CCM Skipton's special Christmas sale of Border Fine Arts, Beswick ornaments, toys and collectables boasted a total of 284 extremely nice collective pieces and a standout sale price of £2,000 for ‘Standing Firm (red),’ a limited edition Border Fine Arts Kerry Hill ewe and twin lambs with a red and white border collie. (Sat, Dec 14). Entered by local couple David and Iris Boothman, who recently came out of farming in Halton East and now live in Skipton – both continue to work at the mart – it was one the highest prices of recent times in this fixture at the North Yorkshire mart. The twice-yearly sale always attracts a good number of bidders and this occasion was no exception. Sitting ringside and emerging triumphant from a flurry of bidding for ‘Standing Firm (red)’ – it was sold by auctioneer Matt Middleton - was Darren Bevan, who had travelled up purposely from his family’s farm in New Radnor, Presteigne, Powys.
He said after the sale: "I've been collecting Border Fine Arts for around four-and-ahalf years now. This piece is a limited edition of 350 and I bought it as an investment for the future. It’s one I particularly like. I bought three of them at the Royal Welsh Show which had the black and white, red and white and blue merle collies after my mother said I would kick myself if I walked past them. She now has them on display. “When I saw this red and white one come up at Skipton I knew I had to come up and try and get it. I’ve been to CCM Skipton a few times now and I’ve already booked my accommodation for the next Border Fine Arts sale there on May 10 next year!” Darren, who farms around 80 North Country Cheviots and 100 South Wales Mountain ewes, has kept Kerry Hill sheep in the past, but says they were not well suited to the family's 1200ft hill farm. He's now ploughing and reseeding to adapt the land better for them and aims to give the breed another go in the future. It was the Border Fine Arts section which brought the highest prices, with the popular Highland cattle family from Cheshire vendor RJ Sadler, Nantwich, going for the day’s second highest price at £1,000. The local buyer remains anonymous as the piece is to be a gift.
Bidding was also swift for several other pieces, notably: ‘A Tight Turn’ (a tractor and trailed forage harvester), which was knocked down for an impressive £600. ‘Shedding Lambs’ sold for £560 and two Limousin families went for £540 and £510 respectively. A family of Herefords made £520, while three other pieces: ‘Where there’s Muck’; 'Under the Hammer - Blue' (selling Belgian Blues at auction) and ‘Fuelling the Farm’ (wagon delivery in the yard), each made £500. Several others regularly achieved over £400.
North Yorkshire venue remains leading sales centre
CCM Skipton remains one of the few UK auction centres concentrating on specialist Border Fine Arts and Beswick sales, farm-related items in particular, with its remit now expanded to include vintage Britains Farm Toys, Europe's oldest specialist in agricultural toys and collectibles – aficionados will no doubt recall its flagship Home Farm range of hand-painted lead models – plus other household names such as Corgi and Matchbox, here again primarily farm-related lots.