South-east England

Gary Wallis is based in Henley-on-Thames, trades in anything from childhood collectables to potential heirlooms and is a regular at The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair in Battersea.

The opening of the Turner Contemporary in Margate in 2011 reinvigorated the tourism industry in the north Kent area.

Almost exactly a year after setting an auction record for modern British painter Sir Cedric Morris (1889-1982), the Henry Adams saleroom has done it again.

Petworth has faced some speculation about its future as a hub from members of the trade during the past few years. Once a celebrated spot for art and antiques, the closure of several local shops led to fears that it was losing its footing as a destination for collectors.

Torn, punched with holes, creased, wrinkled and showing loss at the folds, an ‘Organizational Clothing and Equipment Record’ used at Fort Hood, Texas, in 1958 would not at first sight seem an attractive proposition.

Three high-quality sales from the north to the south gave a cheerful air to spring. The catalogue at Tennants in North Yorkshire pretty much covered the range but in Sussex and Buckinghamshire the emphasis was on furniture.

Dominated as they were by furniture, the March sales at Lewes and Donnington Priory included other highlights.

A framed limited edition print is Cattle Market by Jo Willis priced at £170, measuring 12 x 12in (30 x 30cm). It will be for sale at the Reading Contemporary Art Fair this weekend.

This weekend Oxford hosts the PBFA’s 100-dealer antiquarian and out-of-print book premier fair, one of the largest in the association’s calendar. It is held at the Oxford Brookes Wheatley Campus on Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23.

Special forces memorabilia making special prices is not a top-secret scenario in the militaria world. The appetite is always high for the exploits of small elite units where bravery and hair-raising tales are the norm.

The extra push of archive items accompanying medals at auction is well recognised but such material is increasingly on the advance in its own right. Honours offered with log books, diaries, maps, letters and so on are very attractive to buyers given the background story they create about the recipient.

A photo collection sold at C&T formed part of an archive relating to Brenda Long, secretary to General Sir H Ismay (later Lord Ismay), Chief of Staff to Sir Winston Churchill from mid-1944 until the end of 1945.