Auction alert: Northern Art

L.S. Lowry - "The Reference Library"

Ever since we lived in Todmorden, we’ve been great fans and collectors of contemporary Northern art and Northern fine art painters, in particular, such as Peter Stanaway, Will Turner, Geoff Key and Olivia Pilling. This is why we just had to highlight the upcoming Northern Art – Live Online auction.

It takes place on Thursday 10th March 2022 from 11am. It’s being held by Wilson55 Auctioneers & Valuers (previously Peter Wilson Fine Art Auctioneers) in Nantwich, Cheshire. There will be 187 lots and we’ve included a few by our favourites below.

Buyer’s premium inc. VAT/sales tax: 26.40%
Online commission inc. VAT/sales tax: 5.94%

Lots purchased online with the-saleroom.com will attract an additional charge for this service in the sum of 4.95% of the hammer price plus VAT at the rate imposed. You can register and bid live through their website at no extra charge.

We can offer UK in-house shipping for smaller items, please contact us.  For larger items and furniture please find our recommended couriers

Northern School (20th century) - "Miners"

Lot 5: Northern School (20th century) “Miners”
Unsigned, oil on board. Dimensions: 61cm x 67cm (24in x 26.5in)
Estimate: £300 – £500

L.S. Lowry - "The Reference Library"

Lot 13: L.S. Lowry R.A. (British 1887-1976) “The Reference Library”
Signed in pencil in the margin, with the Fine Art Trade Guild blind stamp, from the edition of 850, limited edition print. Dimensions: image size 24cm x 35cm (9.5in x 13.75in)
Estimate: £1,500 – £2,500

Liam Spencer - "Mancunian Way at Night"

Lot 68: Liam Spencer (British 1964-) “Mancunian Way at Night”
Initialled, oil on board. Dimensions: 19.5cm x 24.5cm (7.75in x 9.5in)
Estimate: £500 – £700

Geoffrey Key - Northern townscape

Lot 73: Geoffrey Key (British 1941-) Northern townscape
Signed and dated 28.6.19, pen drawing. Dimensions: 26.5cm x 17.5cm (10.5in x 7in)
Estimate: £300 – £500

Helen Bradley - "Early November at Blackpool"

Lot 87: Helen Bradley M.B.E. (British 1900-1979) “Early November at Blackpool”
Signed and with fly insignia (lower left), with the artist’s handwritten narrative on verso – “It was early November at Blackpool and the weather was still mild, so we went for our last walk through the Enchanted Garden and on to the lane. There George and I saw two rabbits, we would have liked to chase them, but Aunt Mary called to Mother to call us back. It was nearly tea time and Grandpa would be waiting for us and the year was 1907. Helen Bradley”.
Oil on board. Dimensions: 26.5cm x 34.5cm (10.5in x 13.5in). Gifted by the artist to the vendor’s grandmother.
Estimate: £15,00 – £20,000

Peter Brook - "The Months of the Year"

Lot 93: Peter Brook (British 1927-2009) “The Months of the Year”
Complete set of twelve, 1978, each signed and numbered 100/150 in pencil in the margins, printed under the direction of Stanley Jones at the Curwen Studio, London, published by Thomas Agnew and Sons Ltd., London (originals in the Tate Collection), presented in original portfolio, lithographs printed in colours. Dimensions: each sheet 57cm x 77.5cm (22.5in x 30.5in)
Estimate: £1,000 – £1,500

Reg Gardner - "Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester"

Lot 94: Reg Gardner (British 1948-) “Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester”
Signed, oil on canvas. Dimensions: 29.5cm x 24.5cm (11.5in x 9.5in)
Estimate: £300 – £500

Kyffin Williams - "Snowdon from Llanllyfni"

Lot 106: Kyffin Williams (British 1918-2006) “Snowdon from Llanllyfni”
Signed and numbered 143/250 in pencil in the margin, limited edition colour print. Dimensions: image size 40cm x 49cm (15.75in x 19.25in)
Estimate: £200 – £400

William Turner - 
"Which Way?"

