South-east England

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

“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.)

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.

Although born in the La Croix-Rousse district of Lyon, Antoine François Jean Claudet (1797-1867) is best known for his contribution to the history of British photography.

Copies of the Lord of the Rings trilogy just don’t get much better than the set shown here.

“Extremely scarce” was the description of a Scalextric C70 Type 59 Bugatti offered at auction in Lewes and it certainly lived up to that billing.

Dealer and BBC Antiques Roadshow expert Mark Hill has set up an auction house holding sales in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

The Irish peer, statesman and soldier James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde (1665-1745), first rose to prominence after helping put down the Monmouth Rebellion.

A medieval gaming piece found in a sock drawer sold for £50,000 (plus 25% buyer’s premium) at Gorringe’s in Lewes – smashing its estimate of £10,000-15,000.

It may be a “small” collection according to Daniel Agnew, but the array of teddy bears coming up at Special Auction Services on December 3 is also “perfectly curated” and “by far the finest and most exciting collection of teddy bears ever to come to auction”.