Visitors to the Chester Autumn Antiques Show (27th-30th October), held at the Chester Racecourse and organised by Penman Fairs, will have a rare chance to acquire a piece of Merseyside’s cultural heritage when a collection of Birkenhead-made Della Robbia pottery will be offered for sale.

The pottery will be on the stand of Alison Davey of AD Antiques, from Staffordshire. She says this pottery is largely underappreciated by collectors. “Della Robbia pottery is hard to come by; the firm only lasted twelve years so a piece is not only a pleasure to own but also very collectable and potentially a good investment.”

Founded in Price Street, Birkenhead, in 1894 by sculptor Conrad Dressler and the artist Harold Rathbone, a former pupil of Ford Madox Brown. Rathbone named the pottery after a family of 15th century Italian sculptors, and there is a strong Renaissance flavour to the pieces. Although it was popular, Rathbone’s poor business acumen meant that the firm never made any money and the factory closed its gates for the last time in 1906. A selection of Della Robbia pottery is pictured here.

The fair offers a wide selection of art and antiques, with most items pre-dating 1900, although there is no official dateline as such. Items are vetted for quality.

Caroline Penman has also announced details of some new fairs to be added to her portfolio for 2006. The first of these on the calendar is the Lindfield Antiques Fair, which she first started back in 1968. Now, 38 years on, it moves from its old August date to the May Bank Holiday weekend from April 29th-May 1st and will be held at the King Edward Hall.

The second on the calendar is the Hove Antiques Fair, which will be held from July 7th-9th. The city of Brighton & Hove is of course known for its many antique shops and the Hove Town Hall should provide an ideal venue. The third venue for which details have been announced is the Digby Hall, Sherborne in Dorset, where the Sherborne Antiques Fair will take place from August 18th-20th. There will be 40 exhibitors at this fair.

Finally, a reminder that the Uckfield Antiques Fair (21st-23rd October) ends this weekend in the Civic Centre in what is Caroline Penman’s home town.

The Parliamentary Archives and the 24 Hour Museum have launched a timely new website to mark the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot. Some 400 years after the failure of the plot, archive material and original documents - including the signed confessions of Guy Fawkes, before and after torture - are used to build an authoritative account of the events of 1605. The National Archives, the National Portrait Gallery, Lambeth Palace Library and The British Museum have all contributed to the project, which was commissioned by the Parliamentary Archives and produced by 24 Hour Museum with expert research and support from the History of Parliament Trust.

David Prior, Assistant Clerk of the Records at the Parliamentary Archives, explained: “Most people have heard of Bonfire night and Guy Fawkes but the significance of it all is not always understood.” He added that the project had drawn on the resources held amongst the Parliamentary Archives and the Palace of Westminster collections as well as those held by other institutions. The site can be found at www.gunpowderplot.parliament.uk.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to bring valuable Chinese art treasures back to their country of origin. According to a report in the International Herald Tribune, the Chinese government is concerned at an acute art shortage in the country, which plans to build 1,000 new museums by 2015, including 32 in Beijing alone in time for the 2008 Olympics. China also wants to build 100 museums in Shanghai in advance of the opening of the World’s Fair in the city in 2010.

The PLA certainly has the financial resources to embark on an international spending spree. It has so far been buying only Chinese art, and can draw on China’s vast currency reserves, currently believed to stand at over $700 billion, to finance purchases. Those purchases may also include Western masterpieces, and the Chinese may be prepared to pay above their market value.

The Chinese are believed to be particularly keen on acquiring some of the countless imperial Chinese bronzes that are now in the West.