Llanidloes Street Auction

These days, many of us lose touch with our neighbours

and, quite often, we don't even know their names.

Sadly, that's a symptom of modern living, but it doesn't have to be.

Today, the people of this small town

have come together to say thank you to Irene,

who's given so much to her neighbours and community.

She does a lot of charity work.

People don't know the half of what she does.

Irene is a very special lady,

whose strength is an inspiration to others.

She is definitely one of a kind.

There'll never be another one like her.

She's had to overcome life-changing events...

It's a miracle he survived.

..while all the time battling her own terminal illness.

I don't want to go yet.

I think that's why I haven't got time for all this cancer -

-I've got too much to do!

-SHE CHUCKLES

'So we're going to have a street auction

'to try to raise enough money to buy Irene a special gift.'

Sold! £35.

'We're going to rely on the generosity of all of her neighbours

'to raise the £1,200 we need.'

Can we take this today?

Can I? Should I?

'But it's not going to be plain sailing.'

Where is everybody today?

-Andy Murray's on the television.

-Oh, my gosh.

-And he's 4-1 up!

'So we'll need to think on our feet...'

The bus is leaving in five minutes!

'..and get help from wherever we can.'

Oh, Monty's brought us a Frisbee.

Is that for the street auction?

'And how will Irene react when we reveal it's all for her?'

And all you lot I'm with all the time, you never said a word?

No, we didn't, did we?

Today, we're in the mid-Wales town of Llanidloes -

the first town on the longest river in the UK, the River Severn.

Llani, as it's known locally,

has been inhabited since the Roman times,

but it's now home to around 3,000 people.

We've told Irene Crowther that we're in the town

raising money for a local good cause.

But what Irene doesn't know is that the good cause is HER.

For Irene and Derek, love blossomed when they were still at school.

I spotted her then and I thought, "Yeah, a nice little girl,"

at the time! As you do when you're that young.

He said he liked my long hair

and not long after I had it all cut off!

SHE CHUCKLES

The couple married in St Idloes church in the town in 1973.

Five years later, son Daniel arrived,

followed soon after by daughter Emily.

Life was good for the busy family

until the start of the new millennium

when, one summer's evening, Daniel, aged 20,

was involved in a terrible car accident.

He was picking me up.

And he didn't come, and he knows time's time.

So somebody took me to try looking for him,

but we couldn't find him.

I could hear all these sirens and everything.

I mean, it's a miracle he survived.

You know, he was very badly crushed from his waist up,

on his head, and he broke his neck.

His brain did have a hammering.

The life-changing accident turned the family's world upside down,

leaving Daniel severely brain-damaged

and requiring 24-hour care.

Just two years after Daniel's accident,

Irene received some terrible news.

Yes, breast cancer.

And then rib cancer and then bone cancer.

Irene was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2002,

and given just two years to live.

But 13 years on, Irene is still fighting the disease.

And nothing will dampen her spirits.

Never sits still.

-I can never get her to sit still!

-HE CHUCKLES

She does a lot of charity work - gives her something to do,

something to look forward to, something to work towards.

She makes everything - she knits, she crochets, she does tapestry,

she does patchwork, she does cakes, she does jam.

People don't know the half of what she does, that's the thing.

I want, for the rest of my life, really, to be doing what I'm doing.

Other than going through all the cancer, I love my life.

You wake up and you say, "Thank you, Lord, another day."

And we'll see what today comes, and what we can do.

She puts her mind to something, and she'll stick at it till the end,

whatever it is.

I don't want to go yet.

I think that's why I haven't got time for this cancer -

-I've got too much to do!

-SHE CHUCKLES

Irene wouldn't be able to do half of her fundraising

without her mobility scooter,

but we know her current scooter has been playing up.

So we want to surprise her with a brand-new one

in her favourite colour -

pink.

And this is how we're going to do it.

We've got to knock on as many doors as possible today

and cover a lot of ground.

And I'm hoping that people around here are going to be really generous

and give us their unwanted and unloved items.

Who knows what we might find lurking in a shed around here?

And I know a lady who likes a good rummage around a shed.

She's a bargain-spotting upcycler extraordinaire.

Irina Aggrey! hello!

-Yay!

-Hello.

-Hello, Paul.

Give us a hug.

-Lovely to see you.

-I'm ever so pleased to see you,

-because we're on a real mission today.

-Tell me about it.

Right, we're going to help all the people of Llani -

that's what they call it around here, Llani -

we going to help all the people say a big thank you

to an incredible woman called Irene,

who uses every spare hour she has to raise money for other people.

It's about our things raising as much money as possible.

So the more we get...

..the more Irene has.

The sun is out,

so let's hope the people of Llanidloes are feeling generous.