Lot 111: William Turner F.R.S.A., R.Cam.A. (British 1920-2013) “Which Way?”
Signed, titled on verso, oil on board. Dimensions: 19cm x 24cm (7.5in x 9.5in)
Estimate: £800 – £1.200

Olivia Pilling - "Mills and Canal in Halifax"

Lot 118: Olivia Pilling (British 1985-) “Mills and Canal in Halifax”
Initialled, titled on verso, acrylic on canvas board. Dimensions: 49cm x 39cm (19.25in x 15.25in)
Estimate: £300 – £500

Peter Stanaway - "Huddersfield Canal, Stalybridge"

Lot 125: Peter Stanaway (British 1943-) “Huddersfield Canal, Stalybridge”
Signed, titled and dated 2007 on verso, acrylic on canvas. Dimensions: 38cm x 48.5cm (15in x 19.25in)
Estimate: £500 – £700

T is for… Todmorden

T is for Todmorden blog post banner

Standing stone at the entrance to Todmorden town centre

Since we launched the website back in March we have wondered what to do with the furniture that we’ve got in stock.

looking down on Todmorden town centre, canal and lock no. 19

Furniture poses a slight problem – unlike standard packages the cost of getting it to different parts of the country, indeed the world, vary wildly. Therefore, it’s almost impossible to incorporate into a website where postage is calculated automatically at checkout.

Todmorden Unitarian Church

We’d almost decided to abandon furniture altogether but we thought that would be a great shame as we already have some nice pieces available. Also, what would we do the next time we see a great chair at a great price?

St Marys Parish Church, Todmorden

Todmorden Library, Picture House Antiques and Bear Foods

So, after some thought, we’ve now decided to include these larger items on the website – available via courier or collection in person.

Todmorden town centre

What’s all this got to do with Todmorden? Well, that’s where H is for Home is based!

Honey Hole Lane, Todmorden

‘T is for…’ is an opportunity to show you a bit of our town – and also suggest some of the shops & sights that might be of interest to someone making the journey to pick up that table, desk or chair.

Bare Arts shop front

Tod, as the town’s affectionately called, is a small Pennine town situated in the Calder Valley on the border between Lancashire & Yorkshire. In fact, the border used to follow the river which runs through the town centre – where the town hall now stands.

Todmorden Town Hall

It’s officially been in Yorkshire since the 1880s, although not everyone agrees – and just to add to the confusion, it has a Lancashire postcode!

Old Hall, Todmorden

The town was heavily involved in the textile industry. The ready supply of running water was ideal for the cotton, wool and dye-work mills. The settlements of the area were originally linked by pack horse trails. Canal, rail & road links were later constructed in the 18th & 19th centuries.

Flock of sheep on the hillside in Todmorden

The canal, rail, road and river all criss-cross the valley bottom to this day. It now has a varied mix of light industry from metal fabricators to mineral works. Farming in the surrounding fields and hills. Also service industries, retail etc.

Todmorden Marina

A lot of people live & work in the valley – and an increasingly significant number commuting to either Manchester or Leeds, being more or less mid-way between the two cities.

There’s a wide variety of housing stock – workers’ terraces, stone cottages, converted mills, farms and some quite grand villas.

Todmorden town centre

The valley is quite steep-sided, and in some areas the buildings appear to almost topple down on to each other. We recently discovered this Marrimekko Mokki fabric

green Marrimekko 'Mokki' fabric

…we love it – it really captures the feeling!

So, what else might you be able to see & do if you make the trip? We’ve already spoken about the market in the M is for Market post – remember, Thursday’s flea market day!

Rochdale Road, leading to Water Street, Todmorden

In terms of other interiors-related shops, there’s a nice little group in the Water Street area. We have a decent-sized antiques centre – Picture House Antiques (now closed down). They have a few traders housed under one roof and over 3 floors – traditional antiques, rustic bits & pieces, vintage & retro too.

Inside Picture House Antiques

Next door is The Bear Co-op (now Yakumama), housed in the old Industrial Cooperative building – a lovely health food/grocery shop with café upstairs.

