Swindon Street Auction

There are estates like this built all over Britain,

designed to be tightly knit communities.

Yet many of us have lost that sense of togetherness with our neighbours.

But not here today.

..one! Yay!

Because today, all the neighbours are coming together for

one massive street party to raise money for one incredible woman

who lives just around the corner.

She has faced challenges that would leave most of us shell-shocked.

At first you think, "That's it. I'm in a wheelchair.

"I've got this horrible leg. What will happen to me?"

Since losing both her legs, she has worked tirelessly to help others.

I don't know of any other volunteers that go into hospitals and help

with their amputee class.

Been through a lot in her life,

but always has time for other people.

She's been an inspiration.

Bonny doesn't ask for any thanks.

She just wants to help people day in and day out.

We thought it was about time we said, "Bonny, thank you.

"We all think the world of you."

So today, we're raising money for her

by auctioning items donated by her friends and neighbours.

It's going once, it's going twice - sold!

Thank you.

'But that's no small task.'

-They don't want to answer the door.

-Don't shut me out!

I'm not a cold caller!

'We'll have to pull out all the stops...'

You're asking people to search, to dig deep, to go into their attics,

to find things in the garden shed.

'..to pull in the cash.'

-Whoo!

-A boar's head!

'But will our hard work pay off?'

Any advances on £20?

'And can everyone keep a secret...'

-I feel bad because I have been telling her a few fibs...

-I know.

'..before we spring our big surprise?'

You really are the people's champion.

Today, we're in Swindon.

Set in the heart of Wiltshire,

it blossomed with the arrival of the railways in the mid-1800s.

Now, it's a bustling city of over 200,000 people.

We've told former English teacher Bonny Walsh

that we're here to make a film about community groups.

She has lived in Swindon for decades,

but the early years of her life with husband John

were spent in more exotic climes.

We married in 1960.

And we went to live in Casablanca,

which was an unusual thing to do then.

Very unusual.

But we came back to London after two years.

Bonny and John settled back in the UK with their young family.

Little did they know that their lives were about to change forever.

Bonny, who had given up work to raise the children,

developed symptoms of peripheral vascular disease.

Bonny's illness meant that blood flow to her legs

was gradually restricted.

I had very narrow arteries.

I had always had very poor circulation.

And they began to get narrower and narrower,

and they started to get blocked.

The consequences were devastating.

First of all, I had to have a toe amputated, then another toe.

And I managed, I was OK. I just got used to it.

But then the condition started to come back,

and it got worse again.

By the time she reached her 50th birthday,

both of Bonny's legs had been amputated below the knee.

I thought,

"Well, you know, this could be the end of the road."

But no, she coped.

Cos I don't think I could have...

I don't think I would have reacted as well as that.

No.

Now Bonny uses two artificial legs, and amazingly,

her own disability has inspired her

to help others in the same situation.

She set up the Swindon Limbless Association

to offer support to fellow amputees and to show them

that there is still life after losing a limb.

Bonny organises day trips out for the charity

so everybody can come together.

It often cheers people a bit when they discover

I've got both my legs off and I can walk around and do things.

She's too modest to expect praise,

but we think it's about time she got a big thank you.

So here at this street party,

we're hoping to raise enough money

to send Shakespeare fan Bonny off to

the Globe Theatre in London, to watch, well, the Scottish Play.

We reckon that's going to cost around about £600.

It's a lot of money. We've got our work cut out.

And that work started four weeks ago,

when we took to the streets around Bonny's home.

Now we've got one day to knock on as many doors as possible,

and we're hoping that people in this neighbourhood of Swindon

are going to be really generous.

Because we're asking them to donate unwanted and unloved items,

so we can make as much money as possible

in a pop-up street auction right here in a month's time.

That's a big ask, but we've also got to keep it a secret from Bonny

until after the auction.

We've certainly got a mountain to climb today,

so I've roped in my mate, Danny Sebastian, to help out.

Hey, my man!

'If anyone knows the tricks of wheeling and dealing, it's him.'

-Morning.

-Good morning.

-Bang on time.

-As per usual. Well, what's it all about, Paul?

OK, it's about an amazing lady called Bonny.

She lives just up the road. Now, she has lost both legs,

yet she still works tirelessly for other people.

So she's a brilliant character.

Wow! She sounds like a very amazing lady.

Oh, believe me, she is. And this is all about getting

as much stuff for Bonny as possible, OK?

-And keep it a secret.

-And keep it a secret, you've got it!

-Yes.

-I'll tell you what we'll do -

make it a bit of a challenge and at the end of the day we'll see

-who's got the best kit, shall we?

