An antiques dealer is trying to make the world of trading collectables more accessible with a series of events for novices.

BBC One Antiques Roadshow specialist Lennox Cato started his own business when he was 16 and has run Lennox Cato Antiques in Edenbridge with his wife Susan since 1997.

He specialises in fine Georgian and Regency period furniture and decorative items – and is offering his expertise to customers at his firm’s annual Christmas Open Weekend.

In 2003 he won the title Best General Antique Dealer in the South of England and a year later he became a BBC One Antiques Roadshow specialist.

At an open evening at his shop, organised with Lark Insurance, of Maidstone, and Handelsbanken, which has branches across Kent, he told guests that he likes people to feel comfortable when they walk into his gallery.

He said: “Antiques shops can be slightly intimidating but we like to break that rule. Susan and I want people to come in, talk to us and ask questions; we want them to enjoy looking around and we don’t lean over their shoulders.”

"Buy the best you can afford because items in their original condition will always bring a higher price..." - Lennox Cato, antique dealer

His tip for buying antiques is straightforward.

He said: “When buying or collecting make sure you buy good things because their value can only get better – buy the best you can afford because items in their original condition will always bring a higher price.

“It is important to buy something that you will enjoy and then move on to buying something better. You have got to be trading forward and you will get immense pleasure from this.”

Mr Cato has long been fascinated with his chosen industry.

He said: “I have always been ambitious and always wanted to deal in antiques – that’s what I have been doing for almost 40 years.

“I lived in Brighton with my adoptive parents, who were in the antiques trade, and I opened a shop in the Brighton Lanes in 1978.”

He took on a bigger shop in Upper North Street, Brighton, before creating Coombe House Antiques with his wife Susan, dealing from a Georgian townhouse in Lewes, East Sussex.

The couple moved to Kent in 1997 and opened Lennox Cato Antiques in The Square, Edenbridge.

Mr Cato said: “Having a shop window again made life much easier and we were much more approachable.

“In 2007, we also acquired the adjoining shop and set up The Edenbridge Galleries, a specialist collective of antiques dealers.

“Here we invite upmarket dealers to display their goods in the gallery; they all have great knowledge and we have specialists in everything from rugs and ceramics to furniture and Tunbridge Ware.”

"I will tell customers everything about the piece they are interested in so they can buy with confidence..." - Lennox Cato, antiques dealer

He highlighted how the role of an antiques dealer has changed in the last 10 years.

He said: “Years ago, a dealer’s strength was their knowledge, to look at an item and perhaps not buy, keeping the reason why to themselves.

“Nowadays people will ask ‘Why have you walked away?’ and we tell them.

“At first it was a strange thing to do, impart my knowledge about how good, or not, something was.

“At my gallery, Susan and I will tell customers everything about the piece they are interested in so they can buy with confidence.

“We take pride in the gallery being a place of excellence and see this as the way to do business.”

At an open evening at the shop, Julie Webb, private clients director at Lark Insurance, said: “We have all learned so much from Lennox and it was a great opportunity to meet old friends and make new acquaintances. We must do it again!”

Nick Brooker, branch manager of Handelsbanken in Sevenoaks, said: “Lennox has a wonderful gallery and we were delighted our customers enjoyed a relaxed evening in these lovely surroundings.”

For information visit lennoxcato.com and for antiques insurance visit larkinsurance.co.uk

Lennox Cato Antiques’ annual Christmas Open Weekend is on November 26 and 27. All welcome and specialists are available to meet and advise.