Auctions

MICKEY MOUSE is back with a second - and bigger - sale of cels and drawings at Christie's South Kensington, Monday (2pm). Disney artwork sales are a US fixture (a healthy 80 per cent sold is the norm), but London is no bargain backwater. Last year's first London sale sold 92 per cent, the top 10 lots all bought by Europeans. Impressed, Americans have consigned 60 per cent of this week's sale. There are six lots from Rosemary Mustin, who met Walt Disney in 1953, when she was 11, as the prize in a London newspaper competition. Offered some artwork, she told him she fancied a publicity cel of Thumper, the rabbit in Bambi (est pounds 1,000- pounds 1,500). Disney told her a gouache of Wendy sewing Peter's shadow back on would be more valuable. It is est at pounds 3,000- pounds 5,000. The original drawings are worth a look - more spontaneous, less stereotyped, than the finished cels.

ONE MAN'S MEAT

Sydney Duckitt, born 1905, son of a Yorkshire industrialist, founded an engineering company and put his brass into French furniture, porcelain, clocks, ivories and other artworks. His 386 lots of Japanese and Chinese ivories are at Phillips, Tuesday (11am) - the biggest collection to hit the market in 15 years and a likely indicator of the worth of carvings in this stigmatised material. Rest of the collection: Wednesday (11am).

NECK AND NECK

British portraits and sporting pictures, ditchwater of the British art market, are at Sotheby's, Tuesday (10.30am) and Christie's Wednesday (11am). Sotheby's larger, poorer quality sale is better for bargains. With the pound weak, maybe Americans and Continentals will breathe new life into these old nags.

COUNTRYWIDE

Bradford: Power tools, garden and gym equipment, wines and spirits, toys at Brick Lane Mills, Thornton Road, Tuesday (10am). De Romes (0274 734116).

Rothwell, Leeds: Classic and collectors' motor vehicles at Central Motor Auctions, Pontefract Road (0532 820707).

Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary: Contents of Cregg House, on the premises. Artworks and an Empire revival boat-shaped bed carved with swans, est IR pounds 2,000- pounds 3,000, Tuesday (10.30am). Mealy's (010 353 564 1229).

Guildford: Furniture, electrical equipment, bicycles, Slyford Green, Tuesday (11am). South East Marts (0483 573386).

Warrington: US government surplus, pick-ups and trailers, tool kits, copying machines, colour televisions, Tuesday at RAF Burtonwood. DRMO Molesworth (0480 842633).

Deptford: Furniture and household effects, computers, tomorrow (11am) at Arch Auction Rooms, Deptford Trading Estate (081-694 1656).

FAIRS

Today and tomorrow: Antiques Fair, Buxton (Unicorn Fairs; 0989 87312). Thursday-Saturday: Annual Norfolk Easter Antiques, Norwich (Anglian Arts & Antiques; 0986 872368). Friday- Saturday: Truro Antiques, Collectors and Book, City Hall (West Country Antiques and Collectors Fairs; 0225 424677).

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

Look out for

Darfield: Contents of a snooker club, including 10 full-size tables, Black Jack gaming machine, bar furniture at Top Spot, 2 Snape Hill Road, Wednesday (11am). Harrison & Son (0924 279005).