-I'm getting a head start now then!

OK, you take that direction over there.

-Thank you.

-Good luck. And enjoy it.

-I will!

Thanks, Heather.

Today's best finds will go to a saleroom,

and I'll sell some on our pop-up auction.

The rest will be bric-a-brac.

It's a sunny day, so I've got high hopes.

No-one's in, no-one's in.

'But it looks like I've drawn the short straw.'

My mum had a bell like this.

HE RINGS DOORBELL

They're out.

20 houses in, and everyone's either out...

I'm kind of giving it five seconds per house, and if they're not in,

I can't wait.

"Ding-dong!"

..or in a do-not-disturb kind of mood.

I'm gradually turning into a doorbell anorak.

Doesn't seem to be putting my mate Danny off.

There's a lot of signage here. But I've never been a good reader.

-I love that picture.

-Good, innit?

-Yeah, very nice.

He still managed to sweet-talk Bonny's neighbour Brian...

That's a good start.

..and nab his first donation.

Hey, here we go.

Phew!

A new exercise bike can cost between £100 and £400.

We'll take this.

So, I think we can definitely work up a few pounds

for this one on the day of the auction.

Oh, now, that's looking good.

We've got a couple of nice bits there.

Eagle-eyed Danny also spotted potential in an old sideboard.

I think we could upcycle that quite nicely

and make it into something special,

and I think somebody's going to really appreciate it.

Dark wood furniture isn't fashionable these days.

-What do you reckon, Brian?

-All got to go.

But with a quick sand down and a lick of brightly coloured paint,

we can bring it bang up-to-date and make a few quid too.

But metal-detecting enthusiast Brian

has saved his best treasure for last.

Brian's just given me some Roman coins.

And these are all your finds with your metal detector?

A few, yes.

-Mostly 4th century.

-Mostly 4th century.

-Are they common?

-Yes.

-They're common?

-Yes. I've found about 4,000...

-over the years.

-You can pick up Roman coins for as little as 50p.

A few of Brian's probably date from the 3rd century,

so it's well worth sending this lot to the saleroom.

What about this metal detec...?

DANNY LAUGHS

I think you might be pushing it now a bit.

-Is there anything else?

-Well, you can have him.

Oh, no, too expensive.

No. He'd be too expensive, this young man here.

-Do you reckon?

-Oh, yes.

Keep coming.

Danny's off to a flying start with that little hoard.

That will do you.

One, two...and up.

At this rate, there'll be no room for my stuff in the van.

Nice one.

But the front doors still aren't opening for me.

Someone's in. Oh, well, they don't want to answer the door.

I'm not a cold caller.

'Time for a change of plan.'

Let's just see if I can get on air

on the local radio station and make an announcement.

CHUCKLING: You never know, it might work.

The station is a proper community effort,

staffed by volunteers and run by Shirley Ludford.

Is there anything we can do on air, just a quick plug?

-I'm sure we can give you a hand.

-Can you do that?

-Of course.

Brilliant. Thank you.

We have the lovely Paul Martin and the BBC crew here today.

Thank you for inviting me in.

We want to help somebody that is an unsung hero in the community.

So, today we are asking people to search, to dig deep,

-to go into their attics, find things in the garden shed...

-Yes!

..anything they can bring. Bring it to the radio station,

-and you'll be here to greet them?

-Yes.

-Excellent.

Well, let's hope it's a really successful day for you.

'Fingers crossed, the people of Swindon will come up trumps.'

-Thank you.

-Bye-bye.

-Take care, bye.

That's what it's all about.

Hopefully, that's going to make my job a lot easier today,

and I can't wait to see Danny's face!

Ahoy, sailor! Are you on a dinner break?

Have you heard about what we're trying to do?

I know you've got plenty in your house.

That bit of bling an' all, you can leave that bit of bling if you want.

Can I come in?

Well, it certainly looks like

his charm's still pulling in the donations.

-Hiya, I'm Danny.

-Hiya, Danny, I'm Amanda.

-What have you got for me?

-Some stuff in my shed.

Let's have a look.

Has it all got to go?

-No, not all of it, I'm afraid.

-I notice you've got two ladders.

-I have.

-Can we nick one?

I'm afraid not, because one's mine and one's my dad's.

Oh, can we nick your one, then, and you just keep borrowing your dad's?

-No.

-No? Two sets of wellies here.

-Yeah, you can have them.

I really love these leopard-print ones.

Just a shame they're not in my size.

Amanda, can we have them drawers as well?

Yeah, you can. I'll have to empty them first though.

