REPORT ON THE JUNE 2006 MEETING

Antiques Roadshow

Continuing the antiques theme established at the May meeting of the Alston Moor Historical Society, when the topic was restoration of antique furniture, the June meeting took the form of an Antiques Roadshow. Members and visitors brought items to be appraised by society member Mr Brian Higgs, an acknowledged expert on the subject based on a lifetime of collecting. He has also appeared in this role on national television shows.

The items offered for comment were many and varied, including small pieces of furniture in the form of table and chairs, kitchenalia, pottery, a boxed game of Escalado, tea caddies and sugar sifters. Whilst a value for the items was suggested the main value in the evening was the wealth of anecdotes and commentary given by Mr. Higgs based on his experiences with antiques over many years. He encouraged his audience to think beyond the intrinsic value of an item but to consider its place in history. This was well illustrated by a Jacobean carved wooden panel dated circa. 1720/30 depicting the Annunciation and valued at £500 but, perhaps more interestingly, made from a tree planted in the 1400’s at the time of, say, Chaucer. It was appropriate for a historical society to consider this aspect of the background of artefacts and not just the immediate and obvious. Otherwise we will know the price of everything and the value of nothing!

Few antiques are absolutely pure in their style and origins. A piece may well be made in a particular country but there will be a number of other features from many places influencing the style and décor of the finished article. The basic materials, e.g. wood, metal, clay, are often not indigenous.

Much of the English furniture trade was centred around High Wycombe and the men who fashioned the legs, spindles and rails from timber found in the area, were known as bodgers .They were actually very skilled, well paid and respected craftsman and it is difficult to understand how the word ‘bodger’ is now synonomous for cheap and shabby work. Another anecdote identified the origin of the greeting ‘cheerio’. When hailing a sedan chair in days gone by, the cry was ‘chair-ho’ – with the resultant corruption to ‘cheerio’.

Most people have some items which are antique, or approaching that stage, and hopefully the modern fashion for such items will encourage safekeeping and preservation. However there is no doubt that many items of value, or which would have become valuable, have been discarded in the past as useless and valueless. Perhaps the current rash of antique shows in TV will do some good and create a high level of public awareness..

EXHIBITION

Commencing the 22nd July the Society will be staging an exhibition of local historical material in premises immediately adjacent to the Market Cross in Alston. The exhibition will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10.30 until 4.00 until September the 11th. Admission is free and all are welcome.

NEXT MEETING

The next event in the Society calendar is the annual outing which is to Killhope Mining Centre. The date is the 5th July and anyone interested is invited to meet at 6.30 in the car park at Kilhope. Anyone wishing to attend and/or go into the mine should register and obtain further information from Richard Turner on 01434 381353