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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.

delftware shoes

Stolen 17th century delftware shoes reunited with owner

21 October 2025

A pair of late 17th century delftware shoes that were stolen six year ago have been reunited with their owner thanks to the actions of a Wiltshire auctioneer.

Clare Durham

Clare Durham to lead ceramics and glass department in Devizes

20 October 2025

Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes is establishing a dedicated ceramics and glass department, after appointing specialist valuer and cataloguer Clare Durham.

John Stubbe portrait

Relic of a Tudor trial turns heads at Wiltshire auction

10 October 2025

Lot 586 at Henry Aldridge’s (22% buyer’s premium) latest two-day sale was one of the more curious lots to appear at auction in recent times.

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Not for tourists: Carved wooden stool was intended for Polynesian high society rather than the newcomers

06 October 2025

So-called no’oanga stools from Rurutu Island, the northernmost island of the Austral archipelago in Polynesia, are distinct in their deep seats and solid curving legs terminating in button-like feet.

Paul Bril painting

Rediscovered Old Masters draw interest in Salisbury

10 September 2025

Two Dutch and Flemish Old Masters offered fresh to the market and with a sense of rediscovery drew notable competition at Woolley & Wallis’ latest Old Masters, British & European Paintings sale.

Old Town Hall

Wiltshire auction house Henry Aldridge & Son plots expansion

03 September 2025

Wiltshire auction house Henry Aldridge & Son is expanding, investing a seven-figure sum in its home town of Devizes.

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Guilmet clock creations bring art and industry to design

01 September 2025

The weird and wonderful brass, bronze and marble clocks produced by French inventor Guilmet take many forms that are all highly collectable

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Centre hit by thieves closes but hopes to reopen soon

01 September 2025

Although Old Bank Antiques in Royal Wootton Bassett closed on August 25, this is “likely to be a short-term measure, maybe six months,” says owner Jon White.

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Dealer trio revive Wilton event

01 September 2025

Fair near Salisbury launched in 2022 has come to an end but regular exhibitors are stepping in for fresh stagings

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Jukebox became a space-age design classic

01 September 2025

The AMI Continental II jukebox appeared in 1962, a time when space race excitement was gripping the US.