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France remains one of the most popular holiday destinations for UK residents. If you want to combine an antiques/vintage buying trip with a holiday in either Provence or the Haute-Savoie this month, then a visit to two of the regions’ most attractive towns might feature high on the itinerary.

Firle Place near Lewes in East Sussex is the seat of Nicholas Gage, the 8th Viscount Gage, whose family has owned the estate since the 15th century.

The owner of a rediscovered painting attributed to Giotto has lost a High Court battle over its export from the EU.

This small 7 x 91/2in (18 x 24cm) oil on panel Biblical scene by the Victorian artist William Edward Frost (1810-77), below, doubled its top guide at Peter Francis (20% buyer’s premium) of Carmarthen on July 11.

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from August 7-18, 2018.

MADAM – I was interested to see the picture of ‘outsize tongs’ considered to vegetable tongs or salad servers from a recent Adam’s sale in Dublin (ATG No 2352, page 21).

The date of the funeral of former Christie’s South Kensington managing director Paul Barthaud has been announced.

Among the thousands of lots in Hermann Historica’s (25% buyer’s premium) May sales series in Munich, one of the highlights was this gold inlaid karud from Turkestan which sold at €29,000 (£25,665).

A 3 x 5in (7cm x 13cm) miniature watercolour on ivory offered for sale at Toovey’s (plus 24.5% buyer’s premium) in Washington, West Sussex, recalls a small but significant moment in the history of British zoology.

One of the earlier big attractions of the new season will be the September 18-19 auction at Sotheby’s of the Erwin Tomash library on the history of computing.

The set of flicker books published c.1930 titled 'Drive and Mashie', 'Brassie and Iron' and 'Out the Rough and Putt', were once used as teaching aids for golfers.

Amusing animals assuming human characteristics are not just for social media. The anthropomorphic figure groups modelled by George Tinworth (1843-1913) for the Doulton Lambeth factory rank among the best of all Victorian art pottery.

Jonathan Pratt, among the best-known faces of the UK regional auction scene, is to leave Bellmans to become managing director of Dreweatts 1759.

MADAM – I wanted to add to the discussion (ATG No 2344) on the recent fee increase by Online Galleries (Anthony Bernbaum of The Peartree Collection writes).

A new auction record for a copy of a Viz comic was set during The Comic Book Sale at Anderson & Garland of Newcastle.

An update to the offensive weapons bill (2017-19) could have a negative impact on the shipping of antique swords and knives.

A coveted lot from the silver sale at Woolley & Wallis (25% buyer’s premium) in Salisbury on July 17 was an Edwardian Drew’s ‘Patent and Registered’ En Route picnic basket.

Not every Victorian silver tea and coffee service was sold for scrap in the great meltdown of 2011– when at one point the price reached almost £30 per oz.

Our weekly selection from salerooms and dealerships.

Chosen as the front-cover illustration to Paul Atterbury and John Benjamin’s 'The Jewellery and Silver of HG Murphy' (2005), this gemset pendant also provided Woolley & Wallis’ latest Jewellery and Watches sale with its showcase lot.