I’d educate myself in the things I was interested in and nothing else! I read like you wouldn’t believe, I’ve had to build a home library at my house, because I still have so many books and I subscribe to so many magazines. I am constantly driving around with books and magazines in the car to read. A friend of mine called me recently and said “You are self-over-educated!”

With such a busy schedule, when do you find the time to read?

Whenever I sit down really, I collect auction catalogues, and have done for a couple of decades. I’ve got thousands, and bought a few hundred more a couple of weeks ago. I find it really relaxing!

A good auction catalogue and a glass of wine is a nice way of winding the day down.

Was finding the William Morris stained glass windows your big break?

It was my big financial break! I trained as a stained-glass conservator, restorer and designer from age 16 through to 23, and studied William Morris in particular, restoring a lot of Morris windows over the period of my training. Everyone knows Morris and Rossetti, and know it’s all a bit cheesy; silly hippie girls with long hair and daft dresses. I however, was fascinated by William Morris himself, his circle, his madness and his life.

I remember my first week in the job and we went to a demolition site on Anglesey, and we took a lot of stained glass windows out of a church, to teach me the correct way to take a window out and that sort of thing. I asked why we were taking them out, and they said that the demolition contractors were keeping them, I didn’t give it another thought. Then eight years later this van turns up at my father’s yard, I opened up the back, and there they were, the windows I removed from the church, the William Morris ones... which were actually Morris & Co, so were made after his death, but designed during his life. I was just standing there looking at them all! We did a deal for around £3,000 for the lot; it was literally all the money I had! I didn’t really know just how much they were worth at the time, but I knew what I had and recognised they were good! I’d recently started selling to one of the first and one of the biggest stained glass window dealers in the world at the time, who was based in Birmingham. I took the windows out and photographed them correctly, went to Boots to get them processed, went back a few days later to pick them up, then I popped 40 / October-November 2018 / ve

39-45 VE42 Trading Places.indd 2

them in an envelope and posted them to him; that’s how long it used to take to do this! The next day I got a phone call from him, and just had to gauge his opinion really, I knew there was one that was a very rare piece, designed by Edward Burne-Jones, called ‘Voyage to Vinland the Good’; it was an image of a Viking boat crashing into a wave with terrified Vikings on it, and that’s really where the value was. I sold those three pieces for in excess of £50,000, even I was surprised at how much they were worth, he offered me a figure that was already way over what I believed they were worth, but I knew I was only going to get that opportunity once, so I asked for a bit more, and he gave me a bit more! He doubled his money the next day, so he was okay.

The rest were from different artists of the period, the greats from the Victorian and Edwardian era, all English and all original. I was able to restore the ones that needed it, and in the end, I sold the whole lot for in excess of £100,000.

Did that kick start the business?

It was life changing! I don’t come from a moneyed family, my father was a sign writer, my mother worked at the local youth club, there was no money in the family to get me started; so that really did help. I was able to get a better van, buy premises, buy stock, have a website, get a mobile phone. I was working myself to death at the time, to maybe take away £400 a month, I was living in a one bedroom cottage in Conwy, the van I had at the time was worth £200, so you can imagine the difference something like that makes. www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 11:27

Let’s fast-forward to Salvage Hunters, how did that come about?

I did a documentary series for the BBC called The Reclaimers, and the Director said I was really good at it, I’d never done anything on TV before, and had never really wanted to be on TV, but we did it and it went down really well. It was really popular, pulling in over three million viewers on Tuesday night at 8pm, prime viewing time. They did want another series, but it never happened. Then fast forward a good few years, I was reading the trade gazette and there was an ad at the back saying “Are you a man with a van that drives around looking for salvage at demolition yards, farms, barns etc?” It was literally describing what I had done that very day. I just thought “God that’s me”, so I tore the advert out and pinned it to the board next to my computer. I did nothing about it for two months until a friend of mine walked in with the same advert and said “You should ring this!”. I rang that same day and left a message, they phoned back on the Monday and a couple of days later sent a guy over, for me to do five minutes in front of the camera. They already had someone commissioned to do the show, but decided to use me instead. After filming, the show got ditched until a year later, when they called up saying I had a 10-part series on Discovery. I thought it was amazing, but everyone else said “Nobody’s going to watch this!”.

By the time it was aired, the recession had hit me really hard, I had 12 members of staff, a fleet of vans, I had an eight-acre architectural salvage yard, a gothic revival church at the top of Llandudno, a warehouse; a huge business going on! The recession took us down like a ton of bricks. We went from having nothing, to having vast amounts of stock and money, then back down to nothing, in literally no time at all! I had to lay 10 guys off, and then had a yard sale and two auctions to sell everything off!

Then I got another call to say the viewings were going through the roof!

Would you say Salvage Hunters has changed the antiques trade at all? It’s certainly made starting out in antiques a more exciting career choice.

I don’t know about that, but I really hope it has! I’m contacted every day, by someone who has just started out in the business, saying “I’ve watched Salvage Hunters for years and want to do what you do!”. Most people would just say, “No, it’s terrible, don’t do it!” but I’m not like that, I always say “Go for it!”, it’s a wonderful business to be involved in, it’s the best business in the world, but it only works for the genuine and the ones that work hard. The others I call ‘Pantomime Dealers’, the ones that wear a silly hat and scarf and call themselves antique dealers... it doesn’t work like that. It’s about knowledge, and soul, and having a half decent eye.

Is it exactly how it’s seen on the TV, nothing pre-rehearsed or staged?

There is no mystery to it, it’s not set up. If you ask anyone we’ve filmed with, they’ll tell you it’s completely honest. I haven’t looked at anything beforehand, I go around and buy as you see on the show and give them a cheque at the end of the day. The only thing different, is they follow me round with a camera while I’m doing it.

They know I’m coming, but it’s as honest as it can be.

Let’s talk about your time in Liberty, was it everything you hoped it would be?

I thought it would be good fun and a good opportunity for everyone involved. I was really excited about it, however, for the two years prior to going into Liberty, I was one of their main buyers for the antiques floor, they were buying from me, that’s how our relationship began. I was doing way better supplying the antiques that way, and that was the real ‘feather in the cap’ to be honest. I should have retained that instead of taking on the floor. We were supplying a couple of large Luton vans full to them every month, or more, and that was a very good working relationship. When we went on the floor, it just sucked the fun out of it, it was a great experience, lovely people, great for advertising and for the brand, but apart from that it was very difficult.

Do you ever wish the cameras would just go away?

I’m in it now, and it’s not going to go away, I’m always going to be ‘That guy off the telly’, so I may as well just give it my all! I’ll just promote the trade as much as possible, promote the people we’re filming with, promote the restoration guys, and get everyone interested and talking about it. That’s not a bad thing. The popularity of the show is unbelievable, wherever we go in the world! We got mobbed in Italy, it was ridiculous, terrifying in fact. It is the highest rated programme on the Discovery network, ever! We get 19 million viewers worldwide a day, and we’re just two fat blokes from Conwy driving around in a van. www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

39-45 VE42 Trading Places.indd 3

ve / October-November 2018 / 41

24/09/2018 14:30

Most dealers have followed your journey, some find you inspirational, but why do you think other dealers think you’re arrogant and big headed?

Put it this way, nobody ever says anything to my face, and if I was bothered about what other people said about me, I’d be curled up in a ball, hiding under the bed right now. I couldn’t care less what anybody thinks. I very much plough my own furrow, it’s not arrogance, its confidence. I don’t know everything and I always say I don’t know everything. I know one per cent of the antiques trade, if that, it’s such a massive subject. I’ve never professed to know any more than that.

Do you get on with most dealers in the trade?

Yes. There’s a couple of dealers that I don’t like, and they don’t like me, and that’s fine.

If I were selling fish, they’d be a fishmonger who didn’t like me and if I were building dry stone walls, they’d be one who didn’t like me and I wouldn’t like him. It’s just one of those things, move on. I’m very happy doing what I’m doing.

What about those who have “heard this”, or “heard that” and formed opinions without having met you?

It’s childish, tittle-tattle. “He’s this, he’s that, he’s the other!”, every now and then I’ll hear something, but generally they’ve never met me. If I hear something’s been said, I’ll ring them up and talk to them. They’ll be two different types of dealers, the pantomime dealers who just need something to talk about, and then there’s an older generation of dealers who just moan! I stopped doing a lot of the fairs a long time ago, because I got sick of people moaning “It’s not like the old days!”. Well, it isn’t like the old days, so get over it and move on. I know what I’m doing, and I’m very happy to be doing what I’m doing, and I always help out people wherever I possibly can. I can guarantee you one thing, all those moaning dealers, will have had someone walk into their shop and buy something, because those people watched Salvage Hunters and felt confident to do it. They can moan all they like... I won’t stop promoting them. I have my eye and my knowledge, nothing else. There’s always going to be dealers that you’re never going to please, but I’m just not interested, I really don’t care. I do my own thing, if you like it, great, come along for the ride. If you don’t, I don’t give a monkeys! I am who I am. I’m a happy man.

What has been your biggest regret?

A lot has changed obviously, my divorce, moving house, I’ve had to move my business twice in the last two years. A lot has changed, and we’re still working on things and getting things right, but I have an amazing team of people around me, and we all work very hard. I don’t know – what am I these days? Am I an antique dealer? A TV antique dealer? What am I? It’s a very strange thing these days. All I ever wanted to be was an antique dealer, but now this TV thing has come along and taken over.

42 / October-November 2018 / ve

39-45 VE42 Trading Places.indd 4

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

23/09/2018 18:08

How much of what we read in the press is true?

I’m public property. Out of all the things that I have been in the press for, from the split up with my wife and various other things, to be perfectly honest with you, only 10 per cent of it is true. The rest of it has just been spun.

Someone from the national press got in touch recently with a story they wanted to run about me, I told them there wasn’t any truth to it, and if they print it we’d find out and sue them, they didn’t print it!

Let’s bring it back to reality... You’re often seen flying round fairs, almost in a world of your own.

Do you still get that buzz when looking for stock?

Yes, I try to be the first through the door.

Sometimes I buy incredibly well before most people get in the place. I’m really picky, although it doesn’t always look like it, because I can buy a lot at such speed. I don’t necessarily know what I’m looking for, but I know what I don’t want, that’s what makes it easier for me at fairs.

There’s thousands of people selling antiques in this country alone... are too many people ‘having a go’ now, or do you think the decent ones will still shine through, regardless?

In the 70s, 80s and 90s there were 20 times as many as there are now. This is nothing! The only difference these days, with Instagram and social media, is you’re more aware of it! I used to go to Newark, and there were five thousand stalls, and it took three days to get around.

So, no matter what anyone says, there aren’t too many people in the business, there could never be too many in the trade. I can count on one hand the ones that I think are any good, or the ones that can keep it going long term, because it’s hard. It’s a hard business to stay in long term, it really is! Out of the younger dealers, the ones who have come through in the last 10 years, there are two who I think have something, and could keep it going.

That’s just my opinion, what do I know? I’m not the oracle!

What advice would you give to someone who was thinking of starting up?

I’d say to anyone, get into it, have a go! Be totally honest with yourself, that’s the thing.

The worst thing to come from new dealers, is copying what’s already been done. There is no future in copying somebody else. The minute you step off and completely be yourself and do your own thing, everything will change. Just buy the things that speak to you, trust yourself, if you like it then buy it, the person you bought it from must have liked it, and the person before that. You can’t all be wrong! The best thing anybody can do these days, for new dealers starting out, is turn your computer off, turn Instagram off, turn it all off and just be true to yourself. Stop looking at other people’s websites, it’s the worst thing you can do, be yourself.

Passion is everything, originality and soul.

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

39-45 VE42 Trading Places.indd 5

How different is setting up an antiques business these days?

You get some people now, who decide they want to be an antique dealer, so they open an Instagram account, 15 minutes later they have a Facebook page, half an hour later they open a Twitter account. In 45 minutes, they’ve created a persona and a business. It doesn’t work like that! You need a natural evolution through the business. I started at the bottom, at Newark, renting a 7.5-ton truck with a ton of stuff, sleeping in the back of the van, with £50 in my pocket. I was 23, and that one fair really changed things for me. I spent the first 10 to 15 years desperately trying to learn the job, I had knowledge of the subject, but still had to learn the trade. These days you can start an antiques business in 45 minutes... it means nothing if there is no knowledge and no skill. I have huge admiration for traditional dealers, who spend their life on the road.

ve / October-November 2018 / 43

24/09/2018 11:28

44 / October-November 2018 / ve

39-45 VE42 Trading Places.indd 6

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

23/09/2018 18:12

You drive further, you dig deeper and get to rummage around in spectacular locations. Do you ever switch off?

No! Good stuff turns up all over the place. I counted the mileage last year, and I did 80,000 miles in one car, plus the van and air travel, so I’m never at home. I haven’t unpacked my suitcase in a decade. I was on the road yesterday, I got back last night, been in the shop today and I’m back on the road tomorrow until Friday, back Saturday, then back on the road Sunday morning. People say I have a good eye, but that’s all I have, then it’s just graft.

The shop looks fantastic, but I did notice it says ‘Drew Pritchard, Conwy”. Does this suggest you’ll be opening more in other locations?

Probably, yes! I have my eye on two locations, but can’t say more at the moment.

You have a passion for cars and racing, and you have a racing licence, when did you last use it?

Yes, I have a full National A historic racing drivers licence, and I’ve started to train to get my historical Formula 1 racing licence next. I want to drive Formula 1 cars! Cars have always been an equal passion for myself, I collect cars and have restored seven cars ‘nuts and bolts’ myself. I’ve always had my own classic car business on the side, DP Classics, but it comes in fits and starts, when I find the time. Racing was always something I wanted to do, but I never thought I’d be able to afford to do it. I’ve just driven my 58 Beetle at the Goodwood Revival in the Jack Sears Memorial Race. The Beetle is the only one in the world that is up to vintage circuit racing standards. It’s taken four years and more money than I care to think about to get it to this stage, but I just had to do it, I had to get it out my system. To be honest, it’s done on a shoe string now, it’s mightily expensive, but I don’t smoke, I don’t play golf, and I don’t spend money on things I don’t need... …You didn’t mention beer and curry…

Beer, curry and wine! If you took wine out of the antiques trade, it would collapse, if you took beer and curry out of Salvage Hunters it would pack in overnight! Somebody actually approached T and I to ask if we wanted to write a book on curry!!

You work hard, so you might as well enjoy it!

Yes, I work too hard. A month ago, I had my first holiday in eight years, but had to buy an extra suitcase when I got there to bring antiques back, I don’t take time off. I remember the last holiday I took with my kids, years ago, I tipped my suitcase out into a bin at the side of the road, and filled it with 18th century wood carvings that I found at a Brocante, I had nowhere else to put them. Then I found an amazing oak floor at another Brocante and strapped it to the roof, that oak floor paid for the holiday!

You’ve moved into a new cottage in Conwy, it seems like the start of a new chapter in your life, what’s next for Drew Pritchard?

I’m just looking for some normality really, going out for dinner with my son and friends, and carrying on with my classic racing. All I ever want to do is go out looking for antiques, learning about them and dealing. I’ll continue to promote the antiques trade, and have done more than anyone else over the past 20 years, and I’m very proud to have done it. I’m good at one thing, so I’ll just keep doing that! It’s a passion, I still get very excited about it.ve

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

39-45 VE42 Trading Places.indd 7

ve / October-November 2018 / 45

23/09/2018 18:12

The allure of 1970s Japanese motorbikes. By Karyn Sparks

M OTORCYCLES run in my family. (Yes there’s a joke in there somewhere but...). A very early memory of mine is the story Poppy (my grandad) used to tell me, of the time he’d built a motorbike and sidecar in the front room, only to realise after he’d finished that he couldn’t get it out through the front door! Nothing ever daunted Poppy, so he took out the front window and got it out that way!

Both my Dad and my uncle rode bikes in the 60s as young lads, as did my brother and husband in the 1990s. They all had a love for British made bikes such as Triumph and BSA, Below: Dad (left) and Uncle John in 1966 with Dad’s BSA Gold Flash 650cc and John’s Triumph T21 350cc.

Right: Jez’s 1975 Honda CB550

00 46 / October-November 2018 / ve

46-49 VE42 Jap bikes c.indd 2

but none of them could escape the allure of a Japanese motorbike. My Dad went from a BSA Gold Flash 650cc to a Yamaha XS 750, which he then gave to my brother who traded it in for a Kawasaki Ninja! Kawasaki were the bikes used in both ‘CHiPs’ and the first Mad Max film... which no doubt heavily influenced my brother’s decision! Today, my husband still owns his Triumph Speed Triple, but also owns a 1975 Honda CB550 and a 1981 Kawazaki GPZ1100 custom bobber... all cluttering up the VEHQ! But what is the big deal with Japanese motorbikes?

Well, British motorcycles would never be the same again after the Japanese appeared on the scene. Up until the first half of the 20th century European manufacturers, particularly the British, dominated the entire motorcycle industry. The very idea of a motorbike made by the Japanese would have seemed bizarre – but it was a very different world back then.

Japanese ambition The exact point at which the Japanese motorbike industry served notice on the British motorbike industry can be traced back to a letter of intent from Soichiro Honda to his employees in his five-year-old engineering firm on 20th March 1954.

He announced his intention to manufacture a bike good enough to compete in, and win, the Isle of Man TT. “Now that we are equipped with a production system in which I have absolute confidence, the time of opportunity has arrived,” he wrote, “I have reached the firm decision to enter the TT Races next year.” An event that Honda’s researches had identified as the premier world event. “Never before has a Japanese entered this race with a motorcycle made in Japan, he wrote, “It goes without saying that the winner of this race will be known across the globe, but the same is also true for any vehicle that completes the entire race safely. It is said, therefore, that the fame of such an achievement will assure a certain volume of exports, and that is why every major manufacturer in Germany, England, Italy, and France is concentrating on preparations with

all its might.”

Honda claimed: “I will fabricate a 250cc (medium class) racer for this race, and as the representative of our Honda Motor Co, I will send it out into the spotlight of the world. I am confident that this vehicle can reach speeds exceeding 180 km/h. Even a superior aircraft engine has a power output of about 0.55 PS per litre, but this racer will have nearly double that power, at 1.00 PS per litre. When this engine is completed on the basis of our company’s creativity, it will be no exaggeration whatsoever to say that it will rank at the world’s highest levels of engineering.”

Soichiro Honda’s declaration of his ambition to win this demanding race brought a great deal of interest from all over Japan. His race bike, with its ‘Swiss watch’ engine and www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 10:40

build quality, wiped the floor with the competition and opened up the floodgates to Japanese bike production.

Within a decade, Japan was the largest manufacturer of motorcycles, swamping 140,000 British bikes with more than half a million a year!

And the rest, as they say, is history...

What to buy If you’re in the market for buying an old bike, there are some fantastic 1970s Japanese examples out there that are affordable, fun and a really good investment – whether you prefer a Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha or Suzuki – plus you’ll look seriously retro riding one!

Now, I’m not professing to know anything about buying 1970s motorbikes, but whilst www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

46-49 VE42 Jap bikes c.indd 3

trawling the net, I came across someone who does. By day, Paul Brace is the Director and technical guy behind Eagle E-Types (eaglegb. com), which has kept him busy for the past 30 years. His proudest project to date was the designing and building of their E-Type Speedster, which Jeremy Clarkson declared his favourite car of all time!

However, Paul is also the owner of Proper Bikes, a website that shares his passion, and collection of 70s motorbikes. He’s a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast and has been involved with motorbikes since his youth. I asked him, what is the allure of a 1970s Japanese motorcycle today?

“Whether you were lucky enough to own one at the time, or maybe a schoolboy who had the poster on your bedroom wall – there’s

just something special about the superbikes from the 1970s. If you’re searching for something that makes for a wise investment, is a lot of fun, is really usable, is reliable enough, safe enough and faster than fast enough – you naturally look to the 1970s. They are easy to start, easy to maintain, satisfying to ride sedately – and electrifying to ride hard!”

I then asked Paul if he was forced to keep just four bikes from his collection – one Honda, one Suzuki, a Yamaha and a Kawasaki – which ones would he choose, and why?

“That’s actually an easy question as I have four clear favourites, and it’s one from each manufacturer! ve Turn the page to see Paul’s choices. Also, take a look at the entire collection on his website and drool away! www.properbikes.co.uk

ve / October-November 2018 / 47

24/09/2018 10:41

SEVENTIES SUPERBIKES Suzuki GT750

A definitive seventies classic with a characterful and turbine like motor and a unique and wonderful exhaust note. They are a two stroke triple but give a surprisingly high amount of torque and comfortable long distance touring ability. I would get on one of these and ride it to the ends of the earth without a second thought – as opposed to the Kawasaki 750 H2 triple which needs consideration before riding to the end of the road!

Yamaha RD350LC

Yamaha’s RD’s are the best of the popular two-stroke twin lightweight motorcycles of the era. The air cooled RD350 and subsequent 400’s where immense fun to ride and enormously capable with a solid reputation as being giant slayers. They evolved into the liquid cooled LC model as we moved into the eighties and returned to 350cc. It was the most appealing bike in existence to a 17-year-old of the day and today the model generates a ton of nostalgia.

