Les Bourgs’ first treasure trove auction raises £8,000

The event was sponsored by Cooper Brouard, and auctioneer Trevor Cooper was pleased with the way bidding had gone at the halfway point.

He said the level of interest in one item in particular had surprised him – a hand-carved 1944 German wooden bowl had been listed with a guide price of up to £60, but ended up selling for £780.

‘There were quite a few bidders,’ he said.

‘We’ve had a very good turnout – we find that people are very keen to support Les Bourgs.

While most items sold to those in the room, there had been a number of commission bids received, too.

He said the auction was something of a test to see what the public reaction would be and it was not just about raising funds for the charity.

‘It’s as much to raise awareness about the quality and varied range of items donated.’

Malcolm McVey had bought an 18ct gold ring with an Australian sapphire in a diamond setting. His wife Caroline was pleased with her new ring.

‘It’s really sweet and it’s a perfect fit for my finger,’ she said.

She was also eyeing up a Hermes scarf, one of several designer scarves on offer.

A lover of paintings by local artist Neville Le Ray had snapped up three of four that had been up for sale, and was hoping for two more in the second part of the auction.

‘I already have a few of his paintings and it’s all for a good cause,’ she said.

Two miniatures of pre-1945 Bucktrouts’ Liberation rum had been bought by Simon Hamon. Each was about half-full, and he suspected the other half had evaporated over the years.

He had no intention of drinking the ancient alcohol, though.

‘They’ll just sit on the shelf as ornaments,’ he said.

He thought the purchase was apt, given his interests. ‘I’m normally involved on Liberation Day so it makes sense.’

Auction organiser, Les Bourgs’ enterprise manager Catherine Boughay, was pleased with the amount raised and the level of interest generally.

‘It reached a different audience,’ she said. ‘I could see regular customers there but also some new faces.’

Les Bourgs would almost certainly be holding a similar event in future, she added.

‘We’ll need to have a bit of a wash-up meeting to see what was good and what wasn’t so good. But we’ll definitely do it again in some way, shape or form.’

Not all of the items were sold. Those left over went back on sale in the charity’s St Martin’s shop.