New Etsy Shop opened!!

Just a quick message to say that we have opened a shop on Etsy. Follow the link on the right to be re-directed. Thanks, Nick & Ali

Precious metals - current market rates.

There has been a slight decrease in precious metals prices over the past week although they are still higher than they were at the end of July.
Today's Gold & Silver prices from a source on the internet for Hallmarked Gold & Silver:
Silver £12.96/oz
9ct Gold £11.29/gm
14ct Gold £17.61/gm
18ct Gold £22.58gm
22ct Gold £27.57/gm
These prices are indicative only and we accept no responsibility for any changes or differences quoted elsewhere.

Hornsea Freeport Nostalia Event

All you lovers of Hornsea Pottery make sure you get to Hornsea Freeport over the August Bank Holiday weekend. There is a Nostalgia Event on which includes displays of Hornsea ware and the chance to maybe buy some of your old favourites. If you have any Hornsea you might be interested in knowing something about then bring it along, members of the Hornsea Pottery Collectors & Researchers Society will be on hand to help you out.

Hornsea - growing popularity? If you lived like me through the 60's and 70's a manufacturer which was synonimous with homewares at the time was Hornsea. The original Hornsea potteries was based as you would expect in Hornsea on the East coast of Yorkshire. Started by the Rawson Brothers in 1949 Hornsea pottery began life in a large terraced house an eventually ended up in a purpose built factory at Edenfield in Hornsea. First items to be produced were character jugs and quaint animal based posey vases.

It wasnt until the mid to late '50's that Hornsea began to produce table ware and with John Clappison joining the company in 1958 the innovative tableware designs began. Hornsea's hayday came in the late '60's through the '70's and into the '80's with households being filled with their popular Heirloom and Fleur designs to name just two.

Unfortunatley the Company was taken over in 1984 although their designs continued to 1989. Now where the factory stood is a retail park, Hornsea Freeport, but the interest in Hornsea has not gone away. The Hornsea Pottery Collectors' and Research Society has a growing membership and the designs have much to offer the young home owner of today as well as being ever more collectable. If you have an interest in Hornsea or want any more information please send me a message.

Terry Durham Original Print Web Site

Part of my interest in antiques and collectables comes from a background of being close to the modern art world during my early childhood in the 60's and 70's. At this time we lived as a family in Beckenham in Kent and my father persued his dream and passion for his artwork amid the London Scene of the 60's. My father has always had a vision that eludes most people and an ability to express his feelings in art and words despite sometimes these visions being ahead of the contemporary art scene. His influences have been contemporary artists such as Paul Klee and Piccasso and native Indian, African and Aboriginal art. He still paints now and astounds not just me but many other people with his ability to find inspiration and new techniques in his work. My sister Charley and her fiance Sam Oakes (a well know and respected landscape and natural world photographer) have just finished putting together a website on behalf of my father which offers for sale very high quality prints of his artwork. This is my small part in introducing that website and encouraging anyone reading this blog to at least have a look at my fathers work.

Unusual Storage Jar

Here's an oddity that came with a lot of collectable teapots i bought recently. Its clearly a studio pottery piece but i have been unable to identify the potter by the GM mark underneath although it does identify the year of making as 1960. To me it has a continental feel and clearly reflects influences from contemporary artists such as Picasso and Paul Clee and reminds me of the images my artist father, Terry Durham, used to come up with in the early 1960's. The style of jar itself is unusual with holes in the neck and near the base of the jar which would provide ventilation for the contents. Could this have been made to be a garlic storage jar? If so this would again lead to the continent for its origin. And look at the shape of the handle on the lid, not just a normal round or square but a swept sided oblong, a nice touch. I'd be happy to hear any opinions on this piece.

Precious metals price update.

I will be giving updates on the precious metals prices available in the market from time to time. This week there has been a slight increase in precious metals prices over the past week although they have dropped from a peak in mid March.
Today's Gold & Silver prices from a source on the internet for Hallmarked Gold & Silver:
Silver £15.04z
9ct Gold £11.55/gm
14ct Gold £18.02/gm
18ct Gold £23.10/gm
22ct Gold £28.21/gm
These prices are indicative only and we accept no responsibility for any changes or differences quoted elsewhere.

The rise of Retro!

Items and clothing from the 50's, 60's and 70's are becoming increasingly popular these days. Interest in the lifestyles of these decades has risen and in some cases has become fashionable even with the younger generation. Many of the objects which were highly chic and futuristic at the time they were made have an appeal today as they fit in with the 'new' styles of fashion and... home decor which are taking their influence from these decades. Common items of glass and china ware can be picked up from charity shops at reasonable rates and there are an increasing number of specialist retro shops in major towns and cities. Much of this has been fuelled by the student community especially art students who have taken the retro styles to heart. In Leeds there and many retro clothing shops which are popular with the student population looking for original items. Of course there are adults who where children in these decades who will look back at those times with the famous 'rose tinted glasses' and will be cheered by the nostalgia of these pieces. Take the amber glass pitcher and tumbler set i recently came across, a common item at the time but not easy to find as a complete set nowadays. With me it evoked the memory of cold glasses of orange squash on those long hot summer days - well thats how i remember the 6 week school holidays and it definitely was in 1976, the long drought, forest fires and the green godesses!