Even today when our standards and expectations have risen along with the technology and resultant machinery the RD350LC is still outstandingly light, quick, agile and just the best fun imaginable.

48 / October-November 2018 / ve

46-49 VE42 Jap bikes c.indd 4

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 12:18

Honda CBX1000Z

These are the absolute business. They were produced right at the end of the decade and into the 80s but, to be honest, they feel like they are from a different century let alone decade. They still have plenty of period appeal however and are an undisputed milestone classic.

CBX’s are six cylinder and they give you lush silky torque and confidence inspiring handling topped with an utterly addictive soundtrack.

Kawasaki Z1

This model was nicknamed the King in its day for good reason.It is the kingpin of my collection and a clear favourite. They have the looks, the performance and all the charisma. If the building caught fire I would drag this one out first!

Riding a 900 zed just makes you feel very good and they have so much road presence.

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

46-49 VE42 Jap bikes c.indd 5

ve / October-November 2018 / 49

24/09/2018 14:42

FULL ON The ups and downs of building your own outdoor living space

BY PAUL BRACE

M

Y WIFE JULIE AND I are both ‘dooers’ with a creative streak, but we’re also both very busy with our day jobs earning our living. Julie’s day job is styling hair and making stained glass windows, mine is Jaguar E-Types and, in the seemingly fleeting spare moments we get, we both like to do interesting and useful things. Julie paints, sculpts and makes jewellery, while I nurture a seventies motorcycle collection – as seen in the previous article!

A couple of years ago we moved to the heart of ‘1066 country’, on the fringe of the historic town of Battle, and gained a decent sized garden that has sparked a previously untapped horticultural interest. On occasion Julie had visited the Chelsea Flower Show but we hadn’t built much more than a fancy

50 / October-November 2018 / ve

50-53 VE42 Ruin KS.indd 4

gothic brick barbecue and the usual rustic water feature. It was at Chelsea about 20 years ago, that Julie saw a fabulous brickwork folly feature with patinated peeling terracotta paint on crumbling rendering.

She remembers climbing roses weeping over the walls that enclosed a cosy terrace and it being absolutely lovely. She could imagine views of a garden framed through the various windows and the subject was subsequently bought up on a regular basis.

Fast-forward to winter last year and the new garden was getting knocked into a good basic shape. There was however a long row of overpowering Leylandii, a good 70-feet high, dominating and darkening a particular corner and pretty much killing everything in their shadow. It was an easy decision – they simply had to go and Julie suggested

a few tree surgeons she knew who might do the job.

I’m a bloke though... I can do stuff... and I’d not long ago bought a chainsaw... Julie was in the kitchen busy preparing a fancy meal for a dinner party that evening, so now was my chance. I was already fully trained (having watched a few YouTube tutorials), so in no time at all, down they started coming! I couldn’t see what the chainsaw fuss was all about, and I began lining those bad boys up on the ground almost parallel to one another. As dusk fell I was getting knackered and, having had a good run, decided to quit while I was ahead and start again the next day. Of course I didn’t actually stop there and, being a bloke, who can do stuff, decided to drop just one more...

I have many reasons why that felling www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 14:14

What have we started?

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

50-53 VE42 Ruin KS.indd 5

went slightly wrong, but Julie credits it to pure stupidity. This particular tree took out the hedge, the phone line, the power and completely blocked the lane. Dinner was only half cooked and the guests were due soon. It was not my finest hour!

The space created wasn’t empty for long before a Redwood Stone catalogue (folly and garden specialists), appeared on the dining table. I thumbed through and, to be fair, could only agree that it would actually be a lot of fun to buy a selection of the wares within and build us a gothic ruin. Redwood manufacture a very convincing selection of aged stone components including a variety of gothic arches, medieval windows, columns, and balustrades. The thought of finally building a folly was exciting, but also daunting due to our lack of spare time.

ve / October-November 2018 / 51

24/09/2018 14:15

We had already done a lot of building and decorating so it was agreed that, if we went ahead and bought the bits, we would chip away at a steady pace and finish it when we finish it.

Sketches were sketched, quatrefoil windows were compared to gothic mullioned windows, and quoined arches to gothic arches – and ‘Quoined and Mullioned’ were looked up in the dictionary. It was fun to design and the result would surely fit perfectly in our garden. We live in an old stone gate lodge amid the very fields that Harold got one in the eye during the Battle of Hastings so, after a little time has passed for the moss to grow and perhaps encouraged by a fervent imagination, our Arrow Cross window could be believed as the very place from which William the Conqueror’s arrow flew.

We unpacked the pallets and laid out the ‘ancient stone’ components under the trees so they would weather even more while we prepared the site (was this pile of rubble really the same price as a four year old Ford Focus?). We borrowed a friend’s digger but had barely scratched the ground before another catalogue hit the table: Garden ponds.

So, the hole was dug and the pond fitted; the strip footings were poured and upwards we were about to go, so it was getting interesting. Then another catalogue arrived: Fireplaces.

After the initial dismay at the increasing task ahead I could only agree that an outdoor fireplace would actually be an amazing idea and would transform a fancy garden wall into a proper thing; an outdoor room.

The potential was obvious, in fact why didn’t we think about it earlier? The Priory fireplace was chosen and this time the value of the small pallet of cast concrete only equated to that of a perfectly decent seventies motorcycle!

Once we start a project we tend to crack on with it and, and despite the original plan to progress at a manageable pace, 52 / October-November 2018 / ve

50-53 VE42 Ruin KS.indd 6

the cement mixer was always spinning just seconds after pulling up from work in the evening and the car/bike only put away after at least a full barrow of mortar was finished and tools were cleaned – which was always done in the pitch black using a head torch.

