The owner of a new art gallery in a Suffolk village once famous for its antiques trade believes it is on course to rekindle its reputation as a centre for the arts.
At one time, Long Melford near Sudbury boasted around 20 antique shops and attracted thousands of visitors to the village, keen to buy into the image created by the popular TV show Lovejoy, which was largely set there during the 1980s and 90s.
In the past decade, the number of antiques shops dwindled, but now the village has five art galleries – the newest of which opened yesterday with a ‘Banksy’ artwork in its inaugural exhibition.
Steven Walton, from Bradfield St George, who co-owns the gallery with Giles Bovill, of Hawstead, believes Long Melford will again have the “arty” vibe it was famous for during the ‘Lovejoy’ era.
Mr Walton, who once ran the Theatre Royal in Bury, said: “Long Melford has five galleries, some great independent shops and it still has a number of antiques and collectibles giving it a unique culture. Melford is recovering from the dip in the antiques trade and is gaining a reputation as somewhere that is on the up.
“The place is bristling with interesting people and there is a lot going on behind the scenes. There is a sense that it could become a real arts hub.”
The current exhibition is the first of four Walton and Bovill will be holding over the coming year. It features a fully authenticated Banksy print and an enlarged photograph from a contact sheet by American portrait artist Annie Leibovitz with her studio stamp on the reverse.
Peter Turner, chairman of Long Melford Parish council said attracting visitors and tourism was one of the key options to help build the economic vitality of the village.
He added: “Melford has a very vibrant street scene and the more attractive and interesting we can make it then the more people will come and visit and enjoy the atmosphere.
“At one time, the village was primarily known for antiques, but we have two stately homes, a network of historic buildings and we are now developing new themes as a welcome part of an evolutionary process.”
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