Discovering Vancouver I

After the excitement of the wedding, we drove and flew on to Vancouver to see in the new year...and do a bit of shopping. After hitting the chain stores along Robson St, some time was found for purchases of a more vintage nature. Searches on the internet had shown Main Street, between 6th St and 30th St, but mainly 16th St and 25th St, as being a great hunting ground.
Starting at the beginning, the first target was the rather positive sounding 'The Fabulous Find' at 1853 Main Street, between 2nd & 3rd streets. Stocking a great range of mid-century wooden furniture and accessories to match, there was plenty to please the eye - at prices to please the wallet. I was particularly taken with a pair of Carstens Fat Lava vases and a display of cast iron candleholders and other objects by Dansk, some designed by the late designer Jens Quistgaard.
In the long walk up to 30th St, another five or six antiques or retro shops were found, as well as some great looking vintage clothing shops. We found it was always worth having a look in these, as many used ceramics, glass and furniture of the period as props which were also for sale. If you have a spare afternoon, you'll certainly have fun ambling up Main Street and enjoying the 'experience stores', but if you want to target antiques and vintage shops, it's best to ride the buses that go up and down on a regular basis, hopping off when necessary.
Although it was warmer than the prairies, it was still just above zero, so we needed warming up after a chilly walk. The famous Granville Island provided just the place, with a selection of cafés and restaurants, as well as more retail therapy with North Western tribal art and other galleries a plenty. But we saved our appetites for dinner at the award-winning Bin 941 on Davie St, where we dined on its renowned sizeable portions that range from crab cakes to steak.

A wedding in the prairies...

The highlight of, and reason for, the visit to Western Canada was to attend the wedding of Darla and Wayne. Held in a small town in western Saskatchewan, some 5 hours drive northwest from Calgary, two grand prairie families were brought together with over 400 guests helping them celebrate. The bride was supremely elegant in cream silk and vintage mink, the groom beamed proudly, and the party rocked!
A special thank you to Darla, Wayne, Jerry and Doreen for putting me up, and putting up with me. Thanks also to Treena, Lynn, Doug, Clara, Vera, Betty, Louis, Darren, Jerry-Lee, Curtis, Trina, Tanya, Igor, Tony, Alvin, Eunice, Chad, Jenny, Shirley & Ed - it really was great to meet you! Another particularly memorable delight was hearing the beautiful voice of up-and-coming Canadian contemporary folk singer Alexia Melnychuk, who sang at the wedding. Click on her name to visit her website to hear for yourself - I predict big things...and you heard her here first!
It may have been a small town, but it has a big heart. And just like their skies, their minds are bright and wide open.

Festive Banff

In search of the elusive 'White Christmas', this year the banker and I travelled to the Canadian Rockies, where snow is pretty much guaranteed. So is icy cold, and with temperatures as low as -27 degrees, it's certainly the coldest I have ever been. Still that didn't stop us getting around, driving through the beautiful Banff national park up to a frozen yet still picturesque Lake Louise.
Although best known as a skiing resort, Banff also has a great range of shops. Although we didn't stumble across any antique or vintage stores, we did manage to find a couple of great galleries.
The first we encountered across was the Willock & Sax Gallery, on Bear Street. They specialise in Canadian art, with a strong focus on artists from Alberta. The gallery is light and bright, acting as the perfect foil for the displays of studio ceramics and glass, photographs, prints and paintings. They also stock a superb range of Inuit sculpture and prints by notable artists such as Kenoujak Ashevak, Kananginak Pootoogook and Mary Pudlat. I was particularly taken by a central display of carved soapstone polar bears, shown above.
With my luggage already tightly packed for a wedding in Saskatchewan just after Boxing Day, souvenirs had to be small. I opted for a small ceramic wall dish hand-printed with a bear by noted Canadian ceramicist John Chalke. At only 20 Canadian dollars (about £12) it was certainly at the affordable end of his work - as to whether it'll be a collectable of the future, let's see! Whatever, I am delighted with it.
Inuit carved Polar bear sculptures were also on display in the second gallery we found, which was just down the road. Canada House also specialises in Canadian art, ranging from carvings to studio glass to paintings and prints. Price tags tended to be a little higher than the previous gallery, and the quality was again excellent.
A wonderful day of wandering was finished off watching the sun set over the Rockies from the rejuvenating warmth of the Banff Upper Hot Springs, and their 1930s outdoor pool and bath house. The steam and silky, sulpherous water felt fabulous after the drying cold, but the most surprising side was the fact that whilst my body was very warm, my exposed head was freezing. Quite literally in fact, as stiff icy spikes formed in my wet hair!