Nothing gets past our Danny.

This modern chest of drawers is an ideal candidate for upcycling.

These are made of pine - very desirable.

It's got a lovely dovetail joints, so it's well constructed.

It's even got a solid back! That is a rarity.

THAT'S when you know it's quality.

It'll take nothing more than a bit of sending to revive these drawers.

-Fantastic.

-And I think we can easily pull in £10 or £20 for them.

Time for a well-earned pit stop, I reckon.

-Oh!

-Hello.

-Hello, Paul.

Oh, don't worry, relax.

HE SIGHS DEEPLY

We're in the shade here, that's nice.

How are you getting on?

It's a piece of cake.

I can see that.

Hey, I'm doing the gags round here.

Well, are you going to ask me?

HE MUMBLES WITH MOUTH FULL

-How have you done?

-There we go.

-Nowt.

-Absolutely nothing.

But...I've got something lined up at 2.30.

I've just done an announcement on the local radio station.

I've asked people to bring stuff down,

I'll be there to collect it with the van.

That was a fantastic idea.

Could be.

A fantastic idea it may be,

but neither of us have time to rest on our laurels.

There's people in the street.

Hopefully, they live in the street!

These look like brand-new.

-Oh, brilliant.

-There's a jacket, a couple of hoodies,

and I've got a TV stand as well.

'Ey up! That's the man.

You've got a couple of bits and bats here.

-Yeah.

-I tell you what, he's a man of his word.

There you are.

Thank you. Thank you. Good neighbour.

It's clear that Bonny's friends and neighbours all love her.

And who could blame them?

Her volunteering makes a real difference to people's lives.

Alongside her charity work,

Bonny also supports patients at the local hospital.

It's an invaluable addition to the work of physiotherapist Karen.

We had an occasion where a patient

didn't want to acknowledge her leg had been removed.

She didn't want to look at it, she couldn't touch it.

Bonny came in, sat down and chatted to her for a good 20 minutes.

The patient turned to Bonny and said, "What would you know about it?

"What would you understand about being an amputee?"

And Bonny just casually showed her her legs.

From that moment on, we made really good progress.

She realised that there was life after having an amputation.

If anyone's proof of that, it's Bonny.

She's an inspiration to everyone she meets.

We didn't realise that she was an amputee initially.

No idea whatsoever.

-The confidence that she walked into the room with as well.

-Yeah.

It's so easy just to sit there and sort of vegetate and just give in.

She just eggs you along all the time

to...to do more.

She's fab. Our service wouldn't be quite the same without her.

Bonny works so hard that she deserves a break.

So, today, we are working tirelessly

to try to raise £600 for her trip to London.

And Danny is definitely excelling himself.

We're looking for new Ford cars.

-Are you? You can have that one, then.

-Give us the keys.

-Yeah!

Give us the keys, come on.

Alec is not quite ready to part with his car.

But he does have a donation of a two-wheeled variety.

I can have that bike. That's lovely, thank you.

Oh, dear.

Bikes always do well.

This one would cost around £100 brand-new.

That's it, we're there.

We're there, Alec.

It's in fantastic condition,

so I think we'll get at least £10 for it.

It's only the handlebars won't go round.

He's also throwing in a kid's trike.

It's a bit old, but it's bound to be snapped up for a pound or two.

I'm going to give you one of these,

and then you've got the dates and everything all on it.

-Pleasure.

-See you at the auction day.

People round here are absolutely fabulous.

They're so generous, and I'm loving it.

More stuff for the van.

Keep up the good work, Danny.

There's lots of photos on this wall here.

Meanwhile, I'm visiting Bonny's daughter Abby.

Is that the whole family together up there?

Yeah, that's on one of our family holidays in Wales, that is.

Oh, wonderful.

I want to find out more about this extraordinary lady.

-So, tell me a bit about Mum.

-Well, she's quite an amazing woman.

She's really independent. She does loads and loads of stuff.

She's got a better social life than I have.

She's always arranging trips and meals, usually for other people.

Doesn't really take any credit, actually,

and doesn't boast about stuff.

She just gets on and does stuff, my mum. She gets on.

I know she set up the Swindon Limbless Association,

-and she runs that.

-Yeah, she did.

She does everything on that really.

And she gives a lot of counselling and guidance...

-Yeah.

-..she's there for other amputees.

Yes, she is, yeah.

She's always on the phone to someone, seeing if they're OK.

So, she must have helped quite a number of people.

Oh, yeah, she has. I don't know how many, but lots of people.

Yeah, she's really, I think, helped change their lives.

