Foreword by Oliver Eaton

This collection is, in truth, the story of a life, two lives, intertwined through a shared love of craftsmanship, history, and the quiet poetry of objects made by human hands. My father, Michael Eaton, spent more than thirty years assembling these pieces, each one chosen not for fashion or name, but for its honesty, for the depth of its oak grain, the sincerity of its form, the life still resonating within it.

From the beginning, I was by his side. He sent me to the great country house auctions of another era, those long, wonderful days when sales were still held on the premises, with furniture still in its rooms, the smell of beeswax and turf fires in the air. I can still hear the rhythm of the auctioneer’s patter, the soft rustle of catalogues, the thrill of a nod well-timed. My father trusted me to bid, to watch, to learn, and in doing so, he taught me far more than how to buy.

We never spent a day apart, and I never stopped learning from him. His eye was unerring, but his heart was what truly guided him. He believed that beauty was best found in use, in a drawer that runs smoothly from years of opening, in the gentle drip of a chair seat shaped by generations. He taught me that to live with these things is to live among ghosts, the good kind, and to honour the hands that made them.

Every piece here carries his touch, his humour, and his patience. Some remind me of our early adventures: the triumphs, the missteps, the laughter over fish and chips after a long sale. Others hold the quiet dignity of his later years, when looking became less about acquisition and more about appreciation.

To me, this is not merely a collection; it is a map of a shared life, traced in oak and brass and pigment. My father’s eye, his taste, his integrity, all of it lives on here. To see these pieces together once more is to feel his presence, as strong and gentle as ever.

It is with love, pride, and deep gratitude that I offer this collection, and his story, to you.

Auction Details

Wednesday 14 January 2026, 10.30am GMT
Dreweatts, Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

Bidding is available in person at our salerooms, online, by telephone or you can leave commission (absentee) bids.

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Dreweatts, Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

• Friday 9 January: 10am-4pm
• Sunday 11 January: 10am-3pm
• Monday 12 January: 10am-4pm
• Tuesday 13 January: 10am-4pm
• Wednesday 14 January: 9am-4pm

Further Information: 
General enquiries: + 44 (0) 1635 553 553 | housesales@dreweatts.com
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