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• celebration of craft and culture |
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ONE of the many attractions of the London summer season is the Summer Fair at Olympia (June 9-18), a treasure trove of wonderful antiques and collectable items. Visiting here you do come away wondering how we have come to embrace the shoddy and the ugly, when we have such a rich history of craftsmanship and beauty.
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So go along to revel in this heritage. In addition to the main showcase of pictures, furniture, time pieces, ceramics etc there are smaller items that are delightful reminders of how gentlemen used to live.
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The cigar and tobacco boxes, for example, are reminders of a time when smoking was part of the cultured lifestyle. Dog whistles and fishing fly cases illustrate the craft that went into such accessories and splendid hip flasks and claret jugs reflect the esoteric appreciations of drinking.
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The fair attracts over 30,000 buyers from all over the world, with over 300 UK and international dealers showing a wide variety of art, antique and collectable items. Indicative of the ambience of the event is the champagne bar, a 'gourmet' restaurant - and there's a 20per cent discount on the entrance fee of £15 if visitors book in advance on www.olympia-antiques.com .
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This delightful pug with bow tie and cigar is a French carved fruitwood tobacco jar, circa 1890, on show by Guinevere, priced at £1,350. |
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Graceful Renaissance silver claret jug, made by John S Hunt in 1853, from C & L Burman, £14,000. |
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• three of the latest gizmos |
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NOT only is it impossible to keep pace with the avalanche of new gizmos that land on the market place, but for some of us the sheer mind-numbing density of their specifications makes their consideration as appealing as perusing the gas bill. |
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However, we do marvel at the ever-increasing facilities packed into ever-smaller products and one of the latest such is Grundig's 30GB personal media player with built-in digital video camera. We don't know who actually watches movies on a 3.5in screen but that is possible here, along with a plethora of other features intended to cover all aspects of entertainment. At £349.99, it is a snip. |
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WITH increasing demand for e-mail availability on mobile phones, Sony Ericsson has brought out a new model, the M600 phone and messaging device which will handle even large attachments and downloads. It has 80MB of onboard memory and an additional 64MB memory stick is provided. |
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BILLED as 'the world's most desirable laptop' the Lifebook Q2010 was launched at the Geneva Motor Show, available from March 1 in limited quantities only. |
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From Fujitsu Siemens, it is just 20mm thin and weighs in at a mere kilo, and offers all the latest technology, inside a smart lacquered finish which the makers describe as 'black piano'. Priced from 4,000 euros. |
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• give her flowers |
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FOR a distinctive gift for someone special who loves eye-catching jewellery the work of Elizabeth Galton is worth seeking out. It attracted attention at the recent London Fashion Week and has been widely featured in the top fashion magazines.
The designer graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2000 and since then has established an international following. She has received various prestigious awards, created a collection for Swarovski shown during New York Fashion Week, provided a showpiece for a Mercedes-Benz C-class advertising campaign and exhibited in galleries across Europe. |
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Now, she has teamed up with Cool Diamonds to produce three collections, as well as launching her own ready-to-wear collection at London Fashion Week to complement her haute couture designs. These beautiful flower designs from the r-t-w come in silver, priced from £200 - £1,500, and in gold, £3,000 to £21,000. Available online from the end of March at www.elizabethgalton.com and in Selfridges.
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• custom made clubs |
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The ultimate present for a golfer - a set of made-to-order clubs. This bespoke service comes from Designer Golf, who will tailor clubs to the needs of the individual - and at a price that is attractively comparable to off-the-shelf clubs in the local store. Having clubs made to 'fit' makes them easier to use - the length, flex and torque are made to match the physique. Find them on www.designergolf.co.uk |
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:: Knicker Story :: |
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IS this politically incorrect or just fun? As Belinda Robertson is the designer, an attractive Scottish blonde lady who is great fun, we think is makes a great present idea. The cashmere knickers with satin bow are priced at £195, the cashmere top with matching bow at the front £295. From her latest collection of knitwear, online at www.belindarobertson.com and in her shops in Edinburgh and London. |
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:: Posh Paper :: |
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IN keeping with revived interest in fine pens, fine stationery is now making a comeback. Surprising maybe, in this age of emails and mobiles, but showing a reaapreciation of the enjoyment of sending and receiving personal correspondence. You can't, after all, treasure a text message for years and what records will our descendents have to mull over if we don't keep some mementos? |
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To meet this renewed interest, a new company has launched a range of bespoke stationery. Hazlitz is based in an elegant town house in London's Chelsea and was founded by three partners who share a passion for stationery. They are dedicated to using traditional techniques to creative quality papers, made in the UK from 100 per cent recycled cotton, and are convinced that there are many people who want fine stationery that will reflect their own taste. Find them at www.hazlitz.com |
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:: Advertisement :: |
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