We chose sandstone for the walls in order to match the house, rather than reclaimed bricks, and the random shape and wildly different sizes made them particularly awkward to lay. It also made them particularly greedy for mortar but, despite this, progress was reasonable and we looked forward to adding each next feature. This was fortunate because we were barely half way through the project when Julie broke the news that her regular Book Club meeting was due to convene at our house in six weeks time and she had excitedly promised the girls they would be outside in the new folly.

It wasn’t ideal but, to be honest, other tasks were suffering because of this project so there was a benefit to introduce a deadline and get it finished.

The big details such as the top of the arch were particularly rewarding to stand back and view when fitted, but too heavy for us to manhandle into place. For these elements we had to think like the ancient Egyptians and outwit the awkwardness and mass with physics. In our case, this meant Alas poor Yorrick, in the shrubbery

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 10:26

The next project...

nothing more than utilising tower scaffold, a block and tackle and four inch gateposts.

The final details were fun too; trying to make the ruination look convincing in the way the wall has ‘broken’ over the centuries and, in the case of the chimney, combining ruination with necessitation. The chimney needed to be a foot higher than we had enough sandstone for, so our solution? Build it with a corner missing and then fill in the corner with reclaimed clay bricks and different coloured mortar so it will eventually appear to have been ruined and repaired in a different century.

We got it finished in time with just enough left to plant some climbers and place the candles on the sconces before the Book Club evening and it went down an absolute storm.

It really is a fabulous place to relax, eat and drink of an evening. You can have a starry night above, a myriad of shapes and features interestingly lit by flickering candles and a roaring log fire as the focal point. We have since squeezed in a few more get-togethers with friends and some lovely romantic evenings with just the two of us – it has been totally worth the effort and expense!

What’s next?

We’ve found an 1870 one-horse open sleigh, which is a lovely old thing. It’s solid and nicely aged but the trim was rough so we are just re-trimming the seats in its original Royal Blue canvas and are going to leave the rest as it stands. It will become a summer garden ornament/seat and we will drag it out to the front of the house and adorn it with Christmas lights in December.ve www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

50-53 VE42 Ruin KS.indd 7

ve / October-November 2018 / 53

24/09/2018 10:26

V INT ISIT O O ww NLI ERA UR CTI w.v NE int L ag IST VE exp I lor NGS er

events OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER

Details are correct at the time of going to press, however, it would be advisable to check with each venue before travelling any distance

SUNDAY 7th OCTOBER

d DESIGN e EXHIBITION v VINTAGE a ANTIQUES

www.decorativefair.com

a AUCTION f FESTIVAL S SALVAGE O OUTDOORS

.co .uk

LONDON The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair. Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ

da

WEST YORKSHIRE Vintage Home Show. Pudsey Civic Hall, Dawsons Corner, Pudsey, Leeds, LS28 5TA

v

www.vintagehomeshow.co.uk

EVERY TUESDAY DEVON Antique & Collector’s Fair.

Tavistock Pannier Market, Tavistock, PL19 0AL

va

www.tavistockpanniermarket.co.uk

EVERY FRIDAY

WALES Antiques Fair & Vintage Market.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, SA32 8HN

av

www.derwenantiques.co.uk Pop Up Vintage Fairs are at St Stephens in Hampstead on Sunday 28th October

FRIDAY 12th OCTOBER

DEVON Fleamarket. The Jubilee Hall, Chagford, TQ13 8DP.

DORSET Textiles Fair & Workshops.

Dairy House Antiques, Station Road, Semley, SP7 9AN

www.hysonfairsltd.co.uk

www.dairyhouseantiques.com

va

EVERY SATURDAY & SUNDAY LONDON Fleamarket. Flat Iron Square, Southwark, SE1 1RU

v

www.flatironsquare.co.uk

va

SATURDAY 13th OCTOBER

LONDON The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair. Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ

da

DEVON Textile & Vintage Fair.

Mackarness Hall, Honiton, EX14 1PL

v

www.hysonfairsltd.co.uk

DEVON Flea Market. Exeter Livestock Centre, Matford, EX2 8FD

LONDON Vintage Fashion Fair.

Freemason’s Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, WC2B 5AZ

DORSET Textiles Fair & Workshops.

Dairy House Antiques, Station Road, Semley, SP7 9AN

GREATER MANCHESTER The Vintage Village, Stockport Covered Market Hall, Market Place, Stockport, SK1 1EU

www.dairyhouseantiques.com

www.thevintagevillage.co.uk

HEREFORDSHIRE Antiques Fair.

Burton Court, Eardisland , Nr Leominster, HR6 9DN

a

SUNDAY 14th OCTOBER

v

FRIDAY 19th OCTOBER SOMERSET Decorative Antiques Fair (Trade Preview). Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Yeovil, BA22 7LH

www.brutondecorativeantiquesfair.co.uk

SATURDAY 20th OCTOBER

LONDON The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair. Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ

WORCESTERSHIRE Malvern Flea & Collectors Fair. Three Counties Showground, WR13 6NW

SOMERSET Decorative Antiques Fair.

Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Yeovil, BA22 7LH

www.decorativefair.com

www.b2bevents.info

www.brutondecorativeantiquesfair.co.uk

da

vaS

va

www.hysonfairsltd.co.uk

SUNDAY 21st OCTOBER SOMERSET Decorative Antiques Fair.

