The Nordic countries, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, played a minor role in the historic development of world glassmaking. So, it is an astonishing fact that the area, with some 20 million inhabitants, produced more Post-War glass designers of international consequence than the rest of the Western World combined, with a population many times greater. Inevitably, rivalis abounded within such large, disparate group of strong-minded, egocentric individuals. Sparks inevitably flew and ideas were transplanted when they met each other and witnessed the results of their work, both at their employers’ premises and at the regular prize-orientated international exhibitions of the period.

Andy McConnell has dealt in antiques since adolescence, but served an apprenticeship in journalism. After working in music, film and television, he returned to writing in 2004 as the author of the acclaimed tome The Decanter, An Illustrated History of Glass From 1650. He followed this in 2006 with Miller's' 20th Century Glass. He writes regularly for journals as diverse as The Times and Glass Circle News and runs Britain's largest antique and vintage glass gallery in Rye, Sussex. He is best known as the distinctly humorous glass specialist on BBC's evergreen Antiques Roadshow.