South-west England

Keeley Harris is so pleased with the way her vintage home shows are going that she is expanding them.

Ahead of IACF’s popular Shepton Mallet antiques and collectors’ fair from May 5-7, with up to 600 standholders, the organisers have announced that the March event showed an impressive increase in buyers’ attendance.

The rivière – one of the most popular and enduring styles of necklace to come out of the Georgian period – features an endless line of matched or subtly graduated gems set within inconspicuous collets. However, as Marielle Whiting at Woolley & Wallis of Salisbury points out, seldom are they equals.

Lawrences of Crewkerne is co-sponsoring a major new exhibition of works by the Camden Town Group which runs at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton until July 8.

The collective noun ‘petroliania’ may be unfamiliar to some readers, but it’s a useful and profitable one as evidenced at the biannual sales held by Chippenham Auctions’ sister-auction house Richard Edmonds (20% buyer’s premium).

Nick Arkell is one of the owners of Walton House Antiques, a shop in Mere, Wiltshire, which specialises in furniture, fine art and antiques. He is exhibiting at the ADFL Petworth fair.

A piece of Russian porcelain and an Asian painting raised most interest at West Country auctioneers Tamlyns (18% buyer’s premium) on March 8. However, a 13in long (34cm) gouache scroll painting of magpies and prunus was considerably more of a surprise.

A record sale total, the trade in buying mood and traditional furniture selling well – all further evidence that 2017 so far is proving rather less catastrophic than some had forecast.

The Charterhouse saleroom must be under doctors’ orders. Two private collections included in the Dorset April 20-21 auction come from consignors with ‘Dr’ in front of their names.

Early children’s books and games provided some of the highlights of a March 15 sale held by Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood (21% buyer’s premium).

With the major names of the pioneers beyond the purses of most admirers of Cotswolds School furniture, works by Sir Gordon Russell are steady sellers and 16 pieces offered at Mallams (20% buyer’s premium) all found buyers on March 16.

Included among the objects section of many sales featuring oak and vernacular material there are often examples of early metalware.

Salisbury is latest auction house finding a sense of optimism despite some patchy areas