UK

This remarkable Charles II period silver clock-watch with alarm appeared for sale at Wotton Auction Rooms in Gloucestershire this month.

Organiser IACF is taking over the antiques and collectors’ fairs held for 25 years by the family owned Aztec Events at the Norfolk Showground, a rural location 10 miles west of Norwich.

This late Tudor or early Stuart purse or sweet bag with a connection to Mary, Queen of Scots sold for £30,000 (plus 25% buyer’s premium) at a recent sale at Hutchinson Scott.

Ivan Macquisten reviews the trade association’s first five decades

Belgian city’s council was successful with pre-sale deal to buy queen’s plea on behalf of political prisoners

A cross-section of the work of Terence Cuneo (1907-96) featured as part of Sworders’ latest sale of Modern and Contemporary Art in Stansted Mountfitchet.

Four items including an Irish harp and William Morris designs boasted a family connection to the artist

George Richards has just launched Gallery 1936, an online enterprise which has a special focus on Surrealist art

This Edwardian diorama offered by Smiths of Newent (20% buyer’s premium) in Gloucestershire depicts a locksmith’s shop.

Launched in November last year in the spectacular surroundings of the Grade II-Listed St Cuthbert’s Church in London’s Earl’s Court, the first 'Kensington Vintage Fair' chimed so well with buyers that it has gone biannual.

“The Long Range Desert Group were masters of navigation and one of Britain’s most famous special forces. They owed much of their success to the scientific talents of their first commander, Major Ralph Bagnold, whose sun-compass invention revolutionised desert travel.” (National Army Museum.)

A selection of six watch lots at UK auctions

A special selection of upcoming lots raging from the Encyclopaedia Britannica and Beano to Oppenheimer's passport and Machiavelli’s The Prince

Harrogate Pavilions fair has a healthy focus on art and antiques made in the area such as clocks

Updated 1960s and 70s versions of earlier Cartier classics are much in demand. The best are those made for the London boutique during the Jean-Jacques Cartier years, with the cases commissioned from the London workshop Wright & Davies and the manual wind movements supplied by Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Two examples of substantial model presentation cannon came up at different salerooms recently.

A shop in the characterful area of the East Sussex town of Hastings known as the Old Town, with deeds that date to 1511, has opened as a small antiques centre.

Modern British painter depicted local life in west London including pub interiors and characters

The highest price at auction for a Bristol orphanage sampler was registered at Mellors & Kirk (24% buyer’s premium) in Nottingham.