Cites licence

The law on trading endangered species is being tightened up through new Cites regulations and licensing laws. This applies to those importing or exporting woods such as Mahogany or Rosewood and objects such as tusks or certain taxidermy. It appears that you might have to apply for a licence if the piece is post 1947, however, those pre 1947 seem to be exempt.

We will continue to update you on this as we receive new information ourselves, in the meantime please look at links below if you think it might apply to you.

UPDATE Cities saga continues

Trade in endangered species is governed by the Unites Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. Cities controls "parts and derivatives" of endangered species as well as live specimens. This means that ivory, tortoiseshell, taxidermy items, wooden furniture etc are all controlled.

Most antiques, however, enjoy an exemption from the controls under what is known as the "worked item" derogation. This states that an item shall be exempt from the normal sales controls if it was acquired prior to June 1947 and has been significantly altered from its natural state for jewellery, adornment, art, utility or musical instrument.

One well known mid-century furniture dealer recently came unstuck when he was informed a piece of furniture he was selling was fashioned in a species of rosewood on the banned list. Unknowingly he was breaking the law.

Cities say "We are aware of the need to tighten up definitions and were hopeful of some progress on the matter in the near future. For the time being it's best to play it safe".

Cites

Cites licencing

Antiques for Everyone

NEC, Birmingham UK


The Spring 2008 Antiques for Everyone Fair is held at the NEC, Birmingham. Antiques for everyone has over 440 specialist dealers from across the country. It is the UK's largest indoor, datelined event of more than 50,000 antiques for sale, with examples of garden statuary and furniture. However, it is particularly well known for its ceramics with more than 100 specialists.


Above: The stand of Erna Hiscock and John Shepherd, Lytham St Annes. A nineteenth century stained glass roundel, attributed to Pugin and Hardman from Wales Place Canterbury a Jesuit Mansion, priced at £885.



Above: A pair of carved limestone figures, late nineteenth century, £1450. On the stand of Newsum Antiques, Winchombe.



Above: The stand of Cottage Collectibles, Tetbury



Above: various kitchenalia and furniture on the stand of Smithson Antiques, Lincolnshire


Antiques for Everyone

Thomas Hope Regency Designer

V & A museum, London UK

Thomas Hope can be seen as a designer, collector and innovator he played an important role in the early nineteenth century design. Hope's household furniture and decorative style was the designers bible of the time. He was a collector on a grand scale and also an innovative designer of great genius who helped define what we understand as the Regency style. The scope of Hope's influence is shown through sculpture, painting, furniture, interior design, costume, metalwork and silver.

Thomas Hope was a visionary born in Amsterdam in 1979, Hope inherited his family tradition of collecting and also a vast fortune from his families banking wealth. For ten years between 1787 and 1797, Thomas Hope travelled widely through Europe and the Near East. His travels enriched his passion for collecting and taught him how to improve modern design of the time. Hope made numerous drawings during these extensive travels which he later used as the muse for many pieces of furniture and interior design in his two houses.

Hope's houses - Duchess Street in london and the Deepdene in Surrey played a unique role in the history of collecting, interior design and display. Hope's juxtaposition of styles included Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Indian elements, as well as his own version of French Empire style. Classical sculpture and vases were displayed alongside modern paintings and sculpture. The Thomas Hope exhibition at the V & A recreates the atmosphere of three of the key interiors - the Aurora Room, Egyptian Room and Third Vase Room.

In 1807, the year after his marriage, Hope bought the Deepdene near Dorking Surrey. Just as he had challenged conventional urban taste with his novel interiors at Duchess Street, he now rethought what a modern country house should look like. The Deepdene was a red brick Georgian mansion which he redeveloped with a loggia-topped Italianate tower on which to pivot the whole composition and added a wing shooting out at an angle of 45 degrees. There is little record of the interiors of the Deepdene but the exhibition has a few enchanting watercolors of the interior and exterior of Deepdene.

Hope's influence continued long after his death with thanks to his, Household Furniture and Interior Decoration book. Sadly Duchess Street was demolished in 1851 but many of its images remained in trade journals and books on interior design. Its contents were taken to the Deepdene and later in 1917 his collection was dispersed in a great sale at the Deepdene. The interest in Hope's design led to many pieces being bought by collectors and museums in Europe and the USA and consequently Hope's design reached a wider public. Hope's style influenced the Regency Revival of the 1920's and 30's, and Art Deco Design.

Charity shop find

Lanarkshire, Scotland UK

Everyone dreams of unique and valuable antiques lying in charity shops waiting to be snapped up. That is exactly what one Lanarkshire housewife did, when she found a late 17th century, 12 hour lantern clock. It took Rita Inch, now 79, around 40 years to realise what she had picked up in a charity shop for about £70. Her story came to light when she and her husband John decided to donate the clock to a museum. With no children to leave their possessions to, they wanted to make sure it went to a good home where it would be appreciated.

