Robert Pugh, who with his wife, Carol, operates as Towy fairs, thinks the quality will be higher than ever this month and he insists the items on sale will be genuine antiques.
In forthright mode, Robert said last week: “We do not want to appear prima-donnaish, but, unlike many showground fairs, we do like to maintain a standard that excludes new and reproduction items. It is important to us to have a wide variety of stock to suit all tastes and pockets, but, equally, it is important that our exhibitors, who do put a huge effort into finding the right stock, are not in competition with dealers who simply buy from reproduction wholesalers or a factory. We are, after all, running antiques fairs.”
And in a swipe at urban minimalism, Robert added: “In contrast to London and the Home Counties, Wales remains a maximilist area. Collectors still like to fill dressers and chrome and glass are used solely for cars.”
I will not argue with Robert, but I am sure you will find some minimalism and loft living somewhere in Cardiff, if not in Carmarthen.
Whatever your tastes, admission is £3.50.
Quality control at the showground
ARGUABLY the most popular of the five events a year held by Towy Antiques Fairs at the United Counties Showground, Carmarthen is the September staging. The approaching event on the weekend of September 11 and 12 has been fully booked with its full complement of 180 exhibitors since early in the year.
