East of England

The first civic event in the St Andrews Hall in Norwich took place in 1544. Five centuries later, the City Antiques Fair and Fleamarket runs monthly in the medieval surroundings of the Grade I-listed hall.

Among Horace Hone’s (1756-1825) most renowned depictions was the 18th century actress Sarah Siddons.

There is little like a new house-record to leave an auctioneer smiling but there was considerably more for Luke Macdonald to celebrate following Cheffins’ (22.5% buyer’s premium) spring sale.

In our continuing series looking through the keyhole of ‘bricks and mortar’ shops and centres, ATG talks to Nicola Crooks who runs Antiques and Chic with her husband Nick.

An unexpected highlight of a recent sale at Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet was this set of four early real tennis rackets. They came from a client in the North of England and had been owned by the family for many years.

Led by the portrait of an Italian mastiff by il Guercino (1591-1666), dogs took a starring role in the Cheffins' March 8 sale. The delightful oil of a stocky ‘Cane Corso’, perhaps the artist’s own dog, overshot a £80,000-120,000 estimate and was knocked down at £570,000 – the highest auction price in the English regions so far this year.

About 500,000 people a year visit Snape Maltings, on the banks of the River Alde, to take in the exhibitions, galleries, independent shops and riverside walks as well as the Aldeburgh Festival and the Snape Proms.

A pair of trademark gouaches by Mary Fedden (1915-2012) drew strong bidding at auctions in Derbyshire and Essex.

British portraiture with pedigree provided plenty of action in a strong sale of pictures at Cheffins (22.5% buyer’s premium) of Cambridge.

Flash from the past at the Diss rooms of TW Gaze (18% buyer’s premium).

A painting by the obscure Welsh artist James Dickson Innes (1887-1914) generated keen bidding at Essex saleroom Stacey’s (24% buyer’s premium) on February 26.

The run of recent six-figure auction sums in the English regions now includes Cheffins posting a house record in Cambridge.

Magazine by ‘heathen staff’ sells for 10-times top estimate in the city where it was produced...

It all started in 1972 when Bob Evans Fairs launched a small and pioneering antiques fair in Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, followed by 70 more up and down the country.

He’s 30 now but a love for antiques all started for decoratives and jewellery dealer William Driver when he was eight. His interest began with collecting Wade Whimsies, progressing to Clarice Cliff and other pieces as he trawled antiques fairs and markets.

The first annual exhibition at English Antiques, in the small Suffolk market town of Eye, is titled 'A Taste of the Orient'.