Barley, whose business cards always sported the words ‘Never Boring’, traded on Fulham High Street and later from a stand at Portobello Road Market and was well-regarded across the trade.
The sale will take place at TW Gaze’s newly opened Waveney Room on Roydon Road, Diss on September 21 and a viewing ahead of auction is scheduled for September 20, 2-8pm.
TW Gaze’s auction manager Matthew Brand said: “Mr Barley had been a client of ours for several years and we were delighted to receive instruction to market many of the items remaining in his estate. It is bound to be an exciting event, full of colour and surprises; very much like the man himself, so hopefully a fitting tribute.”
According to a friend, Barley had a diverse and eclectic interest in objects from across the globe, and was “responsive to the spirit of an object more than the academic importance of it; he seemed to have a sensitivity for things”.
Barley’s career in the art and antiques trade came after a brush with rock ‘n’ roll – at Dartford Grammar school he was befriended by Mick Jagger who asked him to join his band. Later Barley switched music for protesting and became a committed member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). After leaving school, he turned his energy to the world of second-hand goods.
Barley’s obituary featured in ATG No 2353.
