Winter Decorative Fair Opens With A Splash

January’s Antique Fair Attracts London’s Good & Great…

There were about 400 people in the queue at 12 noon yesterday, to be amongst the first to get into London’s biggest & best decorative antiques fair.  They snaked around the lobby (I believe in the Spring and Autumn the queue usually takes the air, snaking outside) with another 100 or so folk taking coffee & pastries in the cafe at the other end of the lobby, preferring to be amongst the second wave.

I followed the first ones in, it always being rewarding to ride the crest of a popular wave.  And by the time I had my first coffee there were people leaving with bubble wrapped items (and later a wrapped dog – I said I’d look out for dogs for sale) and one five foot painted round mirror was being wheeled out…  Well it was made from a giant wooden wheel.

The prize for the most quirky item I spotted was a walking stick made from a stingrays tail. I’ll come back to the walking sticks…  What do you buy the man who’s got everything?   Exactly!

Amongst the celebrities spotted- all of which I was too slow (or too polite?) – was Nicky Haslam from the design world and Griff Rhys Jones from the entertainment world.  So we were in good company.  If you’ve not yet planned a visit, then change your plans and visit the fair, which is on until Sunday.