Hope House to benefit from Weston Park antiques valuation day
A famous Shropshire stately home, a leading fine art auction house and a children’s hospice are teaming up for a charity antiques valuation day next month.
A team of antiques experts from Shrewsbury-based Halls will be holding the event in the Granary Art Gallery at Weston Park, Weston-under-Lizard, near Shifnal to raise money for Hope House on Friday, July 1 from 10.30am to 2.30pm.
The experts will be available to give appraisals of fine and decorative art, silver, jewellery, ceramics, small pieces of furniture, militaria and collectibles in exchange for a fee of £1.50 per item. All the money will go to Hope House, a children’s respite hospice at Morda, near Oswestry.
People living along the Shropshire and Staffordshire border are being encouraged to check their storerooms and attics for items that might be worth a small fortune. The valuers are happy to view photographs of larger items or they can make a home visit following the event.
Jeremy Lamond, Halls’ fine art director, said the company was delighted to be holding the event for Hope House and he urged people to turn up to support the charity’s good work.
“The exciting part of holding these charity valuation days is that we have no idea what is going to turn up,” he added. “In the past, we have discovered many valuable items, including a watercolour by famous Egyptologist Howard Carter, which sold for £13,000 at auction.”
Gareth Williams, Weston Park Foundation’s Curator and Head of Learning, said he looked forward to welcoming visitors to the Granary Art Gallery and hoped the valuation event would raise a substantial sum for Hope House.
Vanessa Thomas, fundraising manager for Hope House, said: “In the current climate we need to raise money for essentials and are very grateful to Halls and Weston Park for their help. Just £125 will ensure that a specially trained children’s nurse can help families look after their child at home in their final hours and it would be fantastic if we could raise this on the day.”
Visitors to the valuation day will also be able to take advantage of a last free opportunity to see Masterpieces from the Ford Collection exhibition in the Granary Art Gallery. The exhibition, which includes more than 20 works by the Welsh 18th century landscape painter
Richard Wilson, returns to its private London home on July 3.
Weston Park’s House, park and gardens will also be open that day from 1pm to 5pm with usual admission charges applying. Entry to the Granary Art Gallery is free.
For more information about the valuation event contact either Halls on Tel: 01743 284777 or Hope House on 01691 671671.
