‘The general atmosphere and attitude of the dealers has been very positive’ says Simon Frodsham of Frodsham Clocks.
‘It was a pleasure to exhibit at Tennants. It is such a great venue and the turnout was fantastic’ says Lorraine Howell of Howell 1870.
Despite the atrocious gales and rain that greeted everyone on the opening morning of this year’s Northern Antiques Fair at The Garden Rooms and Cloisters at Tennants, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, the day was deemed a great success with good sales taking place throughout. There were close to 2,100 visitors over the four days which is an encouraging increase on the previous two years. As well as there being an excellent turnout from Yorkshire and its neighbouring counties, the exhibitors reported meeting people who had made the journey from London and the south of England as well as a good number from Scotland. For instance, Solo Antiques made a nice sale on the first day to a couple who had driven from the north of Scotland.
Carnes Fine Art brought two very attractive pencil drawings by Harold Riley (1934-2023) of L S Lowry which sold on the opening day to a couple from Yorkshire. One had been featured in the media, which is how it was brought to the buyer’s attention. Frodsham Clocks sold a mahogany bracket clock, with the hour striking on a bell, by Handley & Moore, c 1810, close to the asking price of £5,250. The couple had been looking for a while and were delighted that this clock would fit perfectly in their dining room.
Hispanic Antiques enjoyed their best ever Northern Antiques Fair selling Dali prints, a Modigliani exhibition poster, a 19th century Toledo dagger for £1,500 and a late 17th century Spanish walnut Arqueta (small chest). The dagger was sold to a young girl who was starting a collection of antique daggers. In addition to the excellent fair there were two further substantial sales in the week that followed. Both a pair of South American spurs and 16th century polychrome Cherub heads were delivered to their new homes in Yorkshire on the Friday selling for around £1,500 and £3,500 respectively.
‘Brilliant’ was silver specialist Mike Wilson of Highland Antiques’ reaction to this year’s event, ‘it was a really good fair and I sold some expensive pieces in the several thousands including a set of three 20th century candlesticks by Italian designer Miracoli of Milan’.
Drove House Antiques, specialists in antique Parian ware, sold well every day and were very pleased to meet a client who previously had only bought online and came from Newcastle especially to meet them in person. The Antiques Bazaar sold a pair of bronzed angel wall brackets for the asking price of £1,300. The brackets were made by Jean Louis Phillips, c 1840 and purchased from the Chatsworth Estate ‘Attic Sale’ held by Sotheby’s in October 2010.
As well as people buying decorative pieces to enhance their homes there is still a good number of old fashioned collectors who visit fairs regularly and both Valerie Main Ltd and David Scriven Antiques reported good sales of 18th century porcelain with sales up to £3,000. Jewellery, from Georgian to mid-century modern, found eager buyers and there was also a high level of interest in glass, maps, prints, smaller pieces of furniture and sculpture.
First time exhibitors Fine Art Restoration Company from Cumbria saw the outing as a great way to communicate with the general public and a lot of good contacts were made.
Fair director Ingrid Nilson says, ‘With all the uncertainties affecting business at the moment I think everyone had modest expectations ahead of the annual Northern Antiques Fair, so it was a lovely surprise to us all that the event had such a jolly atmosphere and buzz about it. Despite pouring rain, the opening day was the busiest of the four days and there were plenty of sales across the fair. We saw many regular fair goers but also a good proportion of new visitors, and lots of the sales were made to first-time customers, proving that the marketing had the desired impact. Tennants continues to delight as a venue, providing excellent service as well as a keen audience, and the partnership is of huge mutual benefit’.
Next year’s scheduled dates for the Northern Antiques Fair are Thursday 9 to Sunday 12 October 2025.
