Auctions

THE SALE of dog and cat paintings at Bonhams, Thursday (11am) is a playful annual interlude before the new season's big sales. It offers a couple of memories of Nipper, the HMV emblem. There is an 1838 painting (est pounds 3,000- pounds 5,000) of Factor, a favourite hound, by William Barraud; it was his nephew Francis who painted the sentimental image of Nipper listening to an early phonograph, which sold millions of gramophone records. Nipper himself appears in the sale as a 6 1/2 in-high ceramic model, est pounds 150- pounds 200.

Also in the sale is a Twenties novelty German wooden cat timepiece whose pupils indicate the hours and minutes. Rubbish, of course - but having taken the trouble to trace the original patent (by J Oswald Gartenstri, 1926) and put it into a sale that will be besieged by cat fanatics, the consignor may well see it exceed its pounds 50- pounds 80 estimate.

Christie's South Kensington offers a week of fascinating minor sales: printed books on Friday, (11am); one of the ever-interesting costume and textile sales, Tuesday (2pm); carpets, objects and furniture Wednesday (10.30am); British and continental pictures (10.30am), and oriental artworks (also 10.30am) Thursday.

Bloomsbury Book Auctions has economics books, Thursday (11am); Phillips Bayswater a costume sale, Tuesday (11am), strong on old lace; Bonhams Chelsea has modern and contemporary pictures, Wednesday (2pm).

COUNTRYWIDE

Malvern: Riding horses and youngstock, vehicles and trailers, Thursday (11.30am): Three Counties Showground. Hamptons Pocock & Lear (0684 892314).

West Lydford, near Somerton: Catering equipment - fryers, refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, glass, crockery, serveries, Wednesday (10.30am). S H Jenkins (0305 268786).

Newbury: Ceramics (Wedgwood, Meissen), glass, oriental artworks, Wednesday (10am). Dreweatt & Neate, Donnington Priory, Donnington, Newbury (0635 31234).

Glenrothes, Fife: On-site engineering equipment, fork-lift trucks, vehicles, office equipment, Thursday (11am), Wheatstone Place, Southfields Industrial Estate. Ryden Henry Butcher (031 225 4643).

Leominster: Two-day 1,000- lot sale (10am daily); Wednesday 120 lots of musical instruments, silver, jewellery, rugs, artworks. Thursday: furniture, clocks, porcelain, pottery. Russell, Baldwin & Bright, Ryelands Road (0568 611166).

Glasgow: Furniture in the Royal Exchange salerooms, St Vincent Place; a 19th-century display cabinet ( pounds 1,200- pounds 1,500), a 19th-century gilt wood pier table ( pounds 3,000- pounds 5,000). McTear (041221 4456).

Ludlow: Ceramics, metalware, watches, clocks, pictures, a set of 16 Chippendale-style ladderback chairs ( pounds 8,000- pounds 10,000), Tuesday (10.30am). Ludlow Antique Auctions, Corve Street (0584 875157).

Chesterfield: Apricot and Quantum computers, laser printers, woodworking equipment, garden furniture, Tuesday (10.30am). Ellis, Willis & Becket (0742 767156).

FAIRS

Stoneleigh, near Kenilworth, Royal Showground Winter Antique and Collectors, Wednesday: 400 dealers (IACF, 0636 702326).

Film Memorabilia: Next Saturday (and not today, as reported last week in this column) at Westminster Central Hall, Storey's Gate, London SW1 (10am): 55 stalls (Ed Mason, 071-352 6338).

Hatfield House Antiques, until tomorrow: 30 dealers (Bailey Fairs, 0277 362662).

Countrywide: Antiques Trade Gazette (071-930 4957) and Government Auction News (0686 668851, hotline 0891 887700).