Auctions

THE JUNE Olympia opens Thursday (11am) until 13 June with 370 dealers and 32,000 visitors - last June's attendance - to beat. Innovations this year include a computerised search facility for the 5,000 art and antiques categories, more group tours and Sunday brunch (11.30am). Entry, including catalogue, pounds 10, except opening Thursday, pounds 15. Hours: 11am-8pm, weekends 11am-6pm, final Sunday 11am-5pm. Closed Monday.

PROMISING BRITS

Modern Brits, still estimated at half peak prices, are giving encouragement but not yet confidence. Recent sold totals at Christie's South Kensington: November 74 per cent, February 86 per cent, April 75 per cent. South Ken's sale Thursday (10.30am) has a good cross-section, including paintings by Adolphe Valette, whose best-known pupil was L S Lowry. Some are est under pounds 100. There are 28 charcoal and chalk portraits by Alfred Kingsley Lawrence, eight lotted together at pounds 200-pounds 400.

COST OF COMMUNISM

Last seen atop the Communist Party HQ in Prague before the collapse of Communism, a boring but now historically significant Socialist-realist statue of a sailor with Aurora hat and Maxim gun. Flogged off to a British dealer by the Czechoslovakian Social Democratic Party, it is estimated at pounds 20,000-pounds 30,000 at Sotheby's sale of garden statuary and architectural items, Billingshurst, West Sussex, Tuesday (10.30am). Fireplace furniture: Bonhams, Chelsea, Tuesday (2pm). Best of the rest: Christie's South Ken's biggest-ever sale of dolls, teddies, Thursday (2pm). Fetching furniture, bronzes: Sotheby's applied arts, Friday (10.30am). Cameras, magic lanterns, toys: Sotheby's Wednesday (10.30am).

COUNTRYWIDE

Wolverhampton, Leeds, Leicester, Rochester: series of on-site sales of welding equipment, machine tools, plant and office furniture, throughout June. JFT Law (0905 621212).

Petersfield: 600-lot on-site sale of contents of The Park, Fairoak, Rogate, Friday (10am). Gibson Gammon (0730 894225).

FAIRS

Thursday-Friday, North Devon Antiques, Queen's Hall, Barnstaple (West Country Antiques and Collectors Fairs 0225 424677). Next Saturday-Sunday: Antiques at Pavilion Gardens, Buxton (Unicorn Fairs 061 773 7001).

Countrywide by Antiques Trade Gazette (071-930 4957) and Government Auction News (071-734 8291/4, hotline 0891 887700).