The finest of fairs

The dates for the Northern Antiques Fair at the Harrogate Convention Centre, originally September 27 to October 1, have had to be changed to October 19–22 (www. harrogateantiquefair.com). It also has a slightly changed name and new management— under Ingrid Nilson, who runs five other well-regarded events—but is heir to a history going back to 1951. It will be held in association with the BADA and there will be more than 40 exhibitors.

The Peterborough Festival of Antiques, at the East of England Showground, has been running twice yearly since 1999 and is now one of the largest such events (www. festivalofantiques.co.uk). Between September 29 and 30, dealers will be hawking their wares on more than 1,900 stalls.

The Autumn Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair will be in Battersea Park from October 3 to 8 and the theme for the foyer display will be nautical, mixing antique and modern furniture with ‘marine instruments, pictures and works of art, and 20th century “boy’s toys” such as Second World War naval binoculars, lighthouse lamps and model boats’. There will be more than 160 exhibitors specialising in British and Continental antique and 20th-century design. As ever, this is the place for the original and unusual, and it attracts both professional decorators and discriminating private collectors (www.decorativefair.com).

The Esher Hall Antiques & Fine Art Fair on Sandown Park Racecourse is another of Miss Nilson’s events (www.esherhallfair. com). From October 6 to 8, 30 specialist exhibitors from across the UK will offer furniture, jewellery, silver, ceramics, glass, clocks and watches, sculpture, oil paintings and watercolours, oriental carpets, porcelain, prints and other works of art.

Another course, another fair. The Great Wetherby Racecourse Antiques and Collectors Fair takes place on October 7–8, with inside stalls and hundreds of outside pitches (www.jaguarfairs.com/wetherby).

In Wales, the Margam Park Antiques, Art & Design Fair has one of the most elegant settings: the longest orangery in Britain, designed by Anthony Keck in 1787 for the longdemolished house of the Talbots outside Port Talbot. The 25-stand fair is on October 7 and 8 (www.allenlewisfairs.co.uk).