Auctioneers Announce Strategic Alliance
Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers In Association With Riddetts Of BournemouthThe directors of Surrey’s premier fine art auctioneers Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers and Riddetts of Bournemouth, the town’s longest-established auction house, are delighted to announce a strategic alliance, which will see joint sales and valuations to bring a new level of service to clients. Operational control will be maintained by Chris Ewbank and the first joint sale is on Wednesday March 17 at the Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers saleroom in Send, near Guildford.
Said Chris Ewbank: “Our association with the highly respected and long-established firm of Riddetts will mean that fine art, antiques and collectables sent for sale by Riddetts customers will be offered in our regular calendar of sales promoted conventionally and on the Internet to both national and international markets. In turn, we will have local representation in this important South Coast area of the country.”
Rodney Adams, principal of Riddetts, said: “This is an exciting new chapter in the history of my firm. I am confident that by joining forces with Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers, we will offer our Bournemouth customers far greater access to the market than we could by continuing to operate alone.”
Both Chris and Rodney believe that the future of the profession lies in the enormous technological advances and capital investment, which have taken place in recent years, concentrating on Internet marketing and live international Internet bidding coordinated by a company based in the U.S. This is an area in which Chris has directed his efforts in recent years, leading to a rapid international expansion of the business.
Riddetts valuations specialist Stephen Ozier, who has worked for the firm for 34 years, will continue to be based in the local office at 1 Wellington Road and enquiries and appointments for home visits should be made to him on 01202 555686. Property consigned for sale will be entered into either the fortnightly Victorian and later sales or one of the four important auctions of antiques and fine art held at Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers’ Burnt Common saleroom at Send, near Guildford in Surrey, thus opening up the lucrative Home Counties area to Bournemouth clients.
About Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers
The rapidly expanding Ewbank Clarke Gammon Wellers was formed by a merger in April 2009, headed by Chris Ewbank, who has specialised in antiques auctions since 1977, He moved to Guildford in 1982 to head the former Cubitt & West auction rooms in Millmead and founded Ewbank Fine Art Auctioneers in 1990. In 1994, he acquired the present salerooms prominently located on the A3 at Send and ideal in terms of capacity and accessibility with acres of parking. The firm which merged with the auction division of Clarke Gammon Wellers in 2009 is less than 10 minutes away from Junction 10 of the M25 with easy access to London. Among the most notable auctions at Send was the £1 million sale from the studio of Francis Bacon in 2007.
Chris Ewbank has played a prominent role in the auction profession in the UK and has been a member of the Fine Arts Advisory Panel of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is currently Chairman of its Art and Antiques Professional Group. He has also, since 2005, been an elected Member of its International Governing Council, the highest decision-making body in the Institution. He was Chairman of the Society of Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers from 2000-2006 and the firm are members of the Society.
Founded in Guildford in 1919, Clarke Gammon merged with Wellers, another long established agency, specialising in agricultural and equestrian property, farm management and rural practice, in 2003. Tony Jamieson at C G W offers a comprehensive range of services including residential sales, lettings and property management. Acting jointly, Tony, together with Chris Ewbank, are able to provide a complete valuation service for executors dealing with properties and their contents.
About Riddetts of Bournemouth
Riddetts of Bournemouth commenced business in 1879 as Atkey & Roker, a firm of estate agents. By 1946, following successive changes in the partnership, the practice had become known as Riddett and Ede.
On his return from military service in 1947, Stacey Adams formed Adams, Smith and Sons, operating from salerooms in Queen’s Road, Bournemouth.
In 1948, the firm amalgamated with Riddett and Ede, changing the name to Riddett & Adams Smith, later simplified to Riddetts of Bournemouth as part of their Centenary celebrations in 1979. In 1953, the salerooms were re-located to the Richmond Hill Auction Galleries in Bournemouth town centre, which had been purpose built in 1929-30.
Stacey Adams' son Rodney, a Chartered Surveyor, property developer and investor, became a partner in the business in 1979 and over the years a number of other individuals were partners in the Auction Rooms. Stacey Adams played a lesser part in the business from 1978 owing to ill health and later regularly wintered in Australia, where he died in 1983.
As Rodney Adams’ property business in London occupied him on a full time basis, his involvement with the auction room was as proprietor rather than Managing Partner until April 1998, when his partner and auctioneer, James Copp, retired from the practice. James Copp's retirement coincided, with a sale of the Richmond Hill Auction Rooms for redevelopment and a lease of the old Territorial Army local headquarters then provided the new saleroom accommodation. The business continued profitably until that lease came to an end and the property was redeveloped.
The decision to enter into the new arrangement is prompted by Rodney’s belief in the continuing need for the firm’s services in the Bournemouth area combined with the wider opportunities which the Surrey saleroom now offers his clients.
For further information, please contact Chris Ewbank, or Rodney Adams on 01483 223101
