As it approaches the sold-out summer edition of The Pavilions of Harrogate Fair, which runs from June 9-11, the event organiser announced that all of its events this year (including Chester, Bath, the Cotswolds and Buxton) have experienced a 10% increase in attendance on last year.
The first Harrogate fair in January was its “most successful in 12 years at the venue”, according to organiser Sue Ede.
James Miles brings this pottery pediment by Della Robbia of Birkenhead to The Pavilions of Harrogate Fair, which is offered for £4200.
Last year the country was still under the shadow of Covid, which will have inevitably led to some automatic improvement this year. There has also been a dramatic drop-off in the number of regional fairs with the loss of the NEC’s Art & Antiques for Everyone fair and more recently Galloway Fairs.
Whatever the cause, the effect is reflected not just by more buyers attending but exhibitors too. Ede says that the next edition of the Harrogate fair represents “the strongest line-up of exhibitors at our summer fair since I first took over the Pavilions fairs in 2010. The diversity of the specialists is wider than ever, and the quality is superb across the board, with a sumptuous mix of classic, traditional and decorative pieces.”
Among the first-time exhibitors at this summer’s Harrogate is James Miles of Worcestershire, who offers a British art pottery pediment. With a design attributed to Robert Anning Bell (1863-1933), the pediment is by Della Robbia of Birkenhead and is offered for £4200 (pictured above). Miles joins other newcomers such as Andrew Muir, Philip Carrol Antiques and William Cook.
Among the recent Cooper Events sales was this kimono, £5000 from Fashion Fandango, which went to a Japanese collector planning to take it home. It was sold at the Buxton Decorative Antiques & Art Fair (May 12-14).
Returning after some time away are Mark Goodger and Carnes Fine Art, while regulars include Bottlebrook Antiques, Carolyn Stoddart-Scott and Garret & Hurst.
