Amber has been causing quite a stir in auction salerooms for the last few years and currently certain amber is selling for roughly the same price as 22ct gold. Formed from fossilised resin of ancient trees, at the grand old age of between 15 and 300 million years, it is mind-boggling to think that even…
Tag: biddleandwebb
A Rare Opportunity … Not to be Missed
In England, the terms country house, manor house and stately home are often used vaguely and interchangeably. Country houses and manor houses were designed intentionally not to be stately but to harmonise with the landscape, while the great houses – such as Ragley Hall and Compton Verney in Warwickshire – were built as power houses…
Where it all began…
Occasionally as I am sat outside a client’s house, in my van (well Biddle & Webb’s but it feels like mine and I do wash it) I do think back to the time when I started at BW. The day is still clear in my mind and I can even remember the date 12th Feb…
ALAN: Q’s & A’s
Q1. When did you start working at Biddle & Webb and what was your job role? Ans. ”I started working at Biddle & Webb 47 years ago (1969) on an Easter Tuesday. When walked through the door I was given a pen, pad and chalk and started cataloguing! The first thing I catalogued was a…
My New Role
I first started at Biddle and Webb just over two years ago, as a timid fresher in my first year of university. As a novice to the auction world, I tentatively applied for work experience – so when offered the position of Saturday receptionist, I jumped at the chance. What began as a part-time job…
Managing Probates & Solicitors
Probates have to be dealt with sensitivity, accuracy, organisation and trust. Over the years we at Biddle & Webb have built a strong, trusting good relationship with Solicitors across the Midlands. A probate is for a person an individual, but the requirements are the same. When valuing the chattels a deceased has collected over a…
Home owners downsizing – Can an auctioneer help?
The short answer to this is a definite yes. But why would a home owner require the help of an auctioneer, when they sell a large property. It is explained by the old saying You cannot get a quart into a pint pot. When someone moves from a large house, decisions have to be made…
The mystery of Cecil Rochfort D'Oyly John (1906 – 1993)
The highlight of our last Interiors auction was three paintings by 20th Century painter Cecil Rochfort D’Oyly John. But what really is the attraction to these brightly coloured scenes that caused so much interest in the sale room? Could it be the many rumours that surround the past of this popular artist creating a sense…
The Role of the Auctioneer & Valuer
The role of the Auctioneer & Valuer in advising anyone who wants or needs to sell items at auction varies according to the circumstances and needs of the potential client. Some people will be downsizing with a good clear out of years of accumulated belongings; others are forced, by personal circumstances, to sell much treasured…
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A RECEPTIONIST AT BIDDLE & WEBB
It is far from a boring job, no two days are ever the same, so I cannot walk in and say this is my rota for today. Some may say it is an education, I like to think of it as being interesting and challenging, as well as rewarding. There are days when I am…