West Midlands

Now UK restrictions on international travellers have eased, the organisers of The Art & Antiques for Everyone (AAfE) fair at the NEC Birmingham are hoping for a return of buyers from further afield.

Trade at an antiques and retro shop which opened bang in the middle of the pandemic last year in the village of Wombourne, near Wolverhampton has started to blossom in the last few weeks say the owners of Raven’s Nest Antiques, Mel Jones and Marcus Wortans.

Not to be confused with the modern limited edition Toby jugs of the same name, the early Royal Doulton figure Spooks is among the most desirable models in all the HN series.

Floral decorator tasked her assistant to develop a range which was fired by Fulham Pottery.

As a Doulton ‘lifer’ George Tinworth’s (1843-1913) output was immense.

The Omega Seamaster 300, launched in 1957 simultaneously with the Railmaster and the Speedmaster, appears in numerous variations.

The distinguished military career of Major General Sir George Ridout Bingham (1777-1833) included service in the Peninsular War during the years 1809-14.

The search for doomed explorer John Franklin grips collectors almost as much as expeditions of discovery themselves.

A collection of works by the Victorian woodcarver Thomas Henry Kendall has been consigned for sale next month.

This 18ct gold and enamel medal was awarded to Reginald Arthur Whitcombe (1898-1957) for winning the 1936 Open Golf Championship of Ireland.

Helen Yourston of B2B Events said it has sold out of pre-booked outside pitches at their Malvern Flea & Collectors Fair on Sunday, February 13, but plenty of cash pay-on-the-day slots are available.

Halls (23% buyer’s premium) offered the Enid and Bruce Moulder collection of toy teawares via a timed online auction that closed on November 23.

Francis Towne watercolour was one of his many works to have gone through Agnews

Angling and fishing fans will be familiar with the firm Hardy of Alnwick. In 1872 William Hardy set up shop as a gunsmith.

Handed in by miners at the start of a shift in exchange for a Davy lamp, colliery tokens, tallies or checks provided vital information in the event of fire or explosion.

The eclectic collection of Alison Barker (1951-2021) of London and Chichester was sold by Trevanion in Whitchurch, Shropshire on January 12.

This silver medal sold for £3250 at Fellows (23% buyer’s premium) is one of a relatively small number awarded at the Intercalated Games in Athens in 1906.

Barewall Art Gallery has published a monograph on celebrated Staffordshire artist Arthur Berry (1925-94), known as the ‘Lowry of the Potteries’.

Sixteenth-century globes rarely appear on the market. So, Jim Spencer, Hansons’ works on paper specialist, had been amazed to encounter one at a valuation day in Bishton Hall, Staffordshire.