Blind man claims Hitler paintings are fake - The Pasty sells saffron cakes from Cornwall and Cornish pasties

A blind dealer in Third Reich militaria claims that paintings by Adolf Hitler, which are being offered at a Cornish auction, are fake.

Mikey Hughes, of Mikey Hughes Militaria, argues that the 21 watercolours and sketches by the Third Reich leader are not authentic and that the best thing the auctioneers can do is “pull the auction”. He said: “I wouldn’t even put these so called ‘Hitler’ pictures on my kitchen fridge.”

Suffering from Stickler Syndrome, Mikey fully lost his sight in 1998 but continued to collect and deal artefacts from the Third Reich. He says the paintings, which will be auctioned on 26 September at Jeffery’s auction house, do not comply with the “4 S’s” of authenticity – science, style, signature and source.

After personally speaking to the auctioneer, Ian Morris, Mikey said: “Ian could not explain why the signatures on the paintings, apparently painted within a short space of time, were mostly all different.”

He continued: “Being blind I got somebody to write the signatures from the Jeffery’s paintings on a bit of paper, with my hand gently leaning over theirs. I then got them to write the signatures from paintings that were original and even using this basic technique the differences were immediately apparent.”

Ian also admitted that the last tests carried out to establish the age of the paintings were in 1986 in Belgium suggesting the invalidity of the age assessment, said Mikey.

Understandably the source of the paintings is undisclosed to the public, but Mikey points out that the “Hitler diaries” of the 1980s were also from a secret source, which turned out to be Stuttgart-based forger “Connie Fischer”.

Mikey has been collecting militaria for about 16 years and although he advises collectors to avoid buying the paintings offered at Jeffery’s, he defends the sale of Third Reich collectibles and original Hitler art.

Organisers of this year’s Newlyn Fish Festival are hoping to educate a wider audience on the versatility of pollack, a little known fish for which Newlyn is the UK’s main port. Seafood Cornwall are putting together a program of fish-related events to include talks and cooking demonstrations by top chefs. Along with pollack, they are also hoping to raise awareness of mackerel and monkfish. These fish are heavily used by the food-loving French, but Seafood Cornwall feel that the British public don’t know what they’re missing.

Project director, Nathan de Rozarieux said: “We believe that pollack is one of our best kept secrets and our expert chefs will be cooking over 12 different recipes with pollack and other local fish to show people how quick and easy it is to cook.”

With an amazing annual pollack haul of over 1000 tonnes, worth approx £2m in 2005, Seafood Cornwall hope to repeat the success they saw at last year’s Fish Festival at which they promoted megrim, sardine and spider crab.

Top chefs have been drafted from all over Cornwall for the planned masterclass sessions. They include Keir Meikle, Head Chef of the Navy Inn in Penzance and Des Turland, Head Chef from the Royal Duchy Hotel in Falmouth.

Mr de Rozarieux said: “People are often afraid of dealing with fish so our aim is to show that preparing fish or shellfish couldn’t be simpler.”

Visitors will be treated to a range of events including fish tasting, talks and presentations explaining how to prepare and cook fish and shellfish. Seafood Cornwall hope that when visiting tourists return home, they will ask for lesser known fish such as pollack at their local supermarkets. Newlyn Fish Festival is scheduled for Monday 28 August.

A small gallery in Hayle is to be the only British venue for the debut feature film by controversial conceptual artist Tracy Emin.

The Salt Gallery is putting on Top Spot, which portrays girls coming of age in a seaside town.

Owners Marilyn Middlemiss and Louise Fox have been Emin fans for several years and Emin felt there was a link between Margate, where the film is based, and Hayle.

Middlemiss said: “There are so many obvious parallels between the Margate that Emin has brought to life on film and the locality of small-world Hayle here in Cornwall and we’re obviously completely honoured that Tracey has chosen the Salt as a destination for the film. We’re hoping that the people of Cornwall and visitors to the area will come and observe the film and its themes and think differently about everything that goes on around us here.”

Emin shot to fame in the mid nineties with controversial work including My Bed, where the artist exhibited her bed (complete with stained sheets) at the Tate Modern, and Everyone I have Ever Slept With 1963–1995, a tent with the names of everyone the artist had ever shared a bed with including sexual partners and childhood friends.

Tracy Emin said: “This film, I hope, relates to lots of young people whether they live by the sea or in an urban city. It’s about the moment of understanding that you’re not innocent any more. Understanding that you’re walking into an adult world, which means sex, which means often violence and which means that you may have a perspective on your own life that you never had before.”

Top Spot is being shown at the Salt Gallery until September 7th. For more information visit Tracy Emin at the Salt Gallery.

Newlyn Art Gallery is set to be transformed by a £2m redevelopment scheme which begins this week.

The scheme is mainly funded by Lottery money and Objective One funding.

It is aiming to improve the existing building as well as creating a new gallery space and education facility at Penzance’s old telephone exchange.

The work is due to be completed in May 2007.