Out and about

Just to let you all know that my segment  on The Martha Stewart Show will be broadcast on November 3. It will be repeated the following day at 8pm on the Fine Living Network..

I'm just about all packed and ready to fly out to Atlanta tomorrow for a busy promotional trip to the USA. I thought it would be best to just post my dates and give you details of what I will be doing and where you can find out more.

Wednesday, October 22nd Talk and book signing at Atlanta Antiques Gallery                     6pm-8pm    
3550 Broad Street, Suite A
Chamblee, GA 30341

Friday, October 24th Talk and book signing  at Charleston Home Market    
1-3pm         
Storehouse Row
The Navy Yard at Noisette
North Charleston, South Carolina – You may need tickets for this one so please can you check the website.

Saturday, October 25th Talk and book signing  Arthur Smith Antiques
3pm-5pm       
402 Bull St
Savannah, GA 31401

Wednesday, October 29th Talk and book signing  Barnes & Noble in Newington, NH
at Noon                 
Fox Run Crossings
45 Gosling Road The Crossings at Fox Run
Newington, NH 03801
603-422-7733

Thursday, October 30th Talk and book signing in Upper Cape Cod at Titcomb’s Bookshop
11:30am-1:30pm       
432 Route 6A
Sandwich, MA 02537

Friday, October 31st Book signing in  Boston, MA  at the Ellis Memorial Antique Show
12pm-2pm       
158 Columbus Avenue at Arlington St
Boston, MA

There’s news from down under, Australia, about a rise in interest for Art Deco since an exhibition opened at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne (it runs until October 5). Art Deco comes from the French word arts décoratifs and was a style that affected design from the mid 19203 to 1930s. Apparently this is partly because Deco fits in perfectly with many Australian homes built in the prewar and immediate postwar period; it’s probably also because art deco pieces are good investments. One dealer is reported as saying “if you were clairvoyant enough to start buying 30 years ago, you would be sitting on a fortune.” Another dealer says there’s been a real spike in demand for Deco since the exhibition opened. Apparently amongst some dealers in Australia there’s a tendency to sell anything from the 1920s and 30s as art deco and up their prices accordingly. As is always the case beware and check thoroughly what is being offered,

 Having been born and brought up in the Scottish Borders I've always been very aware of Sir Walter Scott and how much he meant to this lovely part of the country. Scott's home was at Abbotsford which is between Melrose and Galashiels and its given it's name to a style of furniture. 'Abbotsford Style' was first used in the late 19th Century and is used to describe imitation Jacobean, Stuart, Tudor and Gothic furniture made in the 1820s and 30s. It's a style of furniture that was used extensively throughout Scott's house, which is open to the public every day from mid March to the end of October. Visiting old houses, palaces and furnished castles can be a great way of seeing antiques in situ.

I would really love to hear what you find on your hunting trips for antique or collectables. Not just what you found, but where you found them. I heard on the radio today that over £2 billion are spent every year at car boat sales in the UK and I know that a lot of what is bought is then resold either on eBay or in shops or stalls. What have been your best car boot finds?