It’s boom time as Will marks antiques group’s golden year
TO celebrate Rochdale Antiques Society’s 50th Anniversary, well-known television antique expert, Will Farmer, will present a talk entitled Atomic Boom.
Will Farmer is now in his 14th season as an expert on the popular BBC TV Antiques Roadshow, travelling to venues across the country to advise the public on the value (or not) of their treasured antiques.
Will’s love affair with antiques began at the tender age of four months old when he went to his first auction. From that point on there was no looking back and, along with his mum and grandmother, Will spent every weekend looking around fairs, auctions and shops.
By 12, he had his own stall at a local antique fair. He went on to study Silversmithing, Jewellery and Art and Design at university.
In 1999, he joined the Birmingham auction house Weller and Dufty as Head of Fine Art and Antiques. In 2001, he and his business partner set up their own auction house: Fieldings Auctioneers. He still collects and among his main passions are Art Deco, Poole Pottery and 20th Century glass from the UK and Scandinavia.
As well as being a respected valuer and auctioneer, he owns and runs the Clarice Cliff Collector’s Club which he joined at the age of 11 and is a respected author with books on Clarice Cliff, William de Morgan, Poole pottery and mid-century ceramic tiles.
Will Farmer describes his talk as ‘a nostalgic look at post war design, print and pattern.’ The essence of the talk is based around the 1951 Festival of Britain Exhibition, with its futuristic Skylon tower, Dome of Discovery and Homes and Gardens Pavilion.
It was designed as a tonic for the nation recovering from the austerity and hardship of WWII. It was a catalyst for new designers, including Ernest Race who exhibited his Springbok chair, Robin Day with his pioneering furniture designs and Lucienne Day who exhibited bold new textile and wallpaper designs. He will look at how Scandinavian design influenced the contents of post-war homes.
Rochdale Antiques Society’s Felicity Guthrie said: “It is not often that a community group like ours is able to celebrate a 50th anniversary and we are delighted that celebrity Will Farmer be part of our special evening.’
The ticket-only 50th anniversary will be held on March 13, at 7.30pm, St Vincent’s Community Hall, Calderbrook Road, Norden. Tickets are priced at £10, call 01706 844026 or email rochantiquesoc@ hotmail.com to book.