On leaving school at sixteen, he began a seven year apprenticeship as a stained glass restorer and conservator working on national monuments, ecclesiastical buildings and private houses. Drew’s time as an apprentice saw the start of his life long relationship with the antiques world. On his first day at work in 1986, a van pulled up with ‘Architectural Antiques’ written on the side. The van was full of fireplaces, doors and a stained glass panel with butterflies flying between branches - he immediately felt an overwhelming sense of having arrived at the right place. Dealers, architects, interior designers and restorers would call at the workshops and give him the contact with that world he craved. The 1980’s was a closed shop for young dealers trying to get a foothold in the business so the restoration route was a valuable way into the industry that he’d wanted to be part of since the age of eleven. During this time, he garnered extensive knowledge and experience in multiple areas and disciplines which can only be taught whilst working from the ground up. This period allowed him to develop his own ideas and eye for the business.

On leaving the workshop aged 23, Drew set up his own antique showroom and restoration company, mainly focusing on architectural antiques, his first love. The background training enabled him to continue his path of collecting, dealing and restoring and he quickly became a prominent name in that world. The last thirty years have seen Drew continually evolve and he has become a highly influential antique dealer, supplying many of the industries leading dealers and interior decorators on a weekly basis. He has exhibited at the prestigious Olympia and Battersea fairs numerous times and curates the ever changing stock on his website and, of course, fronts one of televisions most popular antique programs.

Refusing to conform to anything other than his own eye, this collection is a distillation of his thirty years in the antiques business. It reflects his love of industrial furniture and lighting, something which he led the way in during the 1990s, helping to create this genre as a lasting part of the industry. There is fine 18^th & 19^th century furniture, folk, showman and outsider artists, lighting, upholstery, textiles, architectural antiques, garden furniture and statuary, motoring, and music.  

This sale marks the first thirty years of his career. Some of these items have been mainstays in the collection for the whole thirty years. Others are more recent finds which held pride of place in his antique-filled cottage in Conwy. Everything you find here has been chosen for its quality, individuality, and rarity.

Drew is currently in the midst of a comprehensive restoration of his 18^th Century townhouse in Bath. His plans for the house include designing interiors that highlight his distinctive style and will serve as a backdrop for his continued sourcing and dealing. 

The start of his next collection has already begun...

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Auction Details

Tuesday 5 & Wednesday 6 March 2024
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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VIEWING:

• Viewing in Newbury:
  • Friday 1 March: 10am-4pm
  • Saturday 2 March: 10am-3pm
  • Sunday 3 March: 10am-3pm
  • Monday 4 March: 10am-4pm
  • Tuesday 5 March: 8.30am-4pm
  • Wednesday 6 March: 8.30am-12 noon
• Remote Viewing Service | Available from Saturday 2 March
• Dreweatts 360 Virtual Auction Tour | Available from Saturday 2 March
• Light refreshments are usually available on viewing and sale days.