Bonny's on holiday at the moment,

but she's so bighearted that she's left a donation for us.

-I think it's Constable.

-Salisbury Cathedral.

It's a print of Constable's, yes.

'With prints, the real money is in limited editions,

'which are usually numbered and sometimes signed by the artist.'

That can go on our bric-a-brac stall, OK?

-Yeah.

-That's quite nice. A good architectural picture.

Hopefully, there's three or four pounds there.

If someone likes Salisbury Cathedral.

-I quite like it.

-You like it?

-Yeah.

-You might end up buying it back!

£6 to you! THEY LAUGH

'Hearing more about Bonny makes me

'doubly determined to hit our target.'

-Thank you. Bless you.

-Good luck.

-Yeah. (Don't tell Mum.)

-No.

-(Don't tell Mum.)

And if enough people show up at the radio station with donations,

we'll do it.

It's a gamble though.

So...there's the van. There's the team.

Where is all the people?

Help! Now, I am getting a little bit worried.

My only hope is that the radio station manager Shirley

can pull something out of the hat.

Hiya, Shirley. Well, look, I kept my promise.

-Hi.

-Hello.

-How's it been going?

-It's hard work.

-Fun?

-Hard work. Fun, lots of fun.

-We have a few items for you.

-Oh, I like him, look at that!

HE LAUGHS

Isn't that cute? A boar's head!

'Don't worry, we haven't gone taxidermy-crazy here,

'The head is made of clay and papier-mache.'

Right, OK, I think that's something for our pop-up auction. Don't you?

'It's not something I come across every day,

'but it's got to be worth about £20 for its sheer novelty value alone.'

A couple of figures, look like Meissen figures,

but there's no marks on them.

'Meissen porcelain was first produced in Germany

'in the early 1700s. Genuine pieces can sell for thousands,

'but they must have a crossed sword logo.

'These aren't the real deal, but still worth a bob or two.

'I've said it once and I've said it 1,000 times -

'one man's trash is another man's treasure.'

There's a suede jacket there.

I wonder if it fits?

'And Shirley's dug up plenty of odds and ends

'for our bric-a-brac stalls.'

A good Edwardian jardiniere, isn't it?

Shirley...you've saved my bacon.

THEY LAUGH

'While I savour my success...'

Oh, thank you very, very much.

'..Danny's still on a roll.'

What've you got for me? That's nice. Oh, beautiful.

And the good folk of Swindon just keep on giving.

-I have a table, is that any good?

-Can I have a look?

-DOG BARKS

-Whoa!

Well, at least when Danny comes a-knocking.

A lovely little drop-leaf table that, a bit of retro.

Yes, please, thank you. Can you manage?

-The red table top is made from Formica.

-Lovely.

It's a hard-wearing laminate that became popular

as a work surface after the war.

BARKS

Thanks very much.

For years it was seen as a tacky remnant of the 1970s.

-Bye-bye.

-But that retro look has come right back into fashion now.

It's got a nice red colour which is quite funky,

and also it's got this jazzy little design on it.

Easy to store, very desirable.

Back at the radio station, a lovely lady called June

has brought along some interesting jewellery.

That...I know, is from about the '30s.

-Yep, Stormy Weather, it looks very

-'30s. Yeah.

'It has a date stamp of 1933,

'the year the song Stormy Weather was recorded,

'so it'll appeal to both music fans and collectors.'

It's a lovely little badge, isn't it?

'June's also donating a brooch fob watch.'

-That's so sweet.

-It is in working order,

but there's just a little couple of little stones missing.

'It's an eye-catching timepiece made from paste and steel.

'There's a bit of damage, but it's still

'one of the most exciting finds of the day.'

Bless you. I'm going to give you a hug for that.

We're going to send that one off to a proper auction room.

'The little brooch will be going to the saleroom too.

'It's fantastic to have finally found something

we could make serious money on.'

Meanwhile, Danny's lucky streak continues...

HE CHUCKLES GLEEFULLY

..as the donations are being delivered directly to him.

INDISTINCT

Are you sure?

If you're hoping to make any money on model cars,

they've just got to be in good condition,

unopened in their original box, if possible,

and, in general, the older, the better.

I look at this straightaway,

I see a plastic base and that tells me that it's very modern.

Old, nice, vintage pieces, they'll have a metal base.

Collectable or not, we're going to make a few quid out of them.

'For me, donations are drying up.'

Thank you very much.

'But I've noticed a group of artists in the community centre next door

'that's given me an idea.'

Hi, everyone. Wow, look at this.

You're all being creative, aren't you?

