Arts & Antiques

SOUGHT BY LOCAL COLLECTOR STAMP COLLECTIONS, ALBUMS AND POSTAL HISTORY

PLEASE CONTACT IAN APPLIN HOME (after 7pm): 01275 331821 • MOBILE: 07768 093576 EMAIL: ipakeeper@gmail.com

Artworks draw the crowds

VISITORS were out in force to enjoy original, local art and crafts at Cam Valley Arts’ spring exhibition and sale at Conygre Hall in Timsbury, featuring more Gina Belford than 20 exhibitors.

Alison ter Haar, the group publicity officer, said: “We have had a large number of very positive comments from our visitors about the exceptionally high quality of the work on display and the range of talents represented within our group.”

Their autumn arts trail weekend, November 5th and 6th, will include some free workshops and demonstrations in various arts and crafts.

Details: www.camvalleyartstrail.co.uk

Barrows to buckets –make room for antiques outside

WHISPERit, summer might be here. As soon as the chimes of the first ice cream van are heard, our thoughts inevitably turn to the outdoors and the garden – or the backyard, or terrace. Whatever the size of your plot, nowadays we expect our gardens to be every bit as stylish and distinctive as our homes – a plastic patio set and herbaceous border just won’t cut it.

The urge to embellish our outdoor area is, of course, nothing new. The Georgians loved a garden ornament – particularly if it had appalling body odour. The must-have accessory of the 1750s was a stone grotto complete with live-in human hermit.

In the name of authenticity these individuals were not allowed to speak, wash or cut their hair or fingernails. The pay was good but the terms onerous, so much so that Lord Bath’s hermit at Longleat soon went AWOL and was found in a local pub in an advanced state of inebriation, contemplating a career change.

When it comes to our own patch, whilst many of us are used to having antiques indoors, how many would consider buying period pieces for the garden? For those looking for a truly original, quirky look outdoors, there’s a wealth of choice, requiring neither vast expense nor human servitude.

You just need to think outside the (window) box. Some of the most effective garden ornaments are made from objects that started out with an entirely different

function. Beaten coppers vats, used for boiling laundry, are having a new lease of life as bedding planters, as are stone troughs, originally used for animals to drink from. Once a feature of every farmyard, With CHRIS YEO bedded out with plants they make an imposing statement and are highly sought after. Wheelbarrows and old carts also make perfect containers for planting out vivid summer blooms, while garden rollers simply need propping up against an old brick wall to look good. Terracotta flower pots, trowels made of metal from the 1950s, rakes with handmade teeth and branch handles and early 20th century metal buckets and enamelware watering cans, artfully displayed, all add a personal touch to the “room outside”.

Chris Yeo is a valuer at Clevedon Salerooms and regular expert on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow Please visit their website www.clevedonsalerooms.com for more details

FREE ENTRY THE HILLIARD SOCIETY OF MINIATURISTS

2022 International Exhibition of Miniature Art

Saturday 11th – Saturday 18th June Wells Town Hall, 10am – 5pm

CELEBRATING ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Over 250 paintings and sculptures just a few inches in size and a GRAND CHARITY RUBY RAFFLE with 60 original miniature prizes to be won.

Last entry 4pm • Closed on Sunday 12th June

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.hilliardsociety.org • TEL: 07582 019359

Probate | Insurance | Auction Family & Matrimonial | CGT | General Inventory

Miniature art exhibition

THEHilliard Society of Miniaturists will celebrate its 40th anniversary at their annual exhibition in Wells Town Hall from June 11th-18th.

Marvel at over 250 miniature paintings and sculptures –often just a few inches wide. Landscapes, animals, portraits, flowers, birds and the fantastical are all shown in extraordinary, luminous detail. Paintings are available to purchase, along with prints, greetings cards and a special anniversary calendar.

Enter their Ruby Raffle for your chance to win one of 60 exquisite original miniature paintings, £5 per ticket. Proceeds will be split between Marie Curie, World Land Trust, St John Ambulance Wells branch, and Conservation South Luangwa (Zambia). Free entry, open 10am-5pm (last entry 4pm); closed Sunday, June 12th.

The fine art of valuation

WITHmore than 25 years’ experience in this sector, much of Toby Pinn’s art and antiques valuation instructions come from solicitors, accountants and executors requiring a valuation of the contents of a property to calculate inheritance tax.

HMRC recommends employing a RICS qualified valuer for this purpose. Having listened to his client’s needs over many years, Toby has created a class-leading accessible, imaged and numbered valuation report that not only fulfils HMRC’s requirements, but more importantly exceeds the expectations of his clients.

Certified valuations of art and antiques for insurance purposes account for the remainder of Toby’s valuation work. Additionally, Toby provides advice and arranges consignment of jewellery, fine art and antiques to a nationwide network of specialist auction houses. Toby is always pleased to discuss your requirements, from single items to an entire collection.

