South-east England

Update (July 2019): auctions resumed at Bloomsbury in 2018 following Gurr Johns' purchase of Dreweatts and Bloomsbury in 2017. In February 2019 it expanded the number of sales at its London office at 16-17 Pall Mall. The original story is below.

Trading as Hoof Brocante, Adrian Higham is among the most genial of men.

“If you lived here you could make it absolutely divine,” wrote author Virginia Woolf to her sister Vanessa Bell in 1916.

A collection of early 20th century Chinese silver attracted wide interest at Catherine Southon’s (18% buyer’s premium) September 6 sale at Selsdon, south London.

A ‘Glory of Science’ sale held by Bloomsbury Auctions (24/18/12% buyer’s premium) on September 14 included books, prints, photographs, letters, etc, and was one in which astronomy and space travel played a significant part where higher bids were concerned.

Mural painter, stained glass artist and landscapist, Henry Arthur Payne (1868-1940) had many talents.

A second outing for Bentleys’ Flea & Collectors’ Fair at Nash Street Farm, Lower Dicker, near Eastbourne is now in the diary for October 7-8.

The second Royal Doulton figure to buck the generally lukewarm market within a fortnight, a 'Double Jester' figure designed by Charles Noke, was the star of a 1000-lot collectables sale at John Nicholson’s (24% buyer’s premium) at Haslemere on September 7.

Alice, Tennyson and Port of London plans all played their part in the success of a September 5 sale held by Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium), but the prize lot was something of much greater antiquity.

A collection of Maori artefacts with an unbroken provenance dating back to their acquisition by early English missionaries to New Zealand will be offered at John Nicholson’s of Fernhurst on October 5.

To make any money these days, ladies’ gold pendant watches do need an extra selling point – such as the Cartier name and plenty of Art Deco style.

Shortly after the catalogue for Bellmans’ recent sale in Wisborough Green, Sussex had gone to press, a printed paper label was noticed to the underside of this burr-veneered occasional table. It read 'L Pearson, Cabinet Maker & Upholsterer, 3 Elizabeth Street, Hobart Town'.

Best of 193 lots of film posters which made up a specialist sale at Burstow Hewett (15% buyer’s premium) at Battle was this variation for the classic movie The Maltese Falcon.

Found by a dog walker in a roadside skip, this remarkably intact Victorian majolica teapot found the ideal bidder at Brighton General Auctions (15% buyer’s premium).