News

History under the Hammer

A little piece of Lincolnshire history is to go under the hammer at an auction on August 11th – the furniture from the council chamber in Mablethorpe.

On offer will be everything from the chairman’s dais to the leather chairs and oak tables used by generations of councillors discussing the area’s affairs.

The furniture was purchased by the Mablethorpe and Sutton Urban District Council in the 1930s from the upmarket local department store, Dale’s Furnishers.

When the area became part of the East Lindsey District in the 1974 local government re-organisation, the council chamber continued to be used by the Town Council. However, since both the district council and the town council moved their offices to the new Library and Community Access Centre in Stanley Avenue three years ago the old chamber has been mothballed.

Matthew Cooper of Scunthorpe industrial auctioneers CJM Asset Management said: “The old council offices have now been leased and the decision was taken to dispose of the council chamber furniture.”

“It is to go under the hammer in an auction at our Brigg Road saleroom on August 11th.

Matthew added: “It is high quality oak furniture that has aged quite beautifully over the past three quarters of a century.”

“The star lot is, of course, the dais on which the chairman, the deputy chairman and the council clerk sat. It is an impressive piece – which would make a particularly grand auctioneer’s rostrum! Then we have all the tables and leather chairs that formed a u-shape in the council chamber.

“It is a nice little bit of local history and we are going to be selling it in a number of lots, so if someone wanted a souvenir table or two, with a set of chairs, then that is an option.”

The auction also includes 40,000 greetings cards, which were designed by a Brigg artist and cartoonist.

Matthew said: “It was a business venture that had to be put on a back burner because of a change of personal circumstances and so we have been asked to offer these at auction.”

"They are really nice, original, cards, very humorous – but of course rather a lot of them. We’re selling them in twenty or thirty lots, which will appeal to car booters and market traders.”

In total the sale extends to almost 1000 lots, ranging from plant, machinery and tools to professional gymