A CELEBRITY antiques expert is set to visit Cumbria this weekend. 

Ahead of his visit to Cumbria this weekend, antiques expert Eric Knowles has revealed why the county will always have a special place in his heart, right to the end.

Lancashire-born Eric, 63, is making a public appearance at the Treeby & Bolton gallery in Keswick on Saturday to officially launch a new Moorcroft vase inspired by a local Lakeland landmark. Joining him there from 12 noon to 3pm will be Moorcroft designer Nicola Slaney, who produced the exclusive Ashness Bridge vase, which depicts the popular beauty spot in the Borrowdale valley.

"I love Keswick dearly," said Eric. "I used to go rock climbing on Shepherd's Crag and I learnt to abseil down Brown Slab in Borrowdale. I have also been two or three times with my antiques show to the Theatre by the Lake. It is one of my most favourite theatres ever, simply because of where it is.

"Any excuse to get to the Lake District, I grasp with both hands. I want to die in Blackwell House (at Windermere). I'll leave strict instructions about where my bed has got to be and when I feel I am on my way, I will have it pushed to by the window so I can see Langdale as I am drifting away!" he said.

Blackwell House dates back to 1900 and was designed in the arts and craft style by Baillie Scott. It will be featured in Eric's free talk about the Lake District's rich arts and crafts heritage as will the famous Moorcroft pottery from Staffordshire, for which he is an ambassador.

"We will look at various things: Blackwell, the Voysey building at Broad Leys at Windermere, KSIA (Keswick School of Industrial Art) and a general overview of the Lake District's contribution to decorative arts of that time. Of course, Ruskin, whose home is in the Lakes, inspired all this and he is the great influence.

"And we will talk about Moorcroft and the new vase. The moment I saw the Ashness Bridge vase, I knew where it was, which helps in three-dimensional form as it means it works. The beauty of these vases is that they are not mass-produced. They are commercial but they are all different individually. None is identical," added Eric.