ATG's quotes of the week include thoughts on the 'Winter Olympia' fair and the Oxford antique centre 'Antiques on High'.
“This is ludicrous, this stuff comes up all the time, you’re opening a can of worms because you have to go through the whole country anytime something like this comes up at sale.”
Angus Ashworth of Ryedale Auctioneers in North Yorkshire after police, the bomb squad and the army turned up to the saleroom after an alert was made over two Stokes mortar bombs which were being offered as part of a militaria collection.
“Winter Olympia falls at a time of year when it isn’t competing with 1001 other fairs and provides a good opportunity for pre-Christmas shopping.”
James Manning of Manning Fine Art about exhibiting at the upcoming Winter Olympia fair (see next week’s Dealer’s Diary)
“We’ve generated an increase in revenue for the dealers by increasing traffic into the store… I have been humbled by many well-wishers who have popped in simply to say ‘thank you for saving the shop.”
Vincent Page, the new owner of Antiques on High in Oxford High Street (see next week’s Fairs & Markets)
“The Thames Tunnel can be seen as Marc Isambard Brunel’s last great project, and the launch pad for the meteoric career of his son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.”
Bonhams' head of books and manuscripts Matthew Haley on an archive of designs for Brunel’s Thames Tunnel which will be offered on November 15.
“It could have been in a Georgian press for the last 200 years.”
Auctioneer Paul Laidlaw on an 18th century ‘garden themed’ dress sold in his recent sale in Carlisle (see next week’s Auction Reports).