I don't think anyone's in.

Anybody there?

We need items for our Street Auction bric-a-brac stalls,

and if we find anything special,

we can send it off to a saleroom to try for some big bucks.

BARKS

But this is not the start we need.

Where is everybody today?

-Andy Murray's on the television.

-Oh, my gosh.

And he's 4-1 up.

HE SIGHS

No time to waste!

Hey, guys. Hey, team. This way, look. Garage door's open.

At least there's someone that's going to be in.

Hello! We're looking for unwanted or unloved items

that we can sell in our street party.

We're having a pop-up auction.

-Well, I'll have to ask the boss. He's having a shower.

-Oh, OK.

-We're off to the seaside.

-Oh, are you?

-Do you think everybody else has gone to the seaside?

-Yeah.

Aberystwyth, they all go on a Sunday.

I'll do a couple of knocks around here,

and I'll come back in five minutes.

-I'll ask him now.

-All right.

Well, that explains it - they're all at the beach.

At last, it looks like Irina's had a bit of luck.

Chloe's donating a glass paperweight.

I think I got given it for my birthday by someone.

It's an unwanted gift!

No, I've had it in my... I have it in my room all the time.

Are you sure you want to part with it? And you love it.

That's so sweet, Chloe.

Well, I'm sure it'll go to somebody else who's going to love it equally.

So thank you very much. It's gorgeous.

-It is really nice.

-I know.

Some of the earliest art glass paperweights

were made in 19th-century Venice.

But it was the French that perfected the craft,

and the names to look out for are Baccarat or Clichy.

Chloe's modern paperweight should get us a few quid

on our bric-a-brac stall.

But most importantly, it's our first item of the day.

And it looks like the second item is going to come from Chloe's sister.

-This is great, no, I love it.

-Rebecca's donating a bird bath

given to her by her late grandma. That'll be sure to find

a new home at our street auction.

Well, at least we're starting to get spotted -

-maybe our luck's changing.

-It's a leather jacket.

Oh, OK, thank you, yes, please. Brilliant, that's a start,

my first of the day - a leather jacket. What's your name?

-Bill.

-Bill, pleased to meet you, Bill, and do come to

-our street party, won't you?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Please do.

And this, I know, we can sell, so every penny helps

towards what we're doing. Look, thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

-Brilliant, thank you.

-OK.

Good start.

A new leather jacket would cost at least £100 -

surely I'll get 20 for this. That's good quality.

That's really good quality. Lloyd...

It looks like the sun's not the only one with his hat on.

And the weather seems to be prompting

a winter wardrobe clear-out.

Gorgeous! This looks brand-new.

A warm Americana-type woollen top and a waterproof -

we're getting good-quality clothes here.

And on the other side of the road, Jean has found

a few things for me in her garden.

-Oh, that's great!

-Yes?

-Yeah, an old sign.

That's really good, isn't it? We could take that -

that's pretty good, that's lots of fun.

-The kids would like that.

-A little stool.

-That's a little stool.

-What about that?

-Oh, the well?

-Yeah.

-Can we have the well?

-Yeah, you can have that.

'Garden ornaments are great sellers, especially in the summer.

'And this little well looks perfect for a bit of Irina's

'upcycling magic, that's sure to make us a few pounds.'

-Make a wish!

-Yes.

'You know, it's estimated that tourists throw almost

'£3 million into wishing wells each year -

'if only we could get a few of those wishes in our well

'at the street party.'

Well, it looks like Irina's wishes are coming true,

-thanks to Irene's friend, Janet.

-Got some jewellery here

that was left by an elderly friend and she would love to know

that they've gone to something that would benefit this town.

These three costume jewellery necklaces

are at least 50 years old.

But the design is so unusual, isn't it, and look at the chain on that,

it is, it's very intricate, it's just beautiful.

With turquoise and Tiger Eye gemstones,

these necklaces are perfect for the popular vintage jewellery market.

-I have worn all of them.

-Yeah, quality.

-Time to move on, somebody else can have the pleasure.

-Yeah.

-Why not. Thank you very much.

-Janet's been friends

-with Irene for 40 years.

-So, when people meet Irene, I mean,

-what stands out that's...?

-Bubbly, vivacious...

-Really?

She is just in your face! That's it... You could never ignore her,

-that's for sure.

-Uh-huh.

-She gives of herself...so freely.

Her time, her energies, her expertise, her talents -

she just gives. So it's lovely that she's having something back,

for her. She deserves everything she gets in life

cos she's had an awful lot of rubbish stuff happen.

But she deserves everything that's good.

-She has her down moments...

-Mm.

-..which, obviously,

that's normal, it's human... It's just...