Look, you know we're having a street party, don't you?

-Yes.

-You do know about that, yeah?

Could you and your class

paint lots of stuff for us to sell,

maybe we could sell some of your art?

Do you know, we would love to?

We've got so many paintings that nobody ever sees.

So let's have one stall dedicated to all of your art

so it'll be like a little art gallery, yeah?

Do you know a lady called Bonny?

-Yes.

-You know her?

-I do.

-Right, all the proceeds that we're making,

we're going to get her there at the street party with her family...

-Yes.

-..and she is going to have a big surprise

because she helped so many others and it's about time we helped her.

Yeah? Does that sound good?

-Wonderful.

-Lovely.

Brilliant. Brilliant. So you're all on board?

Yeah? Brilliant.

Thank you so much.

You can carry on now.

That's great. Art stall, done.

-Bye, Paul.

-Bye.

That's drawn our day to a close nicely.

Now it's time to see what we've got and, more importantly,

what's good enough to send to an auction house.

Danny, you are my champion.

I'm trying to see where yours ends, Paul?

-Well...

-Hold on a minute.

You're short-sighted.

-I am a little.

-Do you like that?

-I do. It's a bit BOAR-ing.

It is, but I tell you what, it's not real, that's not taxidermy.

That's a model. It's all clay and papier-mache.

-I like that.

-It will sell.

I'll sell that on the pop-up rostrum.

I also fancy my chances of making £10-£15

on the red Formica table, so that can go into the pop-up auction too.

I love this.

-That was a good find.

-I mean, it's machine-made, OK?

It's machine-made. It's modern.

But I think we upcycle that,

bleach it up, make it look driftwoody,

make it look softer, get the varnish off.

-I like that.

-Good.

'And while we're in the upcycling mood,

'I reckon we could liven up

'the dark wood sideboard with a bright colour.'

I see you've got some toy cars.

-Yes.

-I think if we split that collection up,

lined up on the bric-a-brac stall,

all the kids will gravitate towards them and Dad will get two quid

out of his pocket. Two or three pounds is nothing per car.

'Well, the bric-a-brac stalls will be chocka,

'but the big money's in the lots that are going to the saleroom.'

I have got something to send off to auction. That.

The little watch. A watch and a badge,

we'll send off to the auction room and I think there's a few bob there.

'Danny's collection of Roman coins can go to the auction house too.'

They're about £1 each, possibly, some of them might be two quid.

The impressed marks aren't brilliant.

Right you are. The chap said that, actually.

-Did you say that?

-Yeah, he did.

-Danny, well done.

-You're welcome.

-Fantastic.

-You're welcome.

-Couldn't do it without you.

-Cheers, Paul.

-Danny, champion of the world.

He is the outright winner, but our work is not done.

This won't get Bonny off to London

to that wonderful Shakespeare experience, but she will have it

because we're determined it's going to happen.

It's auction day...

..and there's a ton to do.

-Put a bit round here, I think.

-We've got yards of bunting,

dozens of tables and a van-load of bric-a-brac

and it all needs sorting, pronto.

That's to Janice and this is to Cathy.

Luckily, Bonny's neighbours are out in force

and her daughter Abby and friend Derek

have also come along to lend a hand.

-Derek.

-Thank you.

-Morning, everyone.

-ALL:

-Morning!

-Without this group of wonderful people,

we're not going to do this, are we?

We're not, are we, Danny? No, we're not.

'We've got a massive £600 to raise today

'and that's not going to be easy.

'But seeing the community pulling together to help is just amazing.'

-I was going to spread these things out.

-Yeah.

'And Bonny's friends and neighbours are offering more than muscle.'

They look like they're brand-new.

'Donations are still coming in.'

They're our daughters' bikes but they've outgrown them now.

'The bikes are being donated by Bonny's granddaughter Cerys.'

I'm at uni now and I don't really have call to use it.

'They're in great condition

'so they should make a tenner in the pop-up auction.'

Look at this - at the last minute, a barometer.

And it's actually reading change.

We need it to be there.

Fair to very dry.

'Barometers have been around since the 17th century.

'This one is probably Victorian.

'It's not quite as valuable as the Georgian model,

'but, if all set fair, it should do well on the pop-up auction.

'One sure-fire money-spinner is the cake stall.'

This looks fantastic.

'But the proof of the pudding...'

I've got to sample the goods.

LAUGHTER

You're welcome. Enjoy.

'Beautiful cakes from the WI.

'It's a definite thumbs-up from the crew.'

Get out of it, you.

Half an hour to go and everything is coming together nicely.

Is that for cleaning your teeth?

So just enough time for Danny to road test his favourite find...

Some little child's going to have a lot of fun on this.

..and for me to check in on my painting buddies

from our rummage day.

I burst into your art class and said, "Come on, you've got to help."

And you have. Look, you've turned up with some great stuff.

I love art stores and people should buy into one-offs.

I always think it's a good investment.

Can I pick one and sell it on the rostrum?

Yes.

I like that. There's something sort of semi-Pre-Raphaelite.

I like the gentleman as well.

Ladies are always a better subject matter to sell than gentlemen.

Unless it's a gentleman who is an officer in uniform who is famous.

'Still, I think this guy could make at least a tenner

'on the rostrum today. It all helps.'

I think that one's £30-£40.

I love them. But now is no time for art appreciation

because we've got to get the ball rolling.

Five, four, three, two, one.

CHEERING

Well, we're off to a fantastic start.

The sun is shining, everyone is happy and, most importantly,

there's lots of money changing hands.

Any change? Any change?

Come on. Dig deep. Dig deep.

Thank you very much. I'll shake your hand on that one.

Thank you very much.

Bonny's friend Derek is doing a roaring trade on one of the stalls.

But he's taken time out to tell me

how Bonny's kindness has touched him.

Tell me about first meeting her and what she's done for you.

I was at the amputee class in the Great Western Hospital

after having my right leg removed and she came and introduced herself,

explained about the Limbless Association.

-Yes.

-My wife and I thought, "We'll go along and give it a try,"

and, I tell you what, it's the best thing we've ever done.

It is so informal, but it is a support group.

Sure. She's been there, she knows what it's all about.

Exactly. And she's not preachy, bossy or anything like that.

Bonny has really helped you personally move on in the last year.

She's made you positive, she's made you get out and do things.

Yes. Not only me but everyone she meets.

She is an inspiring woman

and I'm pleased about everything we can do for her today.

The main thing we can do now is make loads of money.

Come on. Let's see what we've got on the stalls.

-Come on. Come on. Don't be shy.

-Brilliant. Love it, love it.

Smile. Selling with a smile on your face, that's what it's all about.

Hello, sir. Do you drink beer? No.

Now, it's all got to go. It's not for show.

Now, isn't that brilliant? From one home to another.

Fantastic.

Bonny's daughter Abby

is busy on one of the bric-a-brac stalls

and, for weeks now, she's been keeping everything from Mum.

Has she twigged?

No. There's been a couple of times that things nearly slipped out,

-but no. Fingers crossed.

-You've had to repair it slightly.

Had to say, "No, don't be silly."

I feel bad because I've been telling her a few fibs.

-I know.

-I don't usually do that.

-You have? I've been telling...

We've all been telling a few fibs.

This must make you feel really proud.

It definitely does.

I'm proud of my mum anyway but this is, like, you know,

the cherry on top, really. It's brilliant.

It doesn't feel real.

Oh, bless you. Bless you. It is real.

Our £600 target is most certainly real

so time for a quick update on our takings.

-How much, girls?

-We've given in £90 already.

£90. That's really good.

There's about 20 quid in there.

We sold all these chairs.

-Fiver for a set.

-Fantastic.

-Fantastic.

-We think we've made £70.

Thank you. £70.

£70 is really good.

I'm trying to do my sums very, very quickly

but let's just say it's around about £300 so we're halfway there.

We are not just depending on bric-a-brac and cakes

to make the dough.

Steady. Lovely.

I'll be selling items from our public auction a bit later,

including our upcycled furniture.

Do you remember this? Was this ever yours?

Brian and Pat kindly donated a dark wood sideboard.

We've stripped it back, sanded and painted it.

I think it looks absolutely wonderful.

-It's brilliant.

-Can we have it back?

-No!

Hold on a minute! Of course you can have it back

but you're going to have to pay for it in the auction.

Danny also picked up a pine chest of drawers.

It was solid but dated.

Not any more.

In its original state it was all yellow and horrible with varnish.

We've sanded and bleached this one to give it a raw driftwood look.

I tell you what,

these look absolutely fantastic and they've got to make top dollar.

All it cost to transform both these pieces was a few hours' work

and a fiver for a tin of paint. Easy.

Everyone's giving it everything they've got here today.

50p for a brown sheet they don't ever have to wash.

I like where you're coming from!

It's got to be a fiver. Who's going to give me it?

Come on. Come on. Don't all rush me all at once.

And Danny's hard sell is paying off.

-I'll give you a pound.

-A pound will do. Thank you very much.

Nice piece, that. West German, 1984.

