SOME outstanding prices were paid for examples of Cumbrian rocks and minerals at the salerooms of Tennants in Leyburn.

A piece of hematite kidney ore from the Hodbarrow iron ore mine, Millom, sold for £900.

This mine closed in 1968 but had a reputation for producing some of the world's purest ore - often above 60 per cent iron.

Representatives from German firms would visit Millom and Florence mine at Egremont in the 1960s offering £2 per pound for the best ore samples which would take a polish for making jewellery.

A piece of calcite from the old Stank iron ore mine, near Dalton, sold for £420.

The highest price was £3,000 for a single large piece of flourite with sphalente and Dolomite from Beaumont mine at Allenheads, Northumberland.

Two cases containing 95 pieces of carved amber were only expected to make £20 to £300 but sold for £1,800.

A collection of Barrow Rugby League Club programmes, autographs and ephemera is included in the September 1 sale by Mullocks Specialist Auctioneers at Church Stretton, Shropshire.

None of the items are likely to be expensive but represent the highlights of the club's history.

There is a group of postcards rated at £30 to £60 which includes pictures of club greats such as Harry Gifford, Bill Burgess, Charlie Carr and Willie Horne.

There is also a postcard from the opening day of the new ground at Craven Park in 1931.

Another group of items with an estimate of £25 to £30 is from Barrow's first visit to Wembley in 1938 when they lost to Salford in the final of the Rugby League Challenge Cup.

There are also groups of programmes from Barrow's losing Wembley appearance in 1951 against Wigan; in 1957, against Leeds - and from the winning final against Workington in 1955.

The 1955 programme is rated at £15 to £25 and comes with a song sheet and a programme from the semi-final against Hunslet.

A sale on August 25 to 26 by Hannam's Auctioneers, of Selborne, Hampshire, expects £100 to £150 for a painting of Windermere by Edwin A. Penley, who lived from 1826 to 1893.