1 How did you get your start?
As a partner with Malcolm Innes in London. I had recently left the army and met Malcolm at a wedding. He must have had a few glasses because he offered me a job. He’s one of the people I admire most in the trade – as honest as the day is long and with a real eye for a bargain.
2 What is one great discovery you’ve made?
Apart from my wife, a lovely collection of works by Scottish wildlife artist Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935) lurking in a dark back passage – unloved but untouched and therefore in brilliant condition. One item I couldn’t do without is my three-wheeled Reliant. I’m planning on it being my hearse, with the wife behind the wheel.
Archibald Thorburn’s 'A Red Grouse on the alert' (1921), pencil watercolour, offered for £4800 by Anthony Woodd.
3 What do you collect personally?
Good sporting pictures and military collectables relating to my former regiment, 14th/20th Kings Hussars. And my children from school.
4 What is one change you predict for the trade in the next few years?
Online presence is a must. The digital era has arrived with a vengeance, but we still need to see the real thing occasionally. Little gems can slip through fingers online.
5 Real ale or espresso martini?
Neither – a fishbowl of Blue Lagoon with 10 straws for all my mates. Or the Garibaldis special in Edinburgh.
If you would like to be featured in 5 Questions, please contact: francesallitt@antiquestradegazette.com