Don't give it away for a pound.

The buyer is Bonny's older daughter, Miranda.

Tell me a little bit about Mum cos I don't really know Mum

but I know she's an amazing woman.

Yeah. She's lovely, charitable, self-effacing.

Couldn't wish for a better mum.

Well, Bonny's just shown up so now is my chance to meet her.

I just need to make absolutely sure I give nothing away.

-What's your name?

-Bonny.

-Bonny, hello. It's Paul.

-Hello, Paul.

-Are you enjoying the party we've put on?

-It's lovely.

-It's brilliant.

-Really good fun.

It looks like the whole community has turned up around here.

-It does look like that, doesn't it?

-Yeah.

You've got one of our people on the stall.

Derek over there. Yes. And how do you know Derek?

I go up to the hospital to meet new amputees

because it's a horrible shock for people if they lose a limb.

-It must be.

-It's nice to let them know there's a friendly group

they can join, other people in the same boat.

Yes. I'll let you get on with your day.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much. Sorry to bother you.

My goodness, what a terrific lady.

So kind and dignified.

I really hope she doesn't suspect anything.

We've just got to keep her here until the end of the street auction

when all of this community embrace her

with the love that she's given them.

Wave to Mummy.

So much entertainment going on.

Double, double, toil and trouble.

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.

Let's make one for Danny.

There is ten more minutes to go before we close the stalls down

so everything on the stalls from this moment onwards is £1.

-Here, take two.

-Oh, you're a darling.

I'm going to follow you,

then I might get some more money out of you.

-How much did you pay for it?

-Only £1.

£1? Bargain.

That's my kind of girl. She knows a bargain when there is one.

Ladies and gentlemen, the stalls are now officially closed.

We are now going to count all the money

before we start the pop-up auction and I'm going to leave you

in the capable hands here of our wonderful Polish choir.

SINGING

While the ladies of the Polish choir serenade the crowd,

we're busy counting the cash.

But we've already raised some money

at the saleroom auction in Derbyshire.

James Lewis was the man with the gavel.

50. Yours.

First up we have the brooch fob watch which was donated by June

who brought it along to the radio station.

Decorative little thing.

It has got a bit of damage so the estimate is £25-£30.

20. And five here. 25.

30. 30 at the front.

At 30.

Yours, sir.

Coming in at the top of its estimate - not a bad start.

-Well done.

-Next, the Roman coins which were kindly donated by Brian.

The auction house estimated £25-£30

and I'd be happy if we got the top end.

25. 30. 30.

Go on. 30. 35. 35. 40.

38 bid. I'll take 39 if you like.

I don't mind. Well done.

39. And 40, sir?

£40 bid. And two.

At £40. The gentleman's bid at 40.

At 40. Well fought, sir.

£40.

Great. Let's see if banter can bump up the price of our last lot.

Next, the unusual stormy weather brooch

which was also donated by June.

Estimate, a disappointing £5-£10.

£15 on the aisle.

20, do I see?

But estimates can be cautious.

20 and five.

25 now. Go on.

28 if you like.

Every pound counts.

28.

27.

I'll take it. I'm not proud.

At £27.

Well done. £27.

The pin almost tripled its top estimate.

That's the kind of result we like.

All told, we made £97 in the sale.

It's a start, but we're still a long way off.

Here's hoping today's takings will push us closer to our target.

Right, OK. It's the moment of truth. What have we done?

Paul, it's looking bad.

I know it's not because halfway through the day

we'd already got over half our total.

So I'm kind of thinking we've got 600.

Well, we have. We've got more than 600. We've got £690 plus.

-A bit of change.

-Brilliant. £690. That's fantastic.

So far, including the sale room, that's where we're at.

Total so far - £787.86.

Absolutely fantastic.

Smashed it. Smashed it.

We've already sailed past our target of £600.

Now we're aiming to double our money.

We'll spend the extra cash on an excursion

for the Limbless Association,

so the pressure is on to make the pop-up pay.

So we're going to start off with lot number 1.

First under the hammer, Danny's upcycled chest of drawers.

It is well worth £50, but let's start off at 20.

Who's going to give me 20 anywhere?

Come on. £20.

Surely. 20.

There's one hand. Thank you very much.

Is that 25? Thank you. 25 now.

I'm looking for 30.

£30 is with me now.

Any further advances on 30?

35. Come on, that's a bid at 35, surely.

-Can't get it home.

-You can't get it home. We can deliver.

£35.

Come on, 40 anywhere?

I'm looking for £40.

Thank you. I'm selling now at 40 and it's going once, twice...