You knock her down, she'll bounce back up.

-She's a fighter!

-She is.

-I like that, I like that spirit.

-She's a tough cookie, I tell you.

-LAUGHTER

She is, she is...

Well, Janet's definitely doing her best to help her friend -

she's also donated this pair of bisque ceramic dogs

and two limited-edition prints.

Irina's done well there, but I feel like I'm being led

down the garden path.

-..Like that, any good?

-Don't you want those?

-No, I don't.

-'We do need bits and pieces for the bric-a-brac stall

'and these bits might get us a fiver.'

I'm not going to knock that.

'But it looks like former train driver Donald

'is digging a little deeper into his shed.'

Oh, thank you. Do you know what? That's brilliant, yeah.

-Brilliant, we've got a fork.

-What about this?

-Cor, yeah, can we have that one?

-Yeah.

That's a really nice shovel.

'This is great British craftsmanship -

'a perfectly weighted builder's shovel

'with a solid wooden handle. Brand-new,

'you'd easily pay £25 to £30 for that kind of quality.'

-Donald Norman Jones?

-Northam.

-Northam?

-That's a South Wales name, Northam.

-Northam Jones.

We're not in South Wales, though, are we?

No, we're... Well, I don't know, are we in Mid Wales?

-I reckon we're in...

-When it comes to the weather forecast,

we don't know where the hell we are!

LAUGHTER

Do you know, you've got a point there, yeah!

'Donald's wife, Gwyneth, 'has been doing some digging

'of her own, and she's found me a Polish coffee set

'and a Continental toby jug for our bric-a-brac stall.'

He looks like Donald.

LAUGHTER

That was good, but that's not good.

We're going to need a lot more than that if we want

to help Irene, and she deserves this.

Emily, who suffers with extreme epilepsy,

knows just how important her mum's support is.

She's amazing and she's been an amazing part of my life

and she does so much for me as well and I'm so grateful to her.

-Yeah.

-And I'm very proud of everything that she's done -

probably a lot of people don't actually know

-how much she does do...

-Sure.

-..and...

-She's an unsung hero, isn't she? Basically.

That's what she is. So, who's your mum helping out

-at the moment?

-She wants to raise money for a palliative care suite

in our local hospital here in Llanidloes.

It's one of her...things that we have discussed as a family,

-that when the time comes, later on...

-Yeah.

..that she would like to be nursed in Llanidloes Hospital.

As far as Emily and Irene know, the new unit hasn't been

confirmed by the hospital, but more on that later.

Now, back on the streets, the whole team are pulling out

all the stops to help Irene. But hang on, Irina,

I recognise that house.

-He said he was coming back.

-He was in the shower.

-Can I? Should I?

Could I take Paul's horn? He'll be livid, won't we?

I don't know what to do...

I didn't know there was going to be a bike,

and that looks like a cracker. Vintage bikes are

in demand at the moment, and you could easily spend £100 on one.

This one's made by the British company Falcon,

who've been in business since the 1930s.

Look at that - they're leaving in ten minutes

to go to Aberystwyth and Paul's not here, so...

finders keepers, Paul, sorry, losers weepers!

LAUGHTER

Well, there's no "I" in team, I suppose.

Irina's done well there and leaves with a bag of books too -

50p each. That's sure to raise a few pounds.

Thanks a lot, enjoy your time at the seaside.

Sorry, Paul, bye!

You get on your bike, Irina. You may have won that one

but I think I'm on to a winner here. I've just bumped into

local sculptor Neil and his wife, Maggie.

Wow! The creative space! Look at this.

-Oh, I love the frog leaping off.

-We thought you'd like

-the frog leaping off.

-Oh. Oh, you are very clever.

-He is, isn't he?

-Oh, he is, isn't he?!

-This is why I married him.

-Yeah...

Neil's such an accomplished sculptor.

His works' been sold around the world for thousands of pounds

and here he is in Llani.

-You know we're having this massive street party...

-Yeah.

-..with a pop-up auction. OK, you've got to come to it.

-Yeah?

-And can you help out, can you...?

-Yeah.

-If you want me

to demonstrate some carving... I've got a brilliant idea

-that's easy to do and short.

-Go on.

-It's called a captive ball,

so it's a ball that's loose and in a cage

-and it's carved out of single piece of wood.

-OK, so that's great.

-At the end of the day...

-Yeah?

-After the...

-I'll do it.

-Yeah. Brilliant. 'This is quite a coup

'and I'm not letting up yet. Can I get Neil to donate

'one of his beautiful pieces of work?' This is a big please,

this is almost a beg, cos you are so talented, OK,

and I know your work probably sells for lots of money,

but is there anything that you can donate?

Something that I can sell on my rostrum?

