FIELDINGS AUCTIONEERS - Key Persons
The jeweller Andrew Grima may not be familiar to everyone; in fact his name is one that most have never even heard of! Andrew Grima however...
Job Titles:
- Head of Valuation Services
Andrew's career began in 1989 after a work experience position led to a post with a regional firm involving weekly general and monthly fine art sales. He conducted his first auction sale at the age of 18 and went on to win the West Midlands Incorporated Society of Valuers and Auctioneers ‘Young Auctioneer of the Year' award in 1994, going on to represent the region in the national finals.
He joined Fieldings in 2005 dealing with probate and estate work within the company, involving his interests in 20th Century design items, furniture, clocks and collectables.
Job Titles:
- Picture Consultant
- Specialist
Bill believes his love of art was inherited from his parents both of whom were art students in the 1950s - much of his childhood was spent on the back seat of a Renault 4 heading to art galleries, museums and stately homes up and down the country. Bill recalls "It took a while but I eventually began to share my parents' passion for painting and wanted to take my interest further".
In the mid 1970s Bill studied a degree in Fine Art at Wolverhampton Polytechnic. Then in 1979 he joined Phillips Auctioneers in London as a porter, sweeping up and moving furniture before gravitating to the picture department where he was taken on as a junior cataloguer. After eight happy years in London he was appointed as Head of the Picture Department for Phillips in Chester and returned home to Cheshire.
In the early 1990s Bill joined Halls Auctioneers in Shrewsbury where he ran the Picture Department for sixteen years. Seeking new challenges Bill left Halls in 2013 to work as a freelance picture specialist. "Fieldings is a company which I had long admired for their innovative approach and creative ideas in an industry that is traditionally very set in its ways. I am delighted to be part of the Fieldings team and am steadily building the picture department."
Bill's interests outside work include photography, fly fishing, cooking and he has recently returned to motorcycling after many years. "I have a sticker on my motorbike stating ‘Adventure before Dementia' - it always makes me smile and it's a philosophy I aspire to!"
Ellie joined Fieldings in January 2012 when she returned to the Midlands after several years living in North Wales.
Ellie is a key member of the administrative team and is the ‘go-to person' in the saleroom, with no task too big or small, she is always happy to help. Her main responsibilities include processing invoices, registering clients, taking payments and proof reading the monthly catalogue.
Her daily duties can also include random and diverse tasks such researching Georgian architects, parceling up and posting the Millennium Falcon and occasionally hoovering a taxidermy squirrel.
She enjoys history and everything that encompasses. Ellie also enjoys reading about… stuff… generally, but particularly Victorian poisoners. She also does most of the tea rounds but promises never to put this knowledge into action.
Job Titles:
- Saleroom Assistant
- Saleroom Assistant / Specialist Departments
Harriet joined Fieldings in 2018 for work experience and enjoyed her time so much she didn't want to leave! After completing her Masters Degree in 2019, Harriet joined as a full time member of staff. She has enjoyed developing her cataloguing skills and assisting in the set up of sales and is also a key member of the team when it comes to the online bidding on sale day. In January 2022 after months of training, Harriet took to the rostrum and is now part of the auctioneering team.
Job Titles:
- Photographer & Saleroom Assistant
Jamie joined Fieldings at the end of 2018 to look after the online and catalogue photography in the saleroom. With a previous interest in photography and a keen eye for detail, Jamie is responsible for the very important job of making your lots look beautiful. Before working for Fieldings, Jamie worked locally in retail and is Stourbridge born and bred and was a regular visitor at the sales from a young age.
Outside of work Jamie is a talented cricketer and played for local team Enville for about a decade. He is still one of the all time leading wicket takers, also being selected for county trials twice. He is also a talented badminton player, loves travelling, is a self proclaimed ‘movie nerd' and can certainly hold his own in a pub quiz.
With experience in the banking, insurance & finance sectors Judith joined Fieldings in 2004 when the youngest of her 3 sons started school.
Being involved from the early days Judith has seen Fieldings grow from a fledgling company based in a small premises on Market Street Stourbridge to the move to our current large premises in Mill Race Lane. The days of moving the entire operation from Market Street to Hagley every month to hold the auctions in the community centre are, thankfully a distant memory.
June is the first friendly face you see when you come through the doors here at Fieldings. She originally started working for Fieldings as a porter and jumped at the chance a couple of years ago when the opportunity arose for her to become a permanent fixture.
Previous to working in the auction industry June was a Business Studies teacher, working in education for several years all over the country.
She has two teenage children and an excellent skill for drinking an extraordinary amount of tea in one day!
Job Titles:
- General Valuer & Toy and Model Railway Specialist
Kayleigh started her career in 2012 with Aston's Auctioneers in Dudley, where she was head of the toy and model railway department. She joined Fieldings in December 2018 to develop a specialist toy department as well as hone her skills as a general valuer.
Kayleigh has recently completed a Masters degree with the University of Central Lancashire with a distinction in Antiques, writing her dissertation on the value of unlicensed toys. She is now about to study for a Doctorate in Heritage, focusing on the preservation of the history of the British toy industry.
Outside of work Kayleigh has a young family, so weekends are spent playing with even more toys - she's currently working on building up a complete run of vintage Star Wars action figures with her son!
On 5th October 2019, Fieldings Auctioneers will be hosting the 'Artist's Studio' sale of Artworks by the late Libby January. Fieldings are...
Job Titles:
- Fieldings in 2009 As a Member of Our Viewing Staff Team
- Saleroom Assistant
Louise joined Fieldings in 2009 as a member of our viewing staff team. However in May 2022 Fieldings' were delighted to bring Louise in as a full time member of the team as saleroom assistant .
Louise has always had a love of antiques and once ran her own antiques shop. She has always worked in customer focused environment which is evident as her smiling face and welcoming, helpful attitude makes customers and buyers at ease when they visit Fieldings Auctioneers.
Mark Hannam - Our very own 'Mantique' We talk to Mark Hannam - Senior Specialist and Auctioneer on how he started in the Auction...
Matt joined Fieldings in June 2022. With over 25 years in engineering Matt comes to us with a wealth of experience and also a love of Antiques. Matt will look after the day to day running of the saleroom and will be the first smiley face when you walk through the door. Out of work his love of family, music and heavy metal takes up most of his time.
Job Titles:
- Director and Jewellery, Silver and Watch Specialist ) Talks Us through the Upcoming Christmas Auction, That Will Take Place on.
- Specialist
Nick Davies (Director and jewellery, silver and watch specialist) talks us through the upcoming Christmas auction, that will take place on...
Rachel specilalises in Asian Art and looks after the music memorabilia, vinyl, cameras and wine and spirits department.
After obtaining a Master's Degree in Conservation of Fine Art and then working in museum and gallery Sector. Rachel then went on to start her auction career at Bonhams auctioneers in 2006. Her interest in Asian Art quickly grew and the following year Rachel was running the ceramics and Asian Art department in Bonhams Chester, that same year, after completing Bonhams auctioneer training, she first stepped foot in the rostrum. In 2013 Rachel moved to Cheshire auctioneers Wright Marshall, where she joined as Regional Head Of Fine Art.
In 2019 Rachel joined Fieldings Auctioneers and in 2023 was appointed Director.
You may also recognise her from her work on Masterpiece with Alan Titchmarsh and the Great Auction Showdown with Paul Martin.
Robert Welch - Everyday Icon Robert Welch was one of designs quiet stars, a skilled craftsman with an eye for simple elegance. His work...
Tom Grosvenor was a local lad who started his professional football career in 1928 playing for Birmingham City. In 1933, Tom got his biggest break...