Clarice Cliff Feature Articles
A PERSONAL VIEW OF LONDON EXCEL’S INAUGURAL AFE FAIR AT DOCKLANDS 13th - 15th JANUARY 2017 BY DOREEN MANN
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A much anticipated fair by many Clarice Cliff.com members who were definitely not disappointed by this inaugural fair. Organised by those who put on the regular Antiques for Everyone fair at the NEC Birmingham several times each year, this was a smaller fair in terms of individual stallholders but much richer with inter-related Art Deco items such as silver, mirrors, lighting, furniture, paintings as well as ceramics. They were all there in exciting shapes, colours and variety! Of course we all go there to see the very latest Clarice Cliff discoveries sourced by world-famous Clarice Cliff dealer Andrew Muir, and his display, as ever, did not disappoint! How does he find those ultra rare if not unique “finds” - by dashing around the country right up until the very last minute even though he’s just got over a five-week dose of that dreadful cold and coughing lurgy which is doing the rounds and known only too well by this writer.
I consider the content of much more Art Deco very relevant to our visiting this first London Excel fair. While we are all on the lookout for a new piece of Clarice, many of us also furnish our own homes in many examples of furnishings and interiors items, and this was a decided plus at this fair in comparison with the NEC. Travelling up to the event is a costly experience if you want to combine it with other Clarice-related visits as we were also going to visit some other CC collectors to discuss their collections, but well worth it. What a great time we had! It’s always thrilling to see another’s CC collection, interviews were done (for future publication) and we all enjoyed our Clarice-chatting over many thoroughly enjoyable hours. All the construction of interesting new architecture of the various buildings and features at the Docklands is a sight to behold. We stayed for a couple of nights at a Premier Inn local to our collectors (had a great deal!), but were delighted to find we could have experienced a regularly scheduled set of flights from Cardiff to Docklands, which we have noted for future visits. With weather reports of snow over the threedays of the fair, I think we could say we packed absolutely everything that was necessary!
So firstly, our special thanks to Andy for once again spoiling us rotten with all his latest discoveries, and secondly my thanks to Peggy for posting her account of the fair and posting such a wide selection of photographs. I have returned home to Wales this afternoon with literally hundreds of photographs so I have decided to not spend many hours re-sizing them but will put them on full scale in the “features” section within the Clarice Cliff story on the home page. Just click on Clarice’s story and then features and you will see a terrific selection of photographs of Andy’s display. Although as Peggy says, prices were well…..”pricey” but the amount of excellent stylish Art Deco items was well worth seeing and buying! The overall scale of London Excel, its unbelievable amount of choices of food, easily available parking, etc. are on an unprecedented scale but everything is signposted and easily to hand, even for disabled users. As you can tell Peggy and I cannot recommend it enough - a fabulous day out and we look forward to future fairs.
I fell sure the Clarice chat was also at an unprecedented record and it was just great to see so many members there. Andrew’s display was like a magnet to just so many other fair attendees, some of whom told me about their Clarice and Shelley experiences in their earlier lives. Absolutely fascinating! And finally, I must mention a sight I never thought I'd see and take a photograph of: TWO May Avenue conical sifters; one banded at the base, one not!!!!!!!!!!!
Once again my thanks to Andrew and Peggy, and all those who attended on Friday. Hope you (our overseas collectors and those who could not attend the fair) enjoy all the photographs and feel “you were there too”.
Doreen Mann, Editor