Take your choice of what you can see.

'Choices, choices.. I feel like a kid in a sweet shop.'

-The smaller bits...

-I like that.

-Yeah. I thought you might.

-He's been around for a while.

-I like that.

-Can we take this today?

-Course you can.

-Please?

-No problem.

Gosh, I want this in my line-up... LAUGHTER

'Well, Neil is being so generous. This has been lovingly carved

'from a solid piece of yew wood and was at least

'80 hours in the making. Neil normally sells his torso sculptures

'for around £2,000. But hang on, we're not done yet.'

He's not the only one who does this...

I make bowls, I'd like you to have that as well, for your auction.

Oh, thank you. 'We may be struggling with numbers of items today

'but that's some real quality there, thanks to Neil and Maggie.'

'Talking of quality, it looks like Irina's found something

'with our name on it.'

It's lovely, isn't it? Beautiful. Look at that copper back.

-Gorgeous colour.

-Someone's left this bed-warming pan out on the street

for us to collect - it looks like a reproduction one to me,

but if it had been a good-quality 17th-century one,

that would be worth around £200 to £300. I'll take a closer look

at that later, but for now,

I've got the trickiest door knock of the day.

Right, I've got to keep my voice down a bit,

cos Irene lives here. Now, I'm going to go inside

and find out all about her, OK?

Find out about the amazing work she does.

And here we go - there's her mobility scooter.

And it's not beware of the dog, we're in Wales,

it's beware of the dragon!

-Hello.

-Hi, it's Paul Martin from the BBC.

-Oh!

Look at him! Isn't he nice. What's he called?

-Monty.

-Monty!

Oh, he's gorgeous, aren't you? You are lovely.

I don't know if you've got anything and you can...?

-Would you like to come in?

-Yes, please.

-Come on. Can I bring the guys as well?

-Yeah, come on in.

-What's your name?

-I'm Irene.

-Irene, pleased to meet you, it's Paul.

-And you...

-'So far, so good, we're in.'

This is Derek, my husband.

So... What... Who has the stairlift?

-I had a lot of cancer and...

-Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm actually on a new treatment. I'm doing very well,

-so...

-But that was your stairlift, was it?

-Yes.

Gosh. You got up the stairs all right, didn't you?

-Yeah, I'm doing really well at the moment.

-Bless you.

'It looks like Derek's got something for us in the loft.'

We've got a Royal Albert tea service here.

'It sounds promising - just got to get it down.'

-Can I stick it on the bed?

-Yes.

'It's definitely got some weight to it.'

-Was this your tea set, then?

-My mother's.

1962.

It's 44 pieces and there's a cloth in there as well.

Wow.

'This pattern, called Old Country Rose,

'is Royal Albert's most popular.

'They have sold 130 million pieces of it since the 1960s.'

Listen to this. TING!

-Wow.

-Bone china really sings, doesn't it?

'It's still being produced today, which is handy if you chip a cup.

'Irene's dinner set, whilst not particularly in vogue,

'is stylish and in great condition.

'The 22-carat gilded edges

'show little sign of wear and it's definitely a complete set.

'I can vouch for that.'

Do you think it's bone china, then? It's heavy.

There's a lot of it!

'That's a great lot for my auction,

'but can I get Irene to help out on the day?'

We are after all the help we can get, OK?

I've been asking everybody to donate stuff, knocking on doors.

Lots of people have been out. I think they're at the beach.

But lots of people are in, that's the main thing.

You know, to make things, to donate things.

But even to give a bit of time up and bring friends along

and spend some money, enjoy the day.

Me and my friends, I'm sure we'd get a stall together.

'Irene is on board.

'No surprise, really.

'She'll do anything to get involved in her community.

'Now, even though Daniel is out with his carer today,

'I think Irene has got a plan for how he can help out too.'

He plays Connect Four to raise money.

Do you think... we could challenge people

to beat him at Connect Four?

He'd love to be challenged.

Even for an hour.

-Shall we do that?

-Yes. It would be brilliant.

He'd love it.

'What a generous family!

'So that's a bone china dinner set, Irene and Daniel helping out

'at the party, and there is more to come in the garden.'

So far, so good.

'Some of Irene's friends and family

'have already passed on some items to donate.'

There's a table there, look.

-Have you been spreading the word, then?

-Yes, we have.

'There are more than a dozen cranberry glass bowls,

'dishes and vases here. The pink colour actually comes

'from a small amount of gold being added to the molten glass

'but it's their kitsch, retro appeal that should make us

'a few pounds per piece on the bric-a-brac stall.'

Monty has brought us a Frisbee! Is that for the street auction?

Is it for the street auction?

'Maybe not, but what is on top of the table looks promising.

'This 1970s Crown Devon coffee set certainly has retro appeal.

'Since the pottery closed its doors in 1982,

'Crown Devon has become more collectable.

'Maybe it's worth widening the audience for these

'and sending them to the saleroom.'

This really is turning my day around.

I'm gradually unwrapping these

because I'm keeping my fingers crossed that is a set of six.

LAUGHTER

'All that's missing is the coffee, so that's the bric-a-brac,

'a dinner set for my auction and a coffee set for the saleroom.

'That's a hat-trick, and all from Irene and Derek.'

What a fabulous couple.

What a fabulous couple.

You would not know Irene is terminally ill, would you?

Man, what inspiration!

She is fantastic!

And we got some great donations and she's going to help us out.

The whole family is going to help, which is just brilliant.

Oh, do you know what? I feel really elated.

I feel really, really quite special to be in her company.

That is a proper, proper Good Samaritan.

'Well, that's a great end to what has been a tough day in sunny Llani.

'Time to see what our efforts have got us.'

It's been a struggle.

-It has, doesn't it?

-And I'm looking at the lines.

That's proof it's been a struggle.

-I know.

-Lots of books.

That's good. Books add up.

-Look, you've got a bed-warming pan.

-I know.

What do you think of this, actually, Paul?

I was going to ask your advice.

That's an Edwardian one.

It's kind of a copy of a Georgian one.

That would warm the bed up, but it did one other thing.

What, what? Go on, tell me.

It singed, it killed all the lice and the bedbugs.

-Fantastic!

-So you wouldn't get your legs bitten.

-Good.

'Well, there's no flies on you, Irina. That's a good find.'

My jewellery, I absolutely love this.

I thought this could go in maybe as one lot to the saleroom.

-What do you think?

-Yes, because I think that is silver-mounted.

'I think that sounds like a plan.

'I'd hope they would get at least £25.

'Now, this takes me back.'

-It's kind of retro.

-I know.

It reminds me of the kind of high school baseball jacket I had.

-Really? Back in the day.

-Back in the day!

-I tell you what, they still wear them, don't they?

-Of course.

'And while we're talking retro...'

-Do you know what? That's a good bike.

-I know. I really like it.

And the best bit... It has to be a girl's bike.

It's got this little shopping compartment at the back.

You just whack everything in there.

'I think I could get £30-£40 for this.'

-What do you think of my birdbath?

-I love that as well.

-Lovely, isn't it?

-That'll find a home, a loving home.

'I think Irina's line is looking pretty good.

'But what does she think of mine? She'll be honest.

'She calls a spade a spade, you know.'

-What do you think of this?

-It's fantastic.

We've got gardens to work on this summer, so, you know ...

That's not a spade.

-What do you mean?

-It's not a spade.

-Yes, it is.

-It's not, it's a shovel.

-It's a shovel.

-It's a spade.

-It's not.

A spade is straight, for digging turf.

-This is a shovel for shovelling coal and sand. Look.

-That's a spade.

It's not, it's not.

That is a shovel.

That's my best piece, the sculpture.

This was made by a local artist who I met.

He's donated this, and his wife made that little bird bowl.

Oh, wonderful.

So that, I thought, a bit of a makeover.

I could give it a nice little upcycle.

Maybe kiddies' colours.

Lots of bright colours.

'That sounds perfect.

'I can sell that on my pop-up option together with Irene's dinner set.'

Toby jugs, bric-a-brac.

I think price these up at two pounds to three pounds each so that's good.

That's all bric-a-brac. That's money.

I love the coffee set, the 1970s coffee set.

That's going to go off to the auction room.

-OK.

-OK, with your jewellery.

I'm reluctant to send that to the saleroom.

I think, because he is a local artist,

I think we might get a better price locally, but I'm not sure.

What do you think? Saleroom or pop-up auction?

Personally, I think saleroom.

'OK. Irina has spoken.

'Fingers crossed she's made the right decision there.

'We'll find out later.'

I think we both deserve a pat on the back.

-We worked really, really hard with what we had.

-Well done.

-Well done.

-Yes.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

I knew I could rely on you.

-I tried my best.

-We got the ball rolling,

that's the main thing.

I've met some incredibly generous people today and I have just

fallen in love with Irene because that women just gives, gives,

gives, gives.

It's now our turn and Llani's turn to do something for her.

It's the morning of the party and there's tons to do

if we're going to reach our target of £1,200.

We checked the forecast and the weather looked awful for today

and nobody wants soggy bric-a-brac.

But Ceri and Geraint have come to the rescue.

We had the phone call about 5:30, six o'clock last night.

They're a very nice family, really, you know.

Glad to do what we can to help out.

Of course they know Irene's family.

The people of Llani are a tight bunch.

And so many have turned out bright and early to get the day started.

Irene is her early to rally the troops.

She has been busy baking and organising the cake stall.

And later, she'll be helping provide the entertainment,

joining Janet and choir friend Tiff to sing in her beloved choir.

Irene certainly had a big hand in the organisation of the day,

not knowing that it's all for her.

-Hello, what's your name?

-Irene.

-I came to your house, didn't I?

-You did.

We had that drink on your terrace and we discussed the china.

We did.

And my son is coming to play Connect Four.

He is disabled.

He'll play Connect Four to try and raise money.

OK. OK.

You've got a cheeky smile, haven't you?

Right, I've got a lot of work to do so I'm going to carry on.

Can't stop and talk to you.

'I've got a good feeling about this today.

'The stalls are looking great.'

This is so well organised today. It looks brilliant.

They have obviously done this before.

'Well, presentation is key in retail and I spotted

'a few things I found on the rummage day.

'There is Donald's shovel.'

Quality, absolute quality.

Look at that! It's brilliant.

I remember the bike as well.

'That'll go on my pop-up auction later.'

Don't remember that.

'And you'd think I would!'

'Just a few finishing touches to the marquee and the stalls,

'and we're getting there.

'Daniel is ready to help raise some money and Tiff is leading Irene

'and the rest of the Tenovus choir

'through the final warm-up exercises.

'The Welsh cancer charity choir

'has become a big part in Irene's life

'since Tiff started it in the town a couple of years ago.'

Irene is the life and soul of choir.

She really is. She brings the party.

You can go there in a lot of pain, you think,

"Oh, no, I don't want to go tonight - I really feel yuck,"

or whatever and you go there and you have a cuppa, you have a chat

and then you are singing and you come out of there

and you feel alive again.

There are so many people want to be around her,

just for her zest of life.

I do think you have to smile a lot.

You have to laugh a lot. You have to cry a lot.

And in my case, shout a lot.

Most weeks, it's usually me making announcements

about when the next gigs are, how the rehearsal is going

and what song we're starting next.

Nine times out of ten,

there will always be Irene next to me making an announcement

about selling raffle tickets or an event she is putting on.

It doesn't matter what life throws at her,

she will carry on doing what she thinks is right and what she

thinks is needed in her community and she's just so selfless.

She's the most inspirational person I'm pretty sure I will ever meet.

She is definitely one of a kind.

There will never be another one like her.

Perfect and straight. All done.

'Right, time to talk to the troops.' Are we ready for this?

ALL: Yes!

I want everyone to sell with big smiles on your faces,

we've got lots of money to raise.

Thank you so much for being generous.

OK, we've got a choir today, is that right? How many of you?

-30-40.

-30 or 40.

Fingers crossed it doesn't rain because you're out there.

-Janet, what are you doing?

-I'm bric-a-brac.

-Bric-a-brac, right.

OK, everything has to go, OK? Who's doing raffles and tombola?

-Drinks and everything? Brilliant. What are you doing, Irene?

-Cakes.

Cakes. Look, we're all sorted really, aren't we?

Enjoy the day, raise lots of money, lots of smiles.

Are you ready for this? ALL: Yes!

Well, they're all fired up,

they've got me fired up. We just need people down here now.

'But I've got a plan for that. Time to hit the high street.'

-Hello, can I give you these?

-Hi!

Like to come along to our street auction?

We're having a pop-up street auction just right down the road there.

Tell your mates.

'I've managed to borrow Phil's bus.'

-The bus is leaving in five minutes.

-Starts at half one.

-Bring the dog.

Come on, boy. Woof, woof, woof, woof!

DOG BARKS

Last chance, everybody. The bus is now leaving.

Let's get on.

And we're off. I tell you what, who wants to share the brolly?

It's not the right weather for an open-top bus, is it?

'But that's not going to dampen our spirits.

'It's time to get this party started.'

ALL: Five, four, three...

Good luck ..two, one.

PEOPLE CHEER

'What a great turnout and the choir are giving it their all.'

It's in full swing.

Oh, no. I didn't win. So close.

Who let the dogs out? Look at them go.

'The marquee is heaving with paying customers,

'that's what I like to see.

'The bric-a-brac is flying off the stalls.

'And there's still items being donated.

'Dewi has just given his American 30-hour alarm clock.'

It's quite a decorative piece.

It's sort of circa 1910, 1920.

An Edwardian one but nevertheless hopefully it's £30-40.

'A good clean face set in a nice walnut frame.

'That could join the other lots for my auction later.

'Well, the marquee is buzzing.'

Yay!

Everybody here is doing their utmost.

Look at this, it's just fantastic.