Mrs Inch later found out that the clock was made by renowned Edinburgh-based clockmaker Richard Mills. Mrs Inch said,, "I found the clock in the late 1960's so we have had it for a long time. We are happy to give it to the museum. It was made in Edinburgh, so it should go back home and be looked after there." Brian Loomes author of The Early Clockmakers Of Great Britain believes that the clock dates back to the 1670's. it is expected that the clock will go on display in Edinburgh soon.

Uses of construction waste

Sheffield, Yorkshire UK




90 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste is produced annually, of which 13 million tonnes are materials that were delivered but never used. The construction industry creates 3 times the waste of all UK households combined - 25% of all waste produced in the UK. After excavation and demolition waste, the majority of construction waste is made up of plasterboard, cardboard and timber.

Fortunately financial implications of waste have become an issue impossible to ignore by contractors and builders, with landfill costs set to treble over the next three years. More changes are set to occur with loads containing over 10% plasterboard waste now have to be landfilled separately at increased cost. In addition it is likely that in April 2008 construction projects with a value of over £250,000 will be required to produce a site waste management plan (SWMP) outlining their measures to minimise waste and increase reuse and recycling. This has lead to an number of reuse initiatives throughout the country, helping builders and other business find positive solutions to their new found responsibilities.

One such initiative, Why Waste, run by the Bradford Environmental Action Trust, offers a free Yorkshire and Humberside wide online waste exchange. This matches business with waste with those that can make use of it. the scheme has been running since March 2007 and already has 2500 registered users, all saving money on their waste disposal bills and diverting valuable materials from landfill.

To raise awareness for their scheme, Why Waste commissioned postgraduate architecture students from the University of Sheffield to design and build a striking, demountable pavilion to be erected in the centre of Sheffield and to be made from waste derived from the waste exchange. Finding and using reclaimed and recycled materials from the waste exchange set an interesting challenge for the young trainee architects, as form most definitely followed available material with interesting results.

The frames were made of short lengths of 100x 50mm reclaimed timber. These were screwed together to make 150 x 150mm posts and 150 x 150mm posts and 150 x 50mm beams. Two of the walls were made from the waste 'skeleton' sheets of birch plywood and acrylic, left over from the manufacture of children's furniture, while the others were made from bailed blocks of polythene waste and colourful polypropylene banding previously used for strapping the cardboard around flatpack furniture. The roof was made from 900 faulty carpet tiles, which were otherwise destined to be dumped. Even the buildings display boards and lighting was recycled, with chandeliers made from cylindrical perspex offcuts from a shop-display.

Dan McTiernan, Why Waste's coordinator on the build, said "We're extremely proud of this project and of its award nomination. Space of Waste clearly demonstrates that something beautiful can be made from what most of us perceive as rubbish. We hope that this will make other people aware that materials, otherwise destined for landfill, can be used to construct buildings which are low in cost and environmental impact, and high in aesthetic appeal."

Sarah Hunt, one of the architecture students involved in the project, commented that: "The construction industry is one of the UK's most wasteful. By taking an unconventional approach to the design process, we were forced to rethink the way in which materials can be used. Architects and designers have the potential to divert a lot of waste from landfill and create building and objects that are both beautiful and original." [info taken from green building magazine]

B&Q and Bioregional

BioRegional and B&Q have begun a three year partnership to help the company become a world leading One Planet Living® business. BioRegional will help B&Q to reduce its impact on the world’s resources and make it easy for B&Q customers to have sustainable homes and gardens.

B&Q is the first retailer to join BioRegional’s One Planet Living Programme. BioRegional will set targets against each of the 10 principles using Ecological and Carbon Footprinting to allow for truly sustainable and equitable use of resources for everyone around the world. B&Q will be the first retailer to attempt to meet these demanding targets.

BioRegional will work with B&Q to develop two sustainability action plans (SAPs). The first plan will look at improving B&Q’s own operations against the ten principles of One Planet Living. The second plan will help B&Q’s customers achieve One Planet Living in their homes and gardens through products which are consistent with the ten One Planet Living principles. BioRegional will work with B&Q to extend its current range of eco-products and develop new lines to result in a substantial One Planet Living product range.

Examples of changes include using only FSC certified wood to make B & Q kitchens. Giving free growing kits and seed to 5,000 schools and phasing out patio heaters. [info taken from Bioregional website]

Environmental code for commercial buildings

Achieving zero-carbon non-domestic buildings will be a more complicated affair than homes according to The UK Green Building Council. By adopting a similar 'trajectory' to the incremental improvements proposed for homes, a deadline of 2020, which recognises the difficulties in achieving zero carbon buildings. The proposal then requires occupiers to pay for any carbon emissions over and above the level indicated.

The Good Homes Alliance has applauded the decision to introduce an environment code for commercial buildings. Chairman Neil May said recently "The first important step in reducing emissions is to measure their current level. Although it is essential that this measure is accurate and honest, which will challenge where building perform badly. The Good Homes Alliance now insists on a 70% reduction in absolute carbon and energy compared to the average property. It is initiatives such as these that will help to ensure we are reducing the carbon emissions and environmental impact of our buildings in reality, not just on paper."