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Miller’s Price Guide 2004: 25th Anniversary Edition, published by Miller’s. ISBN 1840008318 £24.99hb Antiques Price Guide 2004 by Judith Miller, published by Dorling Kindersley ISBN 1405300051 £22.99hb

Greater levels of trade and private interest in what were fairly routine silver outings at Christie’s South Kensington and Bonhams Knightsbridge on September 9 gave specialists at both houses cause for optimism.

The Establishment remains unconvinced but eccentric’s studio sale is a sell-out: HAVING claimed to have slept with 3000 women, and certainly having fathered at least 15 children and kept open studio for the entire community of local vagrants, one of whom he kept embalmed in a drawer for 15 years, the Plymouth painter Robert Lenkiewicz (1941-2002) was undoubtedly one of the great larger-than-life characters of British post-War art.

THE pleasingly freely painted, if sometimes rather dark, evocations of the English countryside by Wiltshire artist Harry Fidler ((1856-1935) regularly fetch respectable prices in the £1000-5000 range when they come up for auction.

THE Society of Fine Art Auctioneers have awarded a number of Honorary Associate memberships to leading industry figures. The awards were announced by SOFAA chairman Chris Ewbank at the society’s dinner, held last week at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in Knightsbridge.

CAREER progression is more important to those looking for jobs in the art and antiques sector than how much they earn. But over 40 per cent would consider leaving the industry altogether if they lost their jobs in order to gain security for themselves and their families.

Rubbing shoulders with racing stables, vineyards and Spanish holiday homes at the ExCeL exhibition centre on September 19-21 were dealers John Bly and Wakelin & Linfield, LAPADA and toy auctioneers Vectis. But an opportunity missed was the general consensus of the event among a dozen or so representatives from the trade who took part in the first Leisure & Alternative Investment Show.