South-east England

Discovered lying unrecognised on a bookcase in a Sussex cottage, a unique edition of Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard will be offered at Gorringe’s this month with a £100,000-150,000 estimate.

Dealers eager to attend Petworth event say online is fine but they miss contact with the public

Range of Sèvres highlights from ancien regime to the empire periods sold in UK auctions

A former Victorian picture house in the Kent town of Herne Bay which now serves as an antique furniture and collectables centre was pulled from auction last month.

Captain EF Hunter’s 'Map of Arabia and The Persian Gulf' was one of the lots fetching sums considerably in advance of what looked to be quite modest estimates in an Oxford book sale.

A combination cigarette case and lighter given to Elvis Presley by the king of Thailand sold for six times its top estimate.

B2B Events is off to Kent again with the second antiques and vintage market this year running on Saturday and Sunday, June 19-20.

With a major photography exhibition under way at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire dedicated to celebrity portraits by Cecil Beaton, two satellite shows open their doors celebrating the British photographer’s costume designs and theatrical pictures.

This half-tester bed with its carved heraldic lions and painted and gilt panels is part of an extensive bedroom suite made c.1870 by Collier & Plucknett.

As live fairs and markets return in strength, Richard Burgoin, director of Arthur Swallow Fairs, is in the midst of his summer season of events.

Sold for £3000 as part of a four-day sale held by Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium) of Wisborough Green was what was billed as a gold mounted rectangular book binding, probably European and 19th century but in the 18th century taste.

Bentley owners and fanciers had the opportunity to acquire some scarce memorabilia in a spring sale at Bourne End Auctions (17.5% buyer’s premium).

Like so many other organisers, Donny Mann of Love Fairs is delighted to be back running fairs after such a long absence.

A group of naive oils found boxed up during a house move drew strong interest at Hanson Holloway’s Ross (25% buyer’s premium), making a combined £36,000.

Out on the Romney Marshes in east Sussex is a series of small buildings that is Hoof Brocante.

A double-gourd dragon vase was one of two excellent Chinese pieces to emerge from a deceased Hampshire estate into Selborne auction house Hannam’s (23% buyer’s premium) rooms on May 4.