By the time the auctioneer's hammer fell, the price had soared almost as high as the migrating geese

 

This atmospheric oil-on-canvas of migrating geese by Keith Shackleton (1923-2015) was one of the star lots at a sale of  contemporary British art held last month by long-established Salisbury-based auction house Woolley and Wallis. The pre-sale estimate was that the unframed painting would make between £150 and £250, but brisk bidding ultimately pushed the price up to £5,040 (including buyer's premium). The Dorchester-based artist was a close friend of Peter Scott (they both went to Oundle School) and was a founder member of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT). He helped Scott to set up the first wetland  reserve at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire.