Letters to the Editor

MADAM – It was interesting to read Bruce Parker’s Antiques Roadshow memories (‘All areas of the trade have done well’ out of Roadshow, says first presenter’, Letters, ATG No 2310).

MADAM – I feel that I must take issue with Robin Butler over his attempt to blame the EU for the lamentable fiasco that was this year’s Lille Braderie (‘Blame the EU for Braderie’, Letters, ATG No 2310).

MADAM – I am writing to inform your readers of my search for the paintings of the Croatian artist Vlaho Bukovac (1855-1922). His two main patrons in this country were Samson Fox in Harrogate and Richard LeDoux in Liverpool.

MADAM – I very much enjoyed your features on tribal art (ATG Nos 2306, 2307) in which two fairs, Tribal Art London and Parcours des Mondes, were previewed.

MADAM – It has been fascinating reading about the 40th anniversary of the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, of which I was the first presenter in 1977.

MADAM – How I sympathise with your commentator, Roy Price, on the current state of the Lille Braderie (Letters, ATG No 2309).

MADAM – I feel compelled to write and let ATG’s readers know about my experience at the recent Grande Braderie de Lille (2-3 September).

MADAM – Could the expert readers of the Antiques Trade Gazette help me with some research please?

MADAM – With reference to Tom Derbyshire’s article ‘The button that bust the dam’ (militaria special, ATG No 2305), I would like to highlight the part that Wing Commander (later Air Commodore) CL Dann, head of aeronautics at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), played in inventing the simple aiming instrument that was to be adopted in the successful bombing of the Möhne dam in 1943.

MADAM – I am writing to ATG following your militaria special (ATG No 2305) to tell you about The Trench Experience, a registered educational charity which uses the Artists’ Rifles regiment to illustrate what happened in the trenches during the First World War.

MADAM – Some would say ‘at long last’… Auctioneers throughout the country have started to take Boningtons’ lead and withdraw the two weeks – or, in some cases, 30 days – credit traditionally offered to many silver and furniture dealers in exchange for their regular attendance at sales.

MADAM – I read with dismay your correspondent’s letter criticising ATG’s coverage of the latest series of the BBC’s 'Fake or Fortune?' programme.

MADAM – On reading ATG’s London Summer Capital of Art (ATG No 2294) I was amazed that your writer didn’t seem to know the difference between a bracelet and a bangle.

MADAM – Regarding ATG’s coverage of the threat of closure to the Poole Pottery Studio (ATG No 2304 and antiquestradegazette.com), I feel it is imperative that some element of the production stays in Poole.

MADAM – I’m glad ATG enjoys the BBC’s Fake or Fortune? programme so much to give it front page coverage plus a double-page spread in ATG No 2304.

MADAM – I don’t know if your readers are aware but the future of Poole Pottery Studio in Poole is in danger as the lease is up on the building in which it operates.

MADAM – It would be my submission that had Jeremy Taylor conducted the same survey of attitudes to a merger between the BADA and LAPADA at Masterpiece rather than Olympia, the result in favour of merger would have been entirely different (ATG No 2302).

MADAM – I write regarding the ban on passing on the cost of credit card transaction fees in our credit (debt)-obsessed society (ATG No 2302).

MADAM – I read with great interest Roland Arkell’s feature on collecting work by the Martin Brothers (ATG No 2226). Roland cites three exhibitions which he states are “landmarks” but leaves out perhaps the most important.

MADAM – Our estimate (£2000-4000) for Drummond’s Death of Nelson did indeed prove to be conservative but not quite as dismissive as the ‘£100-150’ quoted in the ATG might suggest (Bid Barometer, ATG No 2302).