North-west England

Modestly estimated at just £100-150 in a recent Carlisle sale, an 18th century manuscript notebook offering ‘An Account of the Improvements in the Gardens & Park at Cannonhall’ proved a major attraction.

Comics played a significant part in a recent held by Mitchells (20% buyer’s premium) of Cockermouth, undoubtedly helped by the presence of some 30,000 Marvel comics from one private collection.

A watercolour by Michel-Jean Cazabon (1813-88), Trinidad’s first internationally known artist, sold for £24,000 (plus 18% buyer’s premium) in Lancashire earlier this month.

Solo Antiques offers a selection of French Daum landscape cameo glass pieces at Stonyhurst College Antiques & Fine Art Fair this month.

This pencil drawing of a bearded man with a walking cane by LS Lowry (1887-1976) is typical of the stylised figures based on the men and women the artist passed in the street.

Time is of the essence in the story of Speed Menefee (1879-1968), the shortest-serving city mayor in US history – and original owner of a pocket watch offered at the Chester Decorative Antiques & Art Fair.

A harbour view of Maryport in Cumbria by Victorian artist William Mitchell (1806-1900) topped the lots at local saleroom Mitchells (20% buyer’s premium).

Linda and Stephen Marsh, trading as Marsh Vintage Salvage, are among the dealers at Fairfield House Antiques Centre in Cockermouth in the Lake District.

Originally medieval drinking vessels, wassail bowls became highly decorative status symbols by the 19th century as this large silver-mounted walnut example shows.

Focus on two shops launched in a former bank in Wiltshire and restaurant in Cumbria

Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers has opened its third saleroom in the north-west and hired new staff to target consignments from the Lancashire and Lake District areas.

An impressive piece of neoclassical silver gilt with an impressive provenance, this George III trophy was consigned to Gerrards (18% buyer’s premium) by a vendor whose great-grandmother had apparently been given it ‘by royalty’.

Two music-makers caught the eye, or rather ear, at Adam Partridge’s (20% buyer’s premium) Macclesfield sale.

The talented Sèvres factory decorator Desire Leroy (1840-1908) came to the United Kingdom in 1878 to take up an appointment at Minton in Staffordshire. However, he is perhaps best known for his work at the Royal Crown Derby where he worked from 1890, aged 50, until his death in 1908.

Red jackets and white helmets looked lovely on the parade ground but in the modern world of warfare developing at the end of the 19th century they also made fine targets for accurate long-range rifles.

As one of the most meticulously made pedal cars ever produced, the Austin J40 is always a target when it comes to auction.

Under the Discover Vintage banner, Keeley Rosendale’s vintage home shows in Manchester and the Midlands continue to demonstrate the popularity of well-priced Mid-century furniture.

“Although hailing from the north west of England and having close ties to many of the important Northern artists, Geoffrey Key (b.1941) has never really strived to be associated with this school and as such has a more universal, broader appeal and freedom to expand his painting horizon.”