'And that's because they're all here for Irene.

'This lady is so popular in the town.

'Irene's good friend Tracy is just taking a break from the tea stall.'

You just smile when you see her.

Wherever she is, whatever she asks for people will give,

you know, more than they have to and she will just turn it into

something for somebody else.

Do you think she's twigged all of this is for her?

No, we're a big partner for the palliative care unit that

we're trying to raise money for so she'll probably think this is

-going to go to that.

-I hope so. I hope so.

It's going to be one lovely surprise.

'There's no time for a break.

'The party is in full swing and the people are spending money.'

Oh, hello. What's he been buying, dog bowls?

Thank you very much. Cheers.

That's the second half of the cranberry glass collection

gone for a fiver.

-Brilliant.

-They've got a bargain there but it's all adding up.

-Like to buy the bedpan warmer?

-Yeah, I'm tempted by it.

It's all yours for a fiver. £5.

'And it looks like Irina's close to selling Chloe's paperweight.'

-Oh, you're a treasure.

-BOTH:

-Thank you so much.

-Jinx.

Wow, the fivers are flying in but what about the other stalls?

-How much have you taken so far?

-£100.

-100.

-How much here in the raffle?

-We think about £100 at the moment.

-180.

Really? So we're already up to around £600 in the first hour, wow.

'And Daniel's been doing his bit too.

'True to form, he's not lost a game yet.'

Brilliant. Well done. Fantastic.

'And that's all going to add to the total.

'But you know, it's a good job the money is coming in today

'because we've taken a risk.

'We've gambled on the generosity of Llani and we bought this.'

We've got to raise that £1,200. That's our target.

If we don't, it doesn't bear thinking about.

'And that's not the only thing that's had a paint job around here.'

-The upcycling, the well I found. It looks so pretty.

-Thank you.

-Look at it, look.

-Isn't that great?

Do you like the colour coordinations?

-It's different, isn't it?

-Yeah, yeah. It's fun.

-Exactly.

-Looking at that puts a smile on your face?

-Yeah.

'When I spotted the well in Jean's garden I knew it showed

'promise but Irina has done a great job brightening it up.

'Bit of hard work and a few tins of paint, but what's it worth now?'

-15 quid?

-15.

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Don't go any lower than 15.

-I'll try my hardest.

-Please, please no lower than 15.

-All right.

-Thank you.

'That sounds pretty reasonable to me, Irina.

'With time running out, it's the last push to sell more bric-a-brac.'

This is the bargain two minutes. Everything is now 50p.

'The scouts are spending their 50ps. They're clearing up.'

-That's a deal.

-That's a deal.

-Cheers.

Ah!

'And that's it.

'All that's left is to count the money while Neil sets to

'work on his super-quick chainsaw demonstration.

'Of course, we've already sent one of Neil's pieces to Bamfords sale

'room in Derby, together with the '70s coffee set

'and Janet's jewellery.

'And it's the three necklaces that are first up.

'Irina loved these when Janet donated them on the rummage day but

'auctioneer James Lewis's estimate is just £10-15.

20, 10 if you like? £10 bid with me. 12, 15, 18.

18 in the room, 22, 25. At 22, 25, 28.

26 if you like? 27? You sure? At 26 to the left.

£26, gentleman down the aisle. 26, 1203. Thank you.

'Sold for £26. That's almost twice the top-end estimate.

'But how will the Crown Devon coffee set fair?

'It's estimate is just £15-25.'

£10, anyone?

10, thank you. 12, 14, 16...

'It's creeping up.'

At £18, lady's bid. £18.

'And it's stopped. £18, someone's got themselves a bargain.

'It's just down to Neil's beautifully crafted sculpture now.'

It's estimate here is £100-200.

It better make the £200 or Irina's in trouble.

Truly an antique for the future.

Shall we start it at a bargain price of £100?

100 bid, 110, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200.

It's an absentee bid. With me at 220.

'Just over, that's a relief.

'Neil's piece has really helped with our total and Irina's got the

'final numbers from today's stalls.'

We sent stuff off to the sale room.

We made £264 and today we've actually raised £1,078.

That is a total of £1,342. We've smashed it already.

So whatever we can make on the rostrum now, that can go to

a charity of Irene's choice and I think she would like that.

I think we're ready to go.

Right, I'm going to start us off with something that

has just been made.

Did you all enjoy Neil and the chainsaw carving?

This is what he's made. This is a variation on a Welsh love spoon.

Just a grand scale. He's scaled it up with a chainsaw.

Who is going to start me off with a bid of £5?

It's worth every penny.

It's taken this guy half an hour of blood, sweat and tears.

Thank you, straight in at £5. Is there 10 anywhere?

