- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
Oh, The Things I've Seen, April 2026
I do apologies I am going to go into quite a garbled first suggestion, they later ones will be much more to the point -
Bath Decorative Fair
Firstly, we will start at the beginning of the month. Here I made my way down to Bath. Gosh, I do like Bath. Yes, it is ravished by the same humongous capitalistic set of shops that seem to drive their way into every city in the land. But once you step out of that stretch, it has to be said, and I will say it, it's bloody nice. You are welcomed by offshoots which are really quite fantastic. Bath has the foundations of an Italian town. Obviously not architecturally, but what I have always said about Italy is that they have been left with beauty. Outside of their towns it can get a bit grotty, only in architectural terms, but they have these communal spaces that haven't been ravished by time. On a sunny day the boulevards are full and the squares are abuzz. So, suffice to say, I am a fan of Bath.
My first stop in Bath was the Bath Decorative Fair. We are all well acquainted with the Battersea Decorative Fair, a fair I always implore anyone to go to, as even if you cannot afford even an inch of a trim, you will nevertheless find it fulfilling to the heart. I will echo this sentiment about the Bath Decorative Fair and a bonus, it is quite a lot cheaper than its London cousin (although I am not sure if they are formally affiliated). My first point of love for the Bath fair was quite how nice everyone was. I spoke to many a dealer and, even though I wasn't buying, they were charming in talking me through their favourite pieces and how they came about, all those things that in my everyday life get lost online. I will also note that many, many of them are not hugely online, which is obviously harder when gauging a wide audience, but there is something satisfying in bucking the trend and sticking to person-to-person dealing.
Here are a few dealers I would like to point you in the direction of -
Julian Green Gallery
One of One Market- One of my favourites
Not Wanted on Voyage - No online presence, lots of fantastic stuff on their stand. Email -notwanted4@aol.com
If you do head to Bath please be aware that it is a smaller than the London fair, it is a great fair but don't expect the grandeur of Battersea and other London fairs.
Now to my main reason for the Bath trip: Berdoulat. Patrick and Neri Williams have been heroes of mine for quite some time. As a young buck finding my taste at House & Garden, I instantly latched onto the work of Berdoulat and that has never changed. With each of their projects I have found more to love, and then came the shop. Their Bath shop is a mecca for interiors lovers and each time I go I am astounded by the utter beauty of it. It was here that we were headed on a cold March evening. Patrick and Neri had invited us to celebrate House Rules, their much-awaited book which tracks the history of Patrick's love for buildings, process, and the deep authenticity in which all of their work is cemented. There was so much to be said about all of these points that Patrick decided to split the book into two. The second, Another Spoonful, illustrates all those who Berdoulat work with in creating their projects, the artisans who help bring these buildings, furniture, and even their bestselling ceramic basket to life. I was honoured to write the foreword for this book and it was a complete joy to put down on paper my admiration for all that they do.
I recently reacquainted myself with a few of my old Christie's catalogues, one that has always been a favourite of mine: West to East: The Niall Hobhouse Collection. It was one hell of an auction. Hobhouse was once the owner of Hadspen House, which is now the Newt. Before the faux fur throws, odd gauze chairs, and other such unsightly goods which find their way into hotels nowadays, there was a collection of pieces that made the interiors world shake with lust. The reason I am pointing it out to you is that much of the seating was upholstered in a fabric from a company called Castle Cary Horsehair. After a little research, a humble Google, I found out it was John Boyd Textiles. Many of you will know it, I am sure, but just in case you weren't au fait with their wares, I would like you to be formally introduced.
