As so many have noted, these Glasgow fairs are quite a personal triumph for Mrs Foster who successfully took her Birmingham formula to Glasgow and finally proved Scotland can host successfully a sizeable quality antiques fair.
More than 10,000 attended the Glasgow event in 2001, when more than 150 exhibitors were on duty.
Not too surprisingly, the total is substantially down this year but there are around 10 making their debut.
These include Wayne Hopton from Exeter with Moorcroft; David and Mark Buckley from Yorkshire with period furniture; Manchester’s M&N Oriental Rugs; Andrew Muir of Birmingham with Clarice Cliff and Tema Tribal Art from Glasgow.
The unusually named Fossak & Furkle from Cambridge promise a range of bizarre items including an extensive selection of medical implements.
The Glasgow fair follows Fran Foster’s trademark format of Section 1 with upmarket stock and standfitting compared to a more bustling Section 2 with a large variety of items aimed at collectors. Although the variety is broad in both sections there is a heavy representation of Scottish items. Indeed, the Scottish flavour of the stock is expected to be even more marked this year so expect plenty of craggy Highland landscapes, Arts and Crafts furniture and decorative objects, Tartanware, Wemyss and Scottish silver. Scots or not, though, all items are examined by a qualified vetting panel.
Antiques For Everyone-Scotland is a joint venture between the NEC’s organising arm Centre Exhibitions and the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. It has strong support from Glasgow City Council and Greater Glasgow and Clyde Tourist Board.
Scots pride themselves on doing things their own way rather than follow trends further south, so perhaps this event will be the one finally to give its exhibitors something to celebrate this year.
Will Scots now give Everyone a reason to celebrate?
FOR the third year running, Birmingham-based fairs director Fran Foster stages Antiques For Everyone – Scotland and she hopes that from August 23 to 25 the exhibitors – more than 100 dealers at Glasgow’s Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre – build on the considerable success of the first two.
