Newtown’s Marie Curie branch received a £382 boost on Friday thanks to a team of antiques experts who held a well supported charity valuation event in the town.
The Elephant and Castle Hotel kindly hosted the event which saw the team from Halls in Shrewsbury value hundreds of different items, ranging from paintings, books and ceramics to silver, jewellery, toys and furniture.
Included amongst the jewellery pieces consigned for sale were Victorian and 18 carat gold bracelets valued at up to £200 each. Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley, head of Halls’ silver and jewellery department, also valued a ruby, diamond and sapphire bangle at up to £2,000, a ruby bangle at up to £1,500 and a pair of 19th century ormolu candlesticks at up to £500.
Ceramics specialist Caroline Dennard was delighted to see a Meissen chocolate cup, cover and saucer, which she valued at around £600 and a set of 1930s Chad Valley Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs figures in its original box, which was given a valuation of up to £500.
Andrew Beeston, Halls’ senior auctioneer and valuer, took in a Persian copper vase for more research and valued a campaign chess set and a Beck of London microscope and slides at £200 apiece.
He also gave a £200 valuation for an Indian carved teak elephant pushing a log, which was made as a gift for a London timber company director in the 1930s and a pair of 19th century hand painted retailers’ tea canisters possibly by Jennens & Bettridge.
Picture specialist James Forster assessed a selection of watercolours, oil paintings and prints and arranged a series of home visits to view other paintings in the coming weeks.
Mr Beeston thanked the Marie Curie branch for organising the event and the people of Newtown and surrounding area for attending and making it so successful. He was delighted with the sum raised for the charity and said the company would be happy to repeat the event next year.
“Mid Wales has been a happy hunting ground for Halls over the years and this event demonstrates yet again that there are valuable antiques and paintings just waiting to be discovered in the area,” he added.
Llinos Hughes, Newtown Marie Curie branch chairman, thanked the team from Halls for donating their services free of charge and the Elephant and Castle for hosting the event.
“The excellent sum raised once again demonstrates the generosity of people living in Newtown and surrounding towns and villages,” she said. “The money will go towards paying for Marie Curie nurses in the community who provide end of life care and support for people living with terminal illness and their families.”
The Newtown fundraising group has raised £60,000 for the charity, including £28,000 last year, since it was established in 2013.
