Showground Fairs

The art and antiques sector breathed a sigh of relief with the news that shops and centres, auction houses, markets and some fairs can reopen in England from December 2.

The buying crowd at IACF Ardingly was more local than usual but no less enthusiastic

Top tips from IACF’s Ardingly International Antiques & Collectors Fair.

International Antiques and Collectors Fairs (IACF) kicked off its return to business with its first event after lockdown.

The appetite people have for the return of fairs and markets is summed up by Alice Roberton from Arthur Swallow Fairs talking about the specially adapted, fully outdoor Covid-19 antiques and salvage market on Saturday, June 27.

“I’ve sold Jesus Christ… could I interest you in St Patrick?” So asked Martyn Watson of Penrith, Cumbria, stalling out in the Epic Centre and keen to shift his statue of Ireland’s patron saint.

Condensing a two-day event into one and moving to a new weekday slot are no mean feats – just ask Arthur Swallow Fairs, which has just launched a new streamlined format. ATG went along to the first edition to view the results.

Arthur Swallow Fairs’ Antiques & Home show may not have the moniker ‘international’ attached but the event attracts a strong overseas group of buyers who comb the fair, clutching sheets of shipping firm stickers to identify purchases for collection.

Belinda and Tom Kilduff (pictured below) are Lincolnshire locals and Antiques & Home Show loyalists. They noted how “busy, condensed and lively” the one-day format was.

'The Vintage and Classic Arms Fair' will run at Kempton Park Racecourse in Sunbury, Middlesex, on Sunday, March 24.

Bi-monthly Sunbury event has carved out a strong niche – a picture special.

Arthur Swallow Fairs has announced a significant change in the format of its antiques and home fairs held at the Lincolnshire Showground.