Details: www.tobypinn.co.uk

Chilcompton artists

CHILCOMPTONArt Club is a thriving and popular group of friendly amateur artists which meets on Wednesday and Friday mornings at Chilcompton Sports Club, 10am-1pm.

It's a bright, airy and comfortable venue with good facilities including disabled access and spacious parking. They have spaces for a few new members, in particular on Fridays. They stage several exhibitions of their work for sale throughout each year, including in beautiful Wells Cathedral cloisters in November.

Silver and jewellery sales go well at Killens

ATthe Mendip Auction Rooms, over 250 lots of silver and jewellery went under the hammer on May 14th with exceptional demand seen from within the room and over the internet.

Many rings sold for between £500 and £1500 with an attractive 18ct diamond solitaire ring selling for £1000. Within the gold and silver section, a 9ct gold cigarette case sold for £1900, a 9ct gold Albert chain £860, a Russian silver tea caddy £740 and a 14ct gold Hong Kong chain link necklace £660.

Precious metals such as silver and gold together with jewellery have long held a leading place in the art and antiques market at all levels in the industry. Fashion may alter the form, but the more precious metals and stones always retain a certain level of value, fluctuating with economic or political factors, for example.

But the craftsmanship and quality of the finishing continues to be important and has a considerable effect on the value of the item as a whole.

At Killens, their expert valuers value silver, gold and jewellery almost on a daily basis and it is possible to call in to the auction rooms for a valuation on a drop-in basis – no appointment is needed. If you are looking to sell, they can explain the selling process.

One recent review estimated the global luxury jewellery market alone to be at around 22 billion Euros. Killens can obviously only lay claim to a very tiny percentage of this but are proud to be able to consistently bring good results for our customers for their silver, gold and jewellery in our specialist auctions.

Are you looking to sell items? Valuations can be undertaken on a dropin basis at the auction rooms between 10am and 3pm each weekday. Alternatively, valuers are able to conduct free home visits. They can also arrange house clearances and undertake probate valuations.

Silver gilt and enamel egg sold for £1700

Contact the team at Killens on 01749 840770 or email enquiries@mendipauctionrooms.co.uk for further assistance

Sculptors take their inspiration from lockdown

TWO Mendip-based sculptors will be exhibiting in Chichester Cathedral at the end of June in a national show of work influenced by their experiences of isolation during lockdown.

Fiona Campbell, of Cranmore, and Ian Marlow, of Buckland Dinham, are both members of the Royal Society of Sculptors which is staging the exhibition called Together We Rise.

Ian has created two new sculptures; the first – called Rising Together - features four, 2.6metre tall stainless steel sections which sweep up to support a fused glass panel in which is embedded a glass rainbow, a symbol of hope. The second sculpture, Rising from Chaos, expresses the confusion and uncertainty which dominated life during this time.

Fiona’s piece –Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand – concentrates on the illegal trafficking and slaughter of thousands of pangolins. Fiona, who describes herself as an environmental artist, is an award-winning sculptor reaching the wider public who may not have engaged with contemporary art before. Thousands of visitors to Wells Cathedral would have seen the positioning of Snakes and Ladders (I) high up in the north transept.

As well as Chelsea Flower Show and cathedrals, her sculptures have been exhibited at decommissioned prisons, abandoned quarries and town centres.

Together We Rise was born out of members of the Royal Society of Sculptors meeting online. Organisers of the exhibition say Zoom meetings were a great platform for keeping in touch, during 2020-2021 for supporting each other, for sharing ideas as well as an opportunity for discussing obstacles like self-doubt and anxieties through an extremely difficult time.

Jacquiline Creswell, curator of the exhibition, said: “Together We Rise is a counterpoint to the challenges of the last two years and an expression of the artists’ perseverance, by coming together through virtual means to overcome isolation, fear and doubt. By bringing together this group, much as other communities have come together during the pandemic to support one another, I have seen a flourishing of creativity which demonstrates the power of shared adversity overcome by shared endeavour.” l The exhibition will open at Chichester Cathedral on June 27th and runs until September 6th.

Fiona Campbell

Environmental Artist

Drawings, Sculptures and Workshops

www.fionacampbellart.co.uk

t: 07515 537224

e: fionacampbell-art@sky.com

Instagram @fionacampbellartist Facebook @fionasculpture Twitter @fionasculpture

Cars are the stars –introducing our expert

CLASSIC car auctions at Dore & Rees have made an impression in the industry and are integral to the rapid growth of the Frome-based auction house. Led by Nick Wells, the marquee viewings next to the Cheese and Grain have made their mark on the town’s community with many regularly asking: “When will the Nick Wells next Classic Car auction will be on?”

A lifelong car enthusiast, Nick studied Business and German in Leeds, spending time with BMW in Munich, followed by a successful career in marketing. Feeling the urge to align his career more closely to his interests, Nick moved into the international classic car auction business some years ago, quickly establishing himself as a specialist and auctioneer.