Reading Retro

I've just spent one of the most enjoyable days of the year in Reading, Berkshire, at Mid20C, owned by my friend and long-time antique and 20thC design dealer Al Baynham. Those who have bought the Fat Lava DVD will have seen him being interviewed at the original Fat Lava exhibition in 2006. It was unsurprising, then, to see a fantastic and wide variety of West German vases from the 1950s-70s on display. I spotted stonking, classic designs by Scheurich, Ruscha, Roth and more, with prices ranging from £30-over £200. And pricing is an important point to make with Al's stock. I've been to many 20thC design shops where the prices have made me gasp - in horror! The only gasps you'll make here are of delight, or you plan how to get everything you want to buy home. His prices really are on the (much) better side of fair.
As well as Fat Lava ceramics, you'll find a great selection of eye-catching Whitefriars, Czechoslovakian and Scandinavian glass, classic mid-century modern furniture by the likes of Eames and Saarinen, and a selection of collectable ceramics from around the world. Arranged in two large and well-lit, newly decorated rooms, it's a joy to browse and a real retro jewel in Reading's crown. Al also lists some of his stock on eBay, but tells me that many buyers prefer to come to collect their new purchases, chat about their collections and see other pieces he has on offer. If you're in the area, it's a must to visit.

Isle of Wight Studio Glass Christmas Event

This weekend saw a series of special events at Isle of Wight Studio Glass, nestled under the cliffs near Ventnor. I had been invited down to sign copies of my book, and to chat to collectors about pieces from their collections. And collectors and glass fans certainly turned up, creating a buzzy atmosphere that was made especially festive with complimentary homemade mince pies and mulled wine.
One special visitor, who popped in purely by chance, was Angus MacDonald who can be seen with Elizabeth Harris and I in the photograph above. Angus was one of the two first glassmakers employed by the studio's founder, Michael Harris, in 1972. It was fascinating to be able to talk to him about his memories of the very earliest days of the studio, and of working with Michael. Angus left the studio in 1978 and, although he doesn't make glass any more, he still handles it in his role as owner of CART, a specialist in the transportation and storage of fine art and crafts.
Visitors also enjoyed demonstrations by Timothy Harris, who produced a special range for the weekend. These comprised small but perfectly formed miniature, and enormous over-sized, versions of his popular 'The Seasons' series. Winter, with its dramatic network of branches set against a snowy background was particularly striking - both to behold as a finished piece and to watch being made.
Showing the increasing interest from collectors in Isle of Wight Studio Glass, a large number of my books were sold - each being signed and dedicated by Elizabeth & Timothy Harris and I. I almost felt guilty about the amount of times I had to disturb Tim to ask for his 'paw print' whilst he was making glass. Thankfully he had his skilled assistant, Clare Hocking de Noffski, on hand to take over.
A night at the new and ultra-cool Hambrough hotel in Ventnor, run by Michelin starred chef Robert Thompson, rounded off a wonderfully enjoyable and relaxing weekend. The food is amongst the best I have had, and watch out for the special limited edition platters (left) designed and made by Timothy Harris that greet diners as they enter the restaurant.

Alfie's Christmas Party

Last night, cool collectors and fabulous 20thC design fans gathered for one of my favourite pre-Christmas events - the Christmas party at Alfie's Antiques Market in Marylebone, London. Drinks flowed and the live music, provided by a gypsy band walking around the centre, was punctuated with excited conversation and laughter. It's always a superb time to see new stock, bought specially for the event, and to catch up with dealers, fellow collectors and colleagues. Amongst those I met last night were the marvellously dressed fashion expert and author Madeleine Marsh, notable Art Deco and ceramics dealers Beth & Beverley Adams, mid-century ceramics and glass dealer Geoffrey Robinson, and the fashion connoisseurs and dealers Sparkle Moore and Cad van Swankster.
Although the event seemed to be a little quieter than usual on the business front, I saw plenty of deals being struck, and bags and smiles being carried out by customers. Of course, I was one of them, with my bag containing this studio glass sculpture by Sam Herman. I've been admiring it for some time and thankfully it was still there. Although I can't really afford it, I'm calling it an early Christmas present - to myself of course!