UK

The prolific 18th century writer Daniel Defoe, of Robinson Crusoe fame, wrote poetically of the River Waveney which forms the 50-mile boundary of the Waveney Valley between Norfolk and Suffolk.

Figural clocks combining novelty and automaton features were very popular in the 19th century, many of them being of French manufacture.

Criterion Auctioneers has opened a valuation office in South Kensington in the hope of snaring some of the business left by the closure of Christie’s in the area.

Figurative sculptor Christy Keeney from Donegal, Ireland, has been an exhibitor at the Earth and Fire International Ceramic Fair in Nottinghamshire for 16 of the 22 annual events held so far.

A Suffolk antiques dealer who bought a cache of 19th and 20th century photographs and postcards of his home town at auction has used them to good effect by publishing a pictorial record in a book.

Fully booked with 90 standholders at the luxury Chateau Impney Hotel at Droitwich Spa in Worcestershire is Two C’s Antiques Fairs’ summer fair on Saturday and Sunday, June 17-18.

Victoria Borwick, president of the British Antiques Dealers’ Association, lost her Kensington seat following two recounts in the constituency at last week's General Election.

Readers old enough to remember using one at school may also recall Sam Cooke’s 1960 song in which he lamented “don’t know what a slide rule is for”. Today, few teenagers would know what one was.

A major work by French academy painter Edouard Joseph Dantan (1846-97), unseen for over a century, has emerged at an auction in Colchester.

Not all the clocks that go under the hammer feature in dedicated horological sales. Pictured here is a selection of some recent highlights at Sotheby's auctions from mixed-discipline sales.

Established in London in 1735, jeweller Garrard has had a long association with the British Royal family.

The three lots briefly described here were not among the very highest priced lots in a Forum Auctions (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) sale of May 24 – but all brought record bids.

Norwich dealer James Brett vowed to continue dealing when he sold 300 pieces of stock at a Sworders sale in 2010. He has been good to his word and this year returns to Olympia for the first time in seven years. ATG spoke to Brett about his business and the wider market.

Conscious that Art Nouveau Daum glassware has been bringing renewed interest of late, auctioneer Catrin Hampton was quickly in touch with potential buyers – particularly Americans – when a table lamp was brought into the Cheltenham rooms of Chorley’s (20% buyer’s premium).

Matt Dixon of TallBoy Unique Interiors, specialises in a mix of taxidermy, architectural salvage, religious artefacts and other items. He will stand at the upcoming Salvo 2017 (June 23-25).

MADAM – Laura Chester’s article ‘Rising to the Portobello challenge’ (ATG No 2295) accurately describes how the antiques section has been, and still is, the backbone of Portobello Market.

ATG’s weekly selection of items on sale at auctions and dealerships.

For the serious collector of vintage Rolex Submariner wristwatches, the devil is in the dial detail. Dial variations found in this watch model were produced in low numbers and are therefore highly sought after.

Wall clocks are fashionable these days. Open most publications with an interiors feature and one will probably be displayed: in the kitchen, dining room or hallway. What is the reason for their popularity? One person who knows is Edward Burd, wall clock collector for 40 years and dealer for 15.

Harry Moore-Gwyn Fine Art brings a selection of 20 works on paper by English artist Sir George Clausen (1852-1944) to mark the 45th anniversary of The Art & Antiques Fair Olympia.