You would have thought after all these years of antiques TV shows that just about everybody would be at ease with auctions, but we still get a few shy ones coming through the doors in Fernhurst. They’re clearly interested in the whole process or they wouldn’t be there. If you’re one of them, have no fear, we don’t bite and I’d be amazed if you couldn’t find anything to spark your interest.

My advice to anyone who hasn’t yet got to grips with auctions but would like to find out more is to come to a viewing before the sale. That way you can wander around and look at everything that’s on offer in a relaxed fashion. At viewings you will find lot numbers attached to each piece on display, and they correspond with the numbers in the catalogues, which are also around the saleroom so you can check out the description and estimate. Staff are on hand to answer any questions or help you get a better look at anything – you’ll find that’s true at any decent auction house.

And if you want to see a great bit of traditional auction drama, come along to the early part of one of our general auctions when the saleroom manager takes bids in the back viewing room rather than from the rostrum. You will find all the bidders standing together among the pieces being sold. There’s nothing quite like it to get you hooked.

April 21 was Her Majesty The Queen’s 96th birthday. She is now by far this nation’s longest serving monarch and it was no surprise to me that a few years ago newspaper reports discussed her suitability as a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize thanks to the unparalleled role she has played in promoting world peace and general harmony through The Commonwealth.

The Queen is also unique when it comes to the art, antiques and auction market because of her role in influencing so many different fields of collecting.

Whether it is the various issues of stamps and coins, jubilee and Royal Wedding wares, or the occasional more personal item, such as letters, signed photographs and gifts, nothing appeals to bidders more than a direct Royal connection, with anything associated with Her Majesty at the forefront of desirable items.

Perhaps the most personal items that have come up for sale in recent years are the clothes and toys that were offered in September 2017 from the estate of former royal nurse Clara Knight, who looked after the Queen and Princess Margaret when they were babies and toddlers. Dolls, Mickey and Minnie Mouse figures, dresses and other clothing recaptured a moment from a more innocent time before the abdication, when the then Princess Elizabeth had no idea that one day she would take the throne. Fate played its hand and we are now in the closing years of the second great Elizabethan age.

A client who came in the other day was sporting one of those colourful Apple watches we keep hearing about, so I asked him to show me what all the fuss was about. I know the aim these days is to make ever-smaller computers, but if you suffer from fat finger syndrome then this is your average nightmare.

That’s why it will always be a traditional wristwatch for me or, better still, an elegant mantel or table clock.

The glorious range of clocks that you can still buy at auction continues to support one of the strongest established collecting fields. And it’s no surprise that while other disciplines wax and wane in popularity, clocks have never lost their allure.

Just think about it: from longcase to skeleton, these are not just works of art, they are also engineering miracles, offering all qualities that collectors look for. Makers such as Tompion, Quare and Graham from the Golden Age of English clock making in the late 17th century can still cause bidding frenzies, their supreme craftsmanship apparent at every level. Lesser masters also create a stir, and there’s still so much to choose from. The icing on the cake? Speak it softly, but under Treasury rules clocks are deemed wasting assets because of their moving parts… and so are not liable for Capital Gains Tax.

How much is yours worth?

One of the constant debates of the wider art and antiques industry is just how good/bad/useful the daytime TV programmes are that focus on auctions, dealers and fairs.

It’s a close call in many cases. There can be no doubt that the plethora of programmes emerging over the past 20 years or so, many in a gameshow format, have sparked a great deal of interest in what we do. The raised public consciousness can only be a good thing if it means more people coming into the saleroom to see what it’s all about or having a go at bidding online.

I particularly like it when the presenters take a bit of a break from the main proceedings to interview a passionate collector or focus on a specialist area of collecting.

I’m less keen when it comes to the artificial hype introduced to bolster the gameshow experience and onscreen buzz. That’s because it has often come at the price of authenticity. The worst of this is when presenters talk about the profits made from buying and selling, but without taking account of the costs incurred along the way.

Things have generally got better on that front in recent years as formats acknowledge the public’s increasing interest and knowledge around auctions.

The much-maligned BBC – 100 this year – can take a bow here, having fostered the cream of the crop in the Antiques Roadshow for almost half of its lifetime.