Rochdale Road, Todmorden

Recently opened is Hogarth & Hunt, specialising in French country interiors (now closed down).

Hogarth and Hunt antique shop

Across the street is Makepiece…(now closed)

Makepiece shop

…who sell ladies & children’s clothes, hand-spun and knitted using wool from the shop owner’s own rare breed sheep. Also handmade soaps, potions & lotions.

Vanilla Pod shopfront

You can design & make your own greeting cards at Vanilla Pod (now Sunlight Apothecary). There’s Water Street Gallery which showcases contemporary pieces of glass, ceramics, textiles and paintings.

Also, Lyall’s, a small second-hand bookshop, Todmorden Toy and Model Museum and a few charity shops close by.

Todmorden Fine Art shopfront

Also on Water Street is Todmorden Fine Art, one of our absolute favourites and the location of many of our moments of weakness. The gallery specialises in Northern artists such as William Turner, Geoffrey Key & Peter Stanaway.

Dave Gunning, proprietor of Todmorden Fine Art

We have a large park, Centre Vale, in the town with a leisure centre and swimming pool. Swings & things if you’ve brought young kids… and wooded trails if you’ve brought the dog! There’s no shortage of hills, trees and water in the area generally – making it great walking country.

Seventytwo (now Park End) is a family-friendly café situated opposite the park – and there are plenty of other of places to sip a coffee in the centre of town.

Stone gateposts above Eastwood, Todmorden

Lane above Centre Vale Park, Todmorden Lock Keepers Cottage, Walsden

Gaddings Dam, Lumbutts, Todmorden

There are a few villages & towns in the valley. Five minutes drive in either direction are Walsden and Hebden Bridge.

Walsden has a large garden centre, Gorden Riggs and Cottage Antiques (now closed down) which specialises in rustic country furniture – beautifully displayed in a two storey barn and courtyard.

Cottage Antiques shopfront, Walsden

And no mention can be made of Walsden without talking about Grandma Pollard’s (now closed, Tony Pollard retired) – a famous fish & chip shop in these parts – people travel from far & wide to sample its delights!

Hebden Bridge is a lovely little town famous for its independent shops and cafés. It also has an antiques centre… as does Mytholmroyd, a further 5 minutes drive up the valley.

Back to that furniture – here are some of the items that we’ve recently put on the website…

Vintage G-plan glass-topped table

vintage chrome & leather cantilevered chair vintage swivel chair

Vintage teak desk

…all available to collect from Todmorden!

O is for… Orange

'O is for... Orange' blog post banner

Original ink & wash painting by Geoffrey Key entitled Welsh Valley

This week’s blog is a small homage to a glorious colour. O just had to be for orange.

Vintage orange Metamec wall clock | H is for Home detail from orange vintage pop art fabric | H is for Home

Vintage 'Dolly Days' porcelain coffee set designed by John Russell for Hostess Tableware in the 1960s | H is for Home

Vintage orange floral metal biscuit barrel | H is for Home Vintage orange & white 'Lotus' skillet produced by Cathrineholm | H is for Home

We are big fans, and judging by our popular photos on Flickr and items that always sell well on H is for Home, so are a lot of you out there.

Vintage orange & white daisy patterned enamel lidded saucepan | H is for Home Vintage teapot with tea cosy hand-knitted from vintage wool | H is for Home

Orange has the wonderful ability to look warm & cosy in the winter or lively & fresh in the summer.

Set of vintage 'Gaytime' drinking glasses | H is fo rHome Vintage orange plastic 'Party Set' snack dish | H is for Home

Orange objects really catch the eye. It enables them to shout loudly in a collection of other brightly coloured pieces.

Collection of vintage art glass vases | H is for Home

Alternatively, it’s perfect as a highlight colour within a muted décor or against natural materials.

We’ve given a few different chairs the orange treatment!

We did a G is for… Garden blog post a couple of months ago having just planted out some annuals. Our French marigolds are doing well with all the sunshine & showers we’ve been having.

French marigold flowers | H is for Home

Till next week! x