Haynes International Motor Museum, Sparkford, Yeovil, BA22 7LH

da

LONDON Vintage & Retro Fair, St Dunstan’s College, Stanstead Road, SE6 4TY

va

www.solastcenturyfair.co.uk GREATER MANCHESTER Vintage Home Show. Victoria Baths, Hathersage Road, Chorlton-on-Medlock, M13 0FE

v

www.vintagehomeshow.co.uk

www.sheptonflea.com

aSO

a

www.cheffins.co.uk

www.brutondecorativeantiquesfair.co.uk

da

SOMERSET Giant Flea Market. Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, BA4 6QN

WEDNESDAY 3rd OCTOBER

www.antiquesintents.co.uk

a

v

www.antiquesintents.co.uk

www.decorativefair.com

CAMBRIDGESHIRE Vintage Auction.

The Saleground, Sutton, Ely, CB6 2QT

www.clerkenwellvintagefashionfair.co.uk

va

TUESDAY 2nd OCTOBER

HEREFORDSHIRE Antiques Fair.

Burton Court, Eardisland , Nr Leominster, HR6 9DN

DEVON Flea Market. Town Hall, Bedford Square, Tavistock, PL19 0AU

va

da

www.tavistocktownhall.co.uk WALES Antiques & Flea Market. The United Counties Showground, Llysonnen Rd, Carmarthen, Dyfed, SA33 5DR

va

www.towyevents.co.uk

THURSDAY 4th OCTOBER

SATURDAY 27th OCTOBER

LONDON The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair. Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ

SURREYJukebox & Retro Fair.

Chessington Community College, Garrison Lane, KT9 2JS

da

v

www.decorativefair.com

www.jukeboxfair.co.uk

FRIDAY 5th OCTOBER

DEVON Antiques & Collectables Fair.

Axminster Guildhall, EX13 5NX

a

Tel: 01297 24446/07977 591736

LONDON The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair. Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ

www.decorativefair.com

SUNDAY 28th OCTOBER

SATURDAY 6th OCTOBER

DORSET Bridport Vintage Market.

St Michael’s Trading Estate, Bridport, DT6 3RR

da

va

www.bridportantiques.co.uk/vintagemarket/

LONDON The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair. Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ

da

LONDON Pop Up Vintage Fair.

St Stephen’s Rosslyn Hill, Pond Street, Hampstead, NW3 2PP

www.decorativefair.com

v

DEVON Antiques & Collectables Fair. Newton Abbot Racecourse, Kingsteignton, TQ12 3AF

www.popupvintagefairs.co.uk

va

SURREYJukebox & Retro Fair.

Chessington Community College, Garrison Lane, KT9 2JS

www.newtonabbotracing.com

v

DEVON Antiques & Collectables Fair.

Axminster Guildhall, EX13 5NX

a

www.jukeboxfair.co.uk

Tel: 01297 24446/07977 591736 WALES Antiques Fair & Vintage Market.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, SA32 8HN

av

www.derwenantiques.co.uk 54 / October-November 2018 / ve

54-55 VE42 Events Listings.indd 2

The Bruton Decorative Antiques Fair is back at the Haynes International Motor Museum from the 19th to the 21st October

CORNWALL Antique & Collectors Fair.

Millennium House, Pensilva, Nr Liskeard, PL14 5NF

va

www.antiquefairscornwall.co.uk WARWICKSHIRE Vintage Home Show.

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 18:43

Midlands Sports Connexion, Coventry, CV8 3FL

v

www.vintagehomeshow.co.uk

TUESDAY 13th NOVEMBER DEVON Textile & Vintage Fair.

Mackarness Hall, Honiton, EX14 1PL

SUNDAY 4th NOVEMBER

v

www.hysonfairsltd.co.uk

WORCESTERSHIRE Malvern Antiques & Collectors Fair. The Severn Hall, Three Counties Showground, WR13 6NW

a

THURSDAY 15th NOVEMBER

LONDON Vintage & Retro Fair, White Eagle Club, Tooting, SW17 7BQ

SURREY Propmasters: 30th Anniversary Sale. Ewbank’s, Burnt Common Auction Rooms, London Road, Send, GU23 7LN.

www.solastcenturyfair.co.uk

www.ewbankauctions.co.uk

www.b2bevents.info

va

a

WEST MIDLANDS National Glass Fair.

National Motorcycle Museum, B92 0EJ

The last two Shepton Fleas of 2018 are on the 14th October and 25th November

www.glassfairs.co.uk

SATURDAY 17th NOVEMBER

Fair. Newton Abbot Racecourse, Kingsteignton, TQ12 3AF

SATURDAY 10th NOVEMBER

DEVON Antique, Home & Vintage Show.

Devon Counties Showground, Westpoint, Exeter, EX5 1DJ

www.newtonabbotracing.com DEVON Flea Market. Exeter Livestock Centre, Matford, EX2 8FD

www.continuityfairs.co.uk

www.hysonfairsltd.co.uk

va

KENT Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Fair. Kent County Showground, Detling, ME14 3JF

LONDON Vintage Fashion Fair.

Freemason’s Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, WC2B 5AZ

va

v

va

DEVON Antiques & Collectables Fair.

Axminster Guildhall, EX13 5NX

www.b2bevents.info

SUNDAY 18th NOVEMBER

LONDON Pop Up Vintage Fair.

Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Road, E17 4JF

DEVON Antique, Home & Vintage Show.

