As a child I had no interest whatsoever in the world of antiques. I remember my brother and I groaning every time my father stopped to gaze through yet another antique shop window on the long drive back to boarding school. Antiques hunting was my dad's only hobby and no one was surprised when in 1962 he retired from the theatre and went into partnership in a small shop in, what was then, a back street in Brighton. Two years later I joined him.

In 1973 I opened my own shop and two years later I bought the premises from which I traded for the next 30 years. I dealt primarily with the trade but the business was certainly not 'Trade only' and we welcomed the public and tried to display stock in a way that would appeal to them. For  fourteen years I had a stand at the June Olympia Antiques & Fine Art fair. I no longer exhibit at Olympia but last year I showed at all three Decorative fairs in Battersea Park.

I have now given up my shop and trade only at fairs and on the internet. I still buy furniture and decorative objects that appeal to me.  My  stock is eclectic but each item is chosen for it's authenticity with an emphasis on good design workmanship and materials. I have little confidence selling an inferior article merely because it's cheap and I usually come unstuck when I try. Having stands at vetted fairs and subjecting my goods to vetting by specialists is a great discipline and ensures that the majority of my stock is genuinely antique and restored to 'fairworthy' condition. However I do buy some old reproduction and these days 20th century items as well. You will see on the site that I also sell a small range of decorated tray tables that we manufacture ourselves.

I run the business single-handed and can really only be contacted these days by appointment  or on the internet.

 

DUDLEY HUME