Rye is clearly (and quite rightly) a favourite with the BBC. A week or so ago the organisation was here to film Shakespeare and now, at the other end of the TV spectrum, it’s back to film a program in the Flog It! series at Rye Auction Galleries.
For readers who have better things to do than watch day-time television, I understand that the way the program works is this – viewers go to a valuation day with items they are prepared to sell. In the case of the Rye programme, valuation day was a few weeks ago at Herstmonceux Castle.
Out of the hundreds that turn up, three or four, who have brought items that the resident experts consider suitable, are chosen to go to the auction which is then filmed with, one hopes, close-ups of the vendors’ expressions as that little piece of priceless 19th century Meissen left to them by great aunt Madge actually turns out to be 1960s mass produced and worthless. (Actually, this is unlikely to happen as the experts are usually pretty accurate in their valuations, but one lives in hope!)
The Rye auction is taking place on Friday April 1 at the monthly antique and collectables sale by Rye Auction Galleries. They are at Unit 36, Rye Industrial Park, Harbour Road and the auction starts at 9:30am with viewing that day from 8:30am, or between 9am and 4:30pm the previous day.
Why not go along and swell the crowd – you never know, your might even be on the telly or, better still, see something you like and bid for it. The transmission date for the programme is not yet known, but is usually several months after filming.
Photos: BBC