A team of antiques experts from a leading regional auction house helped raise £550 for St David’s Hospice Care at a charity valuation day held in Brecon on Friday.
The event, which was kindly hosted by The Castle of Brecon Hotel, Brecon, was organised to support the valuable work of the charity in South and Mid Powys.
Antiques specialists from Halls in Shrewsbury assessed and valued a wide range of antiques, silver, jewellery, toys, books, dolls and paintings at the event. A charge of £1.50 was made for each item valued, with all the proceeds going to the charity.
In addition to the valuations, there stalls selling a variety of antiques and collectable items at the event.
Taken in for a future auction at Halls’ salerooms was an oil painting of a coastal scene by Scottish artist John James Bannatyne (1836-1911), which was valued by James Forster, head of the company’s picture department, at up to £1,000 and an early 20th century painting by French artist Pierre De Clausade, which is to be further researched.
Mr Forster also viewed a late 18th century drawing of a rural scene by David Cox Senior, which was valued at up to £500. He has a number of appointments to follow up in the Brecon area in the coming month and is happy to make home visits to view paintings.
Jewellery specialist Derek Ainsworth had a busy day and among the pieces he took in for auction were a three stone diamond ring and a mid-19th century continental bracelet, each valued at up to £800 and an 18 carat gold Omega watch at up to £600. He also viewed a 19th century diamond and pearl brooch valued at up to £1,500.
Fine art director Jeremy Lamond took in for auction and further research a Song Dynasty funerary urn and an early 19th century Welsh bible. Other interesting items he viewed were two German stoneware Bellarmine wine flagons valued at up to £700 and a 2,000 year old Chinese grain jar, which required further research.
European ceramics specialist Caroline Dennard took in a Monmouthshire Regiment truncheon from the First World War, which she valued at up to £120 and viewed a KPM Berlin porcelain plaque valued at up to £500.
Mr Lamond said it had been an enjoyable and productive day for Halls and he was delighted with the sum raised for St David’s Hospice Care. The company’s specialists will be visiting the area again in the near future to attend home appointments with people who attended the event.
Sally Morris, St David’s Hospice Care’s community and events fundraiser for Abergavenny, Blaenau Gwent and Mid and South Powys, thanked the people of Brecon and surrounding area who attended the event and said she was delighted with the money raised.
She also thanked the team from Halls for giving their time free of charge and the Castle of Brecon Hotel for providing its ballroom for the event. She said she hoped to organise another antiques valuation event and fair for the charity, possibly in Abergavenny, in the future.
“Everybody seemed to enjoy the event and were very positive about the professional valuations they received,” she added.
St David’s Hospice Care provides a free “hospice at home” service to patients in South and Mid Powys, as well as further afield in Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen. Hospice at Home nurses care for patients in their own homes, allowing them to stay there at the end of their lives.
The charity also runs Usk House day hospice in Brecon, where support is provided to patients diagnosed with a life threatening illness, their families, carers and those who have been bereaved.
St David’s Hospice Care is one of the charities adopted by the new High Sheriff of Powys, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Mike Lewis, during his term of office. He recommended the charity to Halls who previously held a valuation for SSAFA military charity in Powys, which he chairs. Both he and his wife attended Friday’s valuation event.
Halls is a member of the Association of Accredited Auctioneers (http://blog.the-aaa.com), which was formed in 2012 by 20 of the leading UK auction houses with an aim to build relationships with Chinese buyers. Mr Lamond is the AAA secretary.
Anyone wishing to make a home appointment with a valuer from Halls is asked to contact Tel: 01743 450700.