Fair warning, I'm selling at 40.

Sold. Thank you, sir.

That's the kind of start I was hoping for.

Can the upcycled sideboard do the same?

Who's going to give me an opening bid of £20?

-There's a bid.

-There is a bid over there.

£20 now.

Surely 22.

I'm looking now for 22.

'Oh, dear. That wasn't part of the plan.'

Thank you very much, madam.

'Bonny's daughter Miranda to the rescue. Thank goodness.'

It's against you now, sir.

22 here. £25 is with me now.

Any further advances on £25?

And I'm selling at £25.

27, thank you.

£27.

Well done. 30.

30. Thank you very much. £32.

Coming back with strong stuff.

33? Make it 35.

-35.

-£35.

And I'm selling at £35.

It's going once, going twice...

Fair warning, I'm sell...

40.

They nearly dropped it.

And I'm selling at 40.

It's going once, twice.

Sold. Thank you to you, madam.

That was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

It was a hard sell, but £80 for the two pieces of furniture

that were gathering dust isn't bad.

Right. The red Formica table.

'I'm hoping Danny's bit of retro is worth £15.'

Yes, we've got five.

Ten. We're in at ten now.

Looking for 15 and I have 15.

Any further advances on 15? I'm selling at 15.

It's going once... Yes, thank you. A bid of 20.

Any further advances on £20?

Come on, we all like a bit of retro.

Any advances on £20?

Sold. Thank you, £20.

Not a bad result and now everyone is really getting into the swing of it.

Going once, twice, sold.

Thank you.

Don't miss this one. It's beautiful.

I'll do 23.

'I thought the two portraits

'would make us between £40 and £50 in total.'

Sold!

'But in the end it was just £33.'

Who's going to start me off with a bid of £10?

'And radio station host Shirley bagged the barometer for £31.'

It's going once, twice...

Sold. '£10 more than expected.

'But I'm sure it's the final lot

'that will really bring home the bacon.'

It is a papier mache boar's head.

I think this is a great bit of fun.

Danny and I will sign that.

'Maybe that'll bump the price up above £20.'

Who's going to start me off with a bid of £10?

Thank you. Straight in.

10. 20. Can I take 15?

15. 15.

It's against you. Can I take 20?

20. Thank you. £20 is with me now.

25. Thank you. A bid of 25.

It is against you, madam. I'm selling at £25.

-It's going once...

-It's worth a lot more than that.

Come on, it is a good piece, this.

Danny's doing his stuff.

I'm selling at £25.

Fair warning. It's going once, twice...

Sold, thank you.

'A fantastic finish.

'I just hope I've done enough to treat Bonny

'and fund an outing for her charity group.'

We had a target of trying to raise £600.

I can reveal we have a grand total of

£1,186.86.

We smashed it.

Thank you so much.

We doubled our amount. It is absolutely brilliant.

Most of you know who this is for.

It is for a lady that has such a positive effect

on the people here in your community.

She has given a lot of time and a lot of energy.

People come to her with problems

and she lets them know that there will be a better future for them

because she has been through this herself

and she helps people get through their suffering.

And I think it's fair to say you really are the people's champion.

Bonny Walsh, this is for you.

All of these people have come together to say thank you so much.

They love you.

They just want to say you are the best.

Please read that out.

"We've arranged for you to have an all-expenses-paid trip

"to watch Macbeth at the Globe Theatre."

That's absolutely brilliant. Thank you very much.

The rest of the money is going towards

the Swindon Limbless Association.

I'd have put my best frock on if I'd known.

'I had no idea this was happening.'

It's wonderful. A wonderful surprise.

And this is absolutely lovely for me to go to the Globe.

And it is absolutely wonderful for the Limbless Association

to keep us going.

I've got a lump in my throat and it's all for Mum.

It's great, isn't it? It's happy things.

I feel very proud, yes.

I don't think she quite believed it was all about her

cos she's a very, very modest person but then she was just overjoyed.

I almost wiped a tear away.

To recognise someone in our community,

that was a very important moment.

I don't normally get emotional

but I felt a little welling up, and proud.

Proud that the community have recognised her for what she put in.

It's great to see Bonny surrounded by friends, family and loved ones.

I think we've done really well today. And look at this.

It's all down to the people here.

The community. The community spirit.

Thank you for watching. Who knows?

We could be in your street next time and this auction could be about you.

Goodbye.

Bonny and her friends enjoyed

a special day out on a trip on a canal,

and she's still planning a theatre visit to London

with her husband, John.

Back in Swindon, Bonny continues with her charity work.