10, thank you, sir, with the cap. 10, it's against you, madam. 15.

Any further advances on £15? 20, thank you. Can I take 25?

Any further advances on 25? 30. 30 is with me and I'm selling at 30.

It's going once, going twice, fair warning. Sold for £30.

Thank you very much. A wonderful memory of today.

'Well, Neil certainly added to the total for today.

'And Maggie's bowl is up next.'

Sold, £20, thank you.

Now, Irina made me promise I'd get £15 for her upcycled well.

This puts a smile on your face.

Who is going to start me off with a bid of £10 for Jean's well?

Thank you very much, 10 straight in. 15, thank you, sir. 15 now.

Any further advances on 15? Thank you, £20 at the back.

£20 is with me now. I'm selling at 20. Any further advances on 20?

Sold, thank you. £20.

'Irina will be pleased.

'And staying in the garden, up next is the stone bird bath.'

15, thank you. 20. 'It's certainly popular.'

Any further advances on £20? And I'm selling at £20. 30 up at the back.

And I'm selling at 30, fair warning. Sold! £30.

'You've got to love an underbidder. That's another £30 in the coffers.

'Now, my first item from the rummage day, Bill's leather jacket.'

Sold, £15.

And one of today's donations, the American clock from Dewi.

I was hoping for £30-40 for this.

It looks like Derek's got his eye on this one.

£90. Once, twice...

Sold.

£90! And Dewi, he looks pleased with that too.

The next lot is that lovely vintage bicycle

that Irina snatched from right under my nose.

35? It's worth every penny. Don't lose it.

£35, it's ready to go. 35.

It's yours at 35.

Sold. £35. Enjoy it.

You've got a great buy.

'And now for the final lot -

'Irene's mum's 42-piece dinner set.'

Thank you, straight in, 100.

120, thank you. 140.

Thank you. 140. 160. 180?

'And it's popular.' Do I see 200?

200?

190? Can you make that 200? £200.

Fair warning, I'm selling at £200. It's going once.

Twice. Sold, thank you.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Well done!

Thank you so much, everybody, for digging deep.

'Wow! What a great result.'

We set out for a target of £1,200.

We've smashed it!

We now have £2,103, so thank you very much!

This is the community coming together

and it's all to say a very big thank you,

a very big surprise, to one very special person.

This person has been at the heart of your community.

She is a great fundraiser.

She is a great mother, a great wife, you know.

She has had her own personal problems to put up with,

but I tell you what, she puts all of her charities first,

and she always has a smile on her face.

And I think she's just guessed who it is.

Because Irene Crowther, all of this is for you!

Everybody has turned up...

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

..to say thank you, and they love you,

what you do, and don't stop.

Wow!

I just can't believe it.

And all you lot, and with all the time, you never said a word.

No, we didn't, did we? We managed to keep it a top secret!

Well, look at this.

CHEERING

Look at that! You're going to be pretty in pink now.

Thank you so much, all of you! I just can't believe it.

Look. We know you campaign so hard,

you work for lots of different charities,

you're raising money left, right and centre,

and I know one of the big things is you have been campaigning

-for a palliative care unit at your local hospital.

-Yes.

I know you've all been campaigning for that -

well, we've talked to the hospital and they've promised to go ahead,

and it's going to happen in six months.

-You will get that care unit.

-Oh, wow!

And the rest of the money, we've already spent £1,200,

the rest of the money you can put to a charity of your choice.

-The palliative care unit!

-There you go - yay!

I'm going out on it tonight!

This is so, so amazing.

I've got such fantastic friends, family,

but not only that - the community.

I wouldn't be where I am today

without all of the community that's helped me through 13 years of cancer

and people here are just marvellous, incredible,

and I got a pink scooter!

Today has been amazing.

I cried my eyes out at the end, I'm not afraid to admit that.

I think it was fabulous. She's loved every minute.

She had not a clue, and that was the most important thing,

that she didn't know and it was a fantastic surprise.

And we've all got to apologise for telling her lies.

I couldn't think of anyone that would deserve something like this

more than Irene. She's so inspirational.

I'm so proud of her. And she's done amazing,

she's done amazing

with all her cancer and how poorly she is, and...

I just hope she continues for a long time to come yet.

Irene surrounded by friends, family and neighbours,

but more importantly, the whole community has turned out

in the rain to see this happen. They made this possible.

We smashed that target.

I hope you've enjoyed watching the show.

Keep watching, because we could be in your street the next time.

And this auction could be for you.

Irene's enjoying her pink scooter and is still busy raising money

for the new palliative care suite.

Unfortunately, a new cancer has been recently diagnosed,

but it's not stopping her from getting to choir rehearsals.