West Midlands

It was announced on September 6 that the University of Staffordshire has partnered with Stoke-on-Trent City Council to house the Thornhill collection of predominantly Chinese ceramics at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Hanley, with the aim of exhibiting it to the public for the first time since the 1980s.

That Willow became the most popular and persistent of the many transfer-printed landscape patterns was in part due to a stroke of 19th century marketing genius.

Halls’ (24% buyer’s premium) latest Militaria, Naval and Aviation Auction in Shrewsbury offered a tempting selection of lots such as First World War uniforms in decent condition.

Easy to display and made in multiple variants, glass petrol pump globes are a popular choice at auction.

A rare work by Royal Worcester’s near-legendary craftsman George Owen (1845-1912) led a sale at Philip Serrell (20% buyer’s premium) in Malvern, Worcestershire, this summer.

I enjoyed perusing your recommendations of museums’ special exhibitions to see in your annual Summer Supplement a few weeks ago (ATG No 2699).

Etymologist buys a glossary which provides a rich seam when it comes to English language changes

Just a month after a rare Christian Dior (1905-57) musical brooch was sold Tajan in Paris, two more examples appeared for sale at Fellows’ (30% buyer’s premium inc VAT) Handbags & Accessories auction in Birmingham on June 24.

A collection of ceramics by the Hanley-born pottery painter Arthur Holland (1896 1979) comes for sale at Potteries Auctions in Newcastle-under-Lyme on July 12.

A French-inspired fleamarket that was launched in June in the small Shropshire town of Whitchurch proved such a success it is now running monthly.

Lennox and Sue Cato tell us why they are making a move from Kent to the Cotswolds

This large diamond, sapphire and emerald peacock feather brooch was the highlight of a recent Fine Jewellery sale held at Fellows (25% buyer’s premium) in Birmingham.

A lot offering a Shanghai Municipal Jubilee Medal, November 17, 1893, proved so appealing that it sold at five times the top estimate.

One-off football ‘super cup’ style ties are nothing new, as a very much in demand programme offered at Telford saleroom Mullock Jones (20.5% buyer’s premium) demonstrated.

Terence Cuneo’s 'Giants Refreshed' poster for the LNER showing Pacific steam locomotives 'In the Doncaster Locomotive Works' is a well-known work.