Coronavirus

Dealers eager to attend Petworth event say online is fine but they miss contact with the public

TEFAF Maastricht 2021 has been cancelled due to the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Green issues are coming to the fore but the focus for art and antiques delivery firms in the past year has been dealing with Brexit and the pandemic.

The restrictions operating during the latest lockdowns are continuing to ease in countries including France and the Republic of Ireland.

London indoor fair organisers have begun to announce dates for later this year.

Sunbury Antiques Market, better known simply as Kempton due to its Surrey racecourse location, last week became the first open-air fair to return after the most recent lockdown.

The start of May is likely to be a busy period with outside fairs and markets opening up around England and Wales after a protracted lockdown hibernation. Here is a snapshot of a few of them.

Antiques shops and centres, auction houses and outdoor markets will welcome customers back to their premises in England and Wales this week.

Dorking Antiques was launched last August by three dealers: Mark Holden, Eddie Hawkins and David Whalley.

After three lockdowns but also a successful auction launch last August in between closures, Graham Hessell will be throwing open the doors once again to his Melford Antiques, Interiors & Lifestyle Centre on April 12.

“Due to our digital presence with our website, social media and the live virtual shopping tours I have been conducting all over the world my skeleton team of 10 staff have been kept extremely busy.”

Fair organisers are now planning for the spring and summer as the roadmap to ease coronavirus restrictions in England allows outdoor events to be held from April.

Roadmap means reopening time is getting closer at last but some hurdles remain.