During his time in the industry, Nick has presided over classic car auction sales in the UK and Europe, and as far afield as South Africa, consulting on valuations and sales of both individual cars and collections. In 2021 Nick was delighted to be invited to join the expert panel of the ITV show The Car Years, taking two cars from a year in motoring history and pitching them against eachother to pick a winner. He continues to film for the show and he will be on screen soon.

At Dore & Rees, Nick has held two auctions and is preparing for his third. Highlights from past auctions include a 1991 Ferrari Testarossa, the iconic Ferrari from the 1980s in period perfect colours (sold for £86,500), and a 1952 Jaguar XK120 Roadster (sold for £69,440).

The Classic Car auction on Saturday, June 18th promises to be Nick’s most exciting yet. The pack is currently led by a fabulous collection of pre-war and early post-war Rolls Royce and Bentley models, also a 1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mark II, one of only four Alpine-Ford prototypes built by Jensen Motors. This important and well-known example will be offered at an estimate of £70,000 – £90,000. More popular classics are lining up to join the auction.

The motoring auction calendar at Dore & Rees is also peppered with regular Automobilia auctions offering enthusiasts a chance to pick up items relating to their favourite marques and motoring personalities such as models, mascots, ephemera, posters and more. Books and enamel signs are currently proving to be particularly popular, with a book on the Lamborghini Miura selling for £5,850, and a Lambretta wall mounted swivel sign hammering down at £1,170. l If you have a collection of Automobilia or a classic car you are consider selling, contact Nick Wells on 07920 500 091. The next auctions taking place at the auction house in Vicarage Street are Select Interiors, on Wednesday, June 29th (inviting entries until Wednesday, June 1st) and Jewellery on Wednesday, July 6th.

Foodbank appeals for cash donations

WELLS Vineyard Foodbank is calling for urgent help to meet demand for emergency food parcels. It says more people than ever before are being referred to them due to the cost-of-living crisis.

The foodbank is now asking people to donate money to help feed local people who are at risk of going hungry.

In 2019, 9,000 meals were distributed, but by last year this had increased to over 80,000 meals. The foodbank is expecting demand to continue to rise steeply due to the rising costs of food, energy and fuel.

Sue Marland, senior pastor at Wells Vineyard Church and manager of the foodbank, said: “Demand is so high, it’s now at risk of outstripping our resources. We urgently need the community to come together and help support us, if we are going to be able to keep offering the same level of support to each person that comes through the door.

“We will always share all food equitably, but already we have had to make cut-backs in the quality and range of the food that we offer in order to feed everyone who has come through our door. Without an increase in financial donations, it’s possible we could have to turn some people away this year.”

She said many people were astonished to learn that they have to spend £1,500 each month on shopping to supplement the tins and packets that people put in the donation bins at Waitrose, Santander and Morrisons.

Wells Vineyard Foodbank has set up a GoFundMe appeal and is asking all community members to give what they can to help. Simply search https://gofund.me/638faa0a or scan the QR code below.

People can also donate at Wookey Hub. Anyone there can simply ask to add an amount of their choice onto the hub’s Foodbank Gift Card.

Alternatively, financial donations can be made to Wells Vineyard Christian Fellowship’s HSBC account: Sort code: 40-46-06, Acc No: 31387170. Use “Wells Vineyard Church” as the reference.

Vicars’ Close project wins lottery backing

WELLS Cathedral has been awarded an initial National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of almost £580,000 to develop a project to restore and open up Vicars’ Close, the oldest continuously inhabited medieval street in Europe.

The project – Vicars’ Close: A Medieval Street Singing Through the Centuries – aims to make a number of the historic properties on Vicars’ Close in Wells accessible to the public for the first time. The cathedral plans to open two of the houses in Vicars’ Close as interpretation centres alongside creating public access to other hidden gems on the close, such as the Vicars’ Hall and Treasury Rooms. Vicars’ Close was built for the cathedral choir in 1348 and is still inhabited by the cathedral choir today.

Development funding of £577,562 has been awarded by the fund to help Wells Cathedral progress their plans to apply for a Vicars’ Close is one of the city’s hidden gems full £3.3m National Lottery grant at a later date. The project will also allow essential work to be carried out to the exteriors of the properties on the close. Changing weather patterns are accelerating the deterioration of the buildings. Conservation work will include measures to make the close carbon-neutral. The Dean of Wells, the Very Revd Dr John Davies said: “We are delighted to receive this

Vicars’ Hall could be opened to the public as part of the project

support thanks to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players.

“ ‘Vicars’ Close: A Medieval Street Singing Through the Centuries’ project is a critical step to conserve, interpret, share, and make accessible this wonderful heritage asset. The project will create opportunities for our local and regional communities through skill building, education and employment that will work towards healing the effects of the Covid pandemic.

“The project will also create an innovative and exciting new experience for Wells, Somerset, and the South West to be proud of. It is delightful to know that we are a step closer to ensuring future generations will continue to be able to experience this wonderful place.”