DURHAM DID NOT DISAPPOINT !

AT LAST THE DURHAM AUCTION REPORT. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A FINE SALE, BUT THE WEATHER WAS NO SO FINE. WHEN WE LEFT THE SALE ABOUT FIVE AT NIGHT, THERE WAS SNOW FOG AND ICE ! IT WAS A LONGER TRIP BACK THAN GOING DOWN TO DURHAM. IT WAS INDEED A SPLENDID SALE WITH SUCH A VARIETY , OVER 1700 ITEMS SPREAD OVER TWO DAYS. WE WERE ABLE TO BID FOR SUCH A VARIED SELECTION AS, ' A GERMAN U - BOAT SUBMARINE CLOCK '  'A VICTORIAN THISTLE CUTTER CLUB' AND ' A CARVED HARDWOOD PAINTED MERMAID' ! QUITE A CHOICE. YOU WILL BE HAPPY TO HEAR , I STUCK, BY IN LARGE, TO THE MAILING AND OTHER CERAMICS.

WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A WIDE SELECTION OF MALING, AND IN THE  TIME GAP BETWEEN THE AUCTION AND MY LAST UPDATE OF THE BLOG , QUITE A BIT HAS ALWREADY BEEN SOLD. SOME IS ON ITS WAY ALWREADY TO , USA , AND I HAVE EVEN SOLD A BIT OF MALING, TO A CLIENT IN MORPETH, JUST TO THE NORTH OF NEWCASTLE. WHAT WAS THAT SAYING 'COALS TO NEWCASTLE ' ?

JIM RAILTON , THE AUCTIONEER, ALWAYS HAS A FABULOUS SELECTION OF MALING , AND HE IS AN EXPERT ON THE PRODUCT. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH A VARIETY OF MALING PIECES. SOME ARE RARE AND DO COMMAND A HIGH PRICE, BUT I AM ALWAYS STRUCK WITH THE BEAUTIFUL COLOURS AND INDEED SHAPES OF MALING. WE BOUGHT SO MUCH THERE IS A PAGE JUST FOR MALING IN THE SHOP.[ YOU WILL FIND THIS PAGE IN THE LEFT HAND INDEX IN THELANDING SHOP PAGE.]

JIM OFTEN HAS 'SLEEPERS' IN THE SALE , AND I REMBER AT HIS LAST NEWCASTLE SALE HE HAD THIS  SUMMER A NINTEENTH CENTURY CAST IRON MONEY BOX , MODELLED AS A PIERROT CLOWN , WAS ESTIMATED AT £20 -£30. IT SOLD FOR , WAIT FOR IT, £1150 ! CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW HAPPY THE OWNER OF THAT ITEM WAS WHEN THEY HEARD THE PRICE IT SOLD FOR.

THIS SALE A EIGHTEENTH CENTURY CREAMWARE TANKARD, ESTIMATE £150 -£250. ACHIEVED £1250 !  ONE OF THE JOYS OF ATTENDING AN AUCTION IS THE THRILL OF BEING THERE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THERE IS SUCH A BUZZ IN THE ROOM.

THE SALE WAS AT AN OLD CASTLE , AND BOY WAS IT COLD. NOW I UNDERSTAND  WHY IN THE OLD DAYS THEY HAD THOSE BIG LOG FIRES AND WORE SO MANY CLOTHES. WE  HOWEVER WERE WARMED UP BY THE SELECTION OF PURCHASES, AND YES WE ARE STILL LISTING THEM. I THINK ALL THE MALING HAS NOW BEEN LISTED, BUT THERE IS STILL LOTS TO DO. I HAVE ALWREADY BEEN TO TWO OTHER AUCTIONS SINCE LAST WEEKEND AND I WILL SOON BE LISTING SOME NICE DAVENPORT AND SOME POOLE POTTERY.

WHEN I FIRST STARTED THIS BLOG JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, I WONDERED WHAT I WOULD WRITE . NOW I WONDER WHAT TO LEAVE OUT !  I HAVE SOME NICE TALES TO RELATE ABOUT A SMALL COUNTRY PUB WE STOP AT , WHERE THE HIGHWAYMAN , DICK TURPIN USED TO VISIT AND ITS FAMOUS GRANDFATHER CLOCK. MY TRIPS TO HARROGATE , YORK, AND LINCOLN, AND  MY TRAVELS IN THE BEAUTIFUL LAKE DISTRICT ! AS I SAID BEFORE IN THE BLOG , WE IN THE UK ARE BLESSED WITH SUCH A CHOICE AND VARIETY OF BEAUTIFUL PLACES, AND INDEED PEOPLE !

LOOK BACK SOON AND I WILL TRY TO UPDATE IN A FEW DAYS !