UK

AUCTIONEERS Martel Maides of St Peter Port in Guernsey were amazed to encounter this Channel Islands silver table bell in a recent over-the-counter valuation.

THE largest 'Conjuring' sale seen in London for some time, at Bloomsbury Auctions on September 8, had at its core the 460-lot collection of the late Bob Read, a 'Close-Up Entertainer' and lecturer in the UK and USA who was a tireless researcher into the history of magic and conjuring.

BONHAMS Scotland is to establish two new departments at its Edinburgh headquarters in Queen Street.

THE 87th London Antique Arms Fair, from September 23 to 24, has had to change venue because of essential maintenance work on the intended venue, the Ibis Hotel in Earls Court.

BILLED as the largest and most important country house auction of the year, Christie's three-day sale at Cowdray Park in West Sussex, netted £6.4m hammer against a £5m top estimate.

THERE is less than a year to go before the Olympic Games return to Britain for the third time and, rest assured, a number of themed auction sales are already in the pipeline.

MORE details have come to light regarding the break-in at Long Street Antiques Centre in Tetbury during the early hours of Friday, August 26.

STAFFORDSHIRE auctioneers and valuers Cuttlestones have recently opened a second saleroom in Wolverhampton which will host a series of auctions and valuation events throughout the year.

SOME fine early English porcelain came up at the latest sale held by Chorley's of Prinknash Abbey, Gloucestershire.

FOLLOWING the recent report about cheque fraud in July on Portobello Road and Westbourne Grove, additional incidents have emerged of suspected fraud around London using cheques under the account name GC Commodity’s (sic).

THE uplifting story of how West Auckland FC won ‘the first world cup’ has gone down in the annals of English football.

THE Edinburgh sales at Bonhams and Lyon & Turnbull in August both featured Wemyss wares, offering an opportunity to assess the current market.

The latest sale of Scottish silver at Lyon & Turnbull included a number of early Edinburgh hollowares, including this pair of James VI (I of England) communion cups.

DURING the early hours of Tuesday, August 16, the Antique Textiles Company in Hampstead was vandalised – the victim of what is thought to be a revenge attack.

THE Crossrail saga rumbles on for the dealers at Grays antiques centre in Mayfair.

A LOCAL private collection provided the most memorable highlight of Tennants' latest two-day sale in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, this fine and rare James II ebony-veneered table timepiece by John Knibb.

TWO men have been charged with handling stolen goods following the recovery of a number of pictures from the Halewood area of Liverpool.

THIS fine set of three George II rococo casters by Eliza Godfrey, London 1752 sold for £66,000 at Henry Adams of Chichester on July 14.

IN yet another change to the London summer fairs scene, Haughton International Fairs have announced that Art Antiques London next year will run over the later dates of June 13 to 20.

INTACT English ‘shaft and globe’ bottles from the 17th century are among the trophies of early bottle and glass collecting.