Newcastle upon Tyne

From the late 18th century, Birmingham was the centre for the making of ‘toys’ – small decorative objects including boxes, nutmeg graters, buckles, caddy spoons, vinaigrettes and rattles, fashioned from silver.

Spoons are among the very few pieces of English silver surviving from the period of Wars of the Roses.

Ken Besford of Durham Promotions NE, organiser of the Great North Decorative Antique Fair, is heading down the straight for the spring edition (Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27) of the triannual event he launched last year at Newcastle Racecourse.

The second tranche of material from a German autograph collector, the late Franz-Peter Bach, was offered by Anderson & Garland (30% buyer’s premium inc VAT) in Newcastle upon Tyne on March 5.

A piece of British punk fashion history drew stiff competition at Newcastle saleroom Anderson & Garland (25% buyer’s premium).

This pair of 5in (13cm) Qing bowls, each very finely decorated in iron red with dragons among cloud scrolls and stylised waves soared above their estimate of £200-400 to sell for £250,000 at Anderson & Garland on November 28.

Offered by Thomas Miller (24% buyer’s premium) in Newcastle was a large silver medal struck to mark the maiden voyage of the SS Normandie from Le Havre to New York on May 29, 1935. She took the Blue Riband at the first attempt.

Just weeks after a new auction record for Anne Brooke (1916-2002) was achieved in the regions (see ATG No 2659), two more works by the Yorkshire-born painter attracted a flurry of bids in a Newcastle saleroom.

Anderson & Garland (25% buyer’s premium) of Newcastle upon Tyne offered the private collection of militaria and weapons belonging to Douglas Napier Anderson (b.1927).

Texting and Zooming have practically taken over our busy lives and taking time out to write a card, let alone a letter, seems like too much of a stretch. Yet UK Pen Shows, which runs dedicated fairs at five UK locations, is thriving.

'Freedom is in Peril Defend it with all your Might' was a British propaganda poster published by the Ministry of Information.

Appearing at a time of increased market interest in pioneering female artists, a portrait by Elizabeth Cameron Mawson (1849-1939) set a significant new artist’s record at Newcastle saleroom Anderson & Garland (25% buyer’s premium).

Event launched in the north-east becomes latest to be staged at an ever-popular racecourse venue

A private collection of militaria and weapons belonging to a proud Scotsman, Douglas Anderson, comes for sale at Anderson & Garland in Newcastle in the autumn.