Devon Counties Showground, Westpoint, Exeter, EX5 1DJ

SCOTLAND Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Fair. Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, EH28 8NB

www.popupvintagefairs.co.uk

www.continuityfairs.co.uk

www.b2bevents.info

SUNDAY 11th NOVEMBER

NORFOLK Little Vintage Lover Fair.

Birkbeck Hall, The Great Hospital, Bishopsgate, Norwich, NR1 4EJ

KENT Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Fair. Kent County Showground, Detling, ME14 3JF

www.littlevintageloverfair.co.uk DEVON Flea Market. Town Hall, Bedford Square, Tavistock, PL19 0AU

SOMERSET Giant Flea Market. Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, BA4 6QN

www.b2bevents.info

www.tavistocktownhall.co.uk

www.sheptonflea.com

GREATER MANCHESTER The Vintage Village, Stockport Covered Market Hall, Market Place, Stockport, SK1 1EU

SATURDAY 24th NOVEMBER

LONDON Vintage Christmas Fair, Venue 28, Beckenham Road, Beckenham, BR3 4LS

va

v

Tel: 01297 24446/07977 591736

va

v

va

v

www.thevintagevillage.co.uk

a

va

DEVON Antiques & Collectables

va

SUNDAY 25th NOVEMBER

aSO

va

www.solastcenturyfair.co.uk

www.clerkenwellvintagefashionfair.co.uk CORNWALL Antique & Collectors Fair.

Millennium House, Pensilva, Nr Liskeard, PL14 5NF

va

www.antiquefairscornwall.co.uk WALES Antiques & Flea Market. The United Counties Showground, Llysonnen Rd, Carmarthen, Dyfed, SA33 5DR

va

www.towyevents.co.uk SCOTLAND Antiques, Vintage & Collectors Fair. Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, EH28 8NB

va

www.b2bevents.info Visit our interative online listings at www.vintagexplorer.co.uk You can list your event here and online for just £30 all inclusive.

Call Woo Gilchrist on 01935 814995 or email woo@vintagexplorer.co.uk

cabskin taxidermy ‘Cabskin’ www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

54-55 VE42 Events Listings.indd 3

Cabskintaxidermy@hotmail.com

ve / October-November 2018 / 55

24/09/2018 18:44

56 / October-November 2018 / ve

56-59 VE42 Events ads.indd 2

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 19:11

THE INTERNATIONAL WESTPOINT ANTIQUE, HOME & VINTAGE SHOW At the Devon Counties Showground, EXETER EX5 1DJ

Saturday & Sunday 17th & 18th November Up to 400 stands Situated in one huge indoor arena, ½ a mile from jnc 30 of the M5 with a wide selection of antiques, fine art, furniture and collectables.

This is one of the largest weekend Antique Fairs in the country.

The fair is part stand fitted, with furniture stands and table tops.

OPENING TIMES:

Saturday Trade 8.30 £10.

Public 10am to 5pm each day £5

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE WITH THIS AD

FOR ENQUIRES & BOOKING FORMS CONTACT 01584 873634 mob 077035 58600/07831 672211

www.continuityfairs.co.uk

Continuity Fairs Antique Fairs in Builth Wells, Epsom, Anglesey & Exeter www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

56-59 VE42 Events ads.indd 3

ve / October-November 2018 / 57

24/09/2018 19:12

Meadow Fairs

ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES FAIRS

Tavistock Town Hall

Flea Market 3rd Sunday of every month

at Axminster Guildhall, Devon, EX13 5NX

21st October 18th November

Saturdays 9.30am - 3.30pm Admission £1

October 6th & 27th November 24th Enquiries: 01297 24446 / 07977 591 736

10am- 4pm

TAVISTOCK PANNIER MAR

Antiques & Co

KET

llector’s Fair Every Tuesday

Enquiries: 01822 617232 Email: townhall@tavistock.gov.uk Website: www.tavistock.gov.uk ALADDIN’S CAVE 1st Saturday of every month 9am-4pm. Enquiries: 01822 611003

u HYSON FAIRS LTD u

Tel: 01647 231459 Email: shyson@freenetname.co.uk

EXETER FLEA MARKET Exeter Livestock Centre, Matford, EX2 8FD

20th October & 24th November 7.30am to 2pm. Admission £2.50

WEEKLY FLEA MARKET

EVERY FRIDAY

Jubilee Hall, Chagford, TQ13 8DP 7.30am to 1pm. Admission Free

TEXTILE & VINTAGE FAIR Tuesdays 2nd October 13th November

Mackarness Hall, Honiton, EX14 1PG 7.30am to 3pm.

Admission Free

: www.hysonfairsltd.co.uk :

58 // October-November October-November 2018 2018 // ve 58

56-59 VE42 Events ads.indd 4

www.vintagexplorer.co.uk

24/09/2018 19:12

The Giant Market

ROYAL BATH & WEST SHOWGROUND Shepton Mallet BA4 6QN 9.30am- 4pm Entry: £4.50

SUNDAYS

2018

14 October 25 November 2019

6th January 10 March 21 April (Easter Sunday) 21 July 25 August (Bank Holiday) 13 October 24 November

(Last Admission 3.30pm)

For bookings please ring 01278 784912 with Debit Cards or download booking forms from

www.sheptonflea.com

59 VE42 Shepton etc ad IBC.indd 1

24/09/2018 19:09

molecula

01935 814995 / 07811 963790 • www.molecula.co.uk

VE42 Molecula ad B.indd 2

24/09/2018 15:41