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Snuff box

Enamel and gilt metal box sniffed out at Wiltshire auction

25 September 2026

The highlight of the sale of British and Continental Ceramics and Glass at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes on September 23 was this exceptional south Staffordshire enamel and gilt metal snuff box, c.1765-70.

Amanda Perry and Kay Davies

Wilton event wows visitors twice a year

25 September 2026

Decoratives dealers Kay Davies and Amanda Perry are the new organisers of the biannual Wilton Decorative & Vintage Fair.

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Letter from the doomed Titanic tops estimate at Henry Aldridge

18 September 2026

Such messages from second-class passengers on the liner are some of the rarest to be offered at auction

Easter Island ornament

Scarce Easter Island carving bought for £100 takes £60,000 at auction

28 August 2026

A rare Easter Island pectoral ornament bought at auction earlier this year for under £100 sold for £60,000 at an online sale held by Salisbury’s Woolley & Wallis on August 20.

Hilary Finzi

Letter from cellist Jacqueline du Pré among personal possessions coming to auction

25 August 2026

A copy of a handwritten letter in which 21-year-old Jacqueline du Pré tells her mother she has finally decided to dedicate herself to playing the cello is part of a collection of the famed musician’s personal possessions to be auctioned.

Shores of Loch Riddon by Samuel John ‘Lamorna’ Birch

Expert’s eye: ‘Lamorna’ Birch collection formed by authority on the artist to be sold

06 May 2026

A collection of works by Samuel John ‘Lamorna’ Birch (1869-1955) formed by an expert on Newlyn artists is coming to Salisbury saleroom Woolley & Wallis this summer.

View of Marlborough College by George Maton

Back to school: Dealer sells rediscovered early view of Marlborough College

22 April 2026

A rediscovered naïve painting showing Marlborough College in the years before the school was founded has been sold by a dealer to the college itself.

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Mug up on coronation dates

17 April 2026

The unknown maker of this commemorative creamware mug produced for the coronation of King George IV seems to have been in a rush.

Pocket watch

Second watch said to have been found on body of Titanic victim John Jacob Astor emerges at auction

10 April 2026

Two years after a Wiltshire auction house set a record for Titanic memorabilia with “the watch recovered from the body of John Jacob Astor”, another timekeeper making precisely the same claim is coming to market.

Antiques dealer Natalia Rawley

‘Do I need 30 patchwork quilts?’

02 April 2026

Natalia Rawley is a passionate antiques-hunter-gatherer and shares her loved possessions at home in Wiltshire with her four sons.

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Best wishes to housekeeper Phyllis from Agatha Christie

06 March 2026

A first edition of Agatha Christie’s Five Little Pigs published by The Crime Club (Collins), London 1942, was consigned to Wessex Auction Rooms (24% buyer’s premium) by the family of Phyllis Rice, housekeeper to the author at Greenway House.

oak coffer

Dealer Paul Fitzsimmons' 'Life in Oak' told through 700 lots at Woolley & Wallis

27 February 2026

Woolley & Wallis is conducting a single-owner sale of early furniture and sculpture over two days on March 10-11. The auction, titled Paul Fitzsimmons – A Life in Oak, offers 708 lots from the proprietor of specialist oak dealership Marhamchurch Antiques that opened in Devon in 1991.

Clare Durham

Date of first ceramics sale in Devizes is set

27 February 2026

A new sale for the ceramics and glass department at Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes is coming soon.

Mousehole harbour by George Hammond Steel

Charity shop discovery takes four-figure sum at auction

13 February 2026

A painting by Modern British artist George Hammond Steel (1900-60) which was discovered in an RSPCA charity shop in Royal Wootton Bassett drew strong interest at auction earlier this year.

Movers & Shakers

Auction house and dealer hires among the latest recruitment round up

09 January 2026

The latest Movers & Shakers in the UK and overseas

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Plenty of collecting options in a shipshape memorabilia market

15 December 2025

Luxurious interiors, plush fittings, ornate signs and stylish promotion provide a plethora of entry points

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Glass galore as Cotswolds dealership hosts Christmas show

01 December 2025

A green wineglass in the Prince of Wales service pattern is among the highlights in the Delomosne Christmas exhibition this year.

18ct gold pocket watch

Titanic passenger’s gold pocket watch takes £1.5m – setting a new auction record

24 November 2025

A pocket watch belonging to a first-class passenger who lost his life on the Titanic was hammered down at £1.5m, or £1.78m including 22.5% buyer’s premium.

Benji Tyler and Marc Allum

Antiques specialists and interior designers team up for Chippenham church fundraising sale and auction

18 November 2025

A group of antiques dealers and interior designers, alongside fashion designer Lulu Guinness, have got together to launch St Andrew’s Church Decorators’ Attic Sale while Dore & Rees will also host an auction in support of the church.

Michael Baggott

Second auction slice of Michael Baggott silver brings white-glove result

27 October 2025

The second part of the Michael Baggott collection was a white-glove affair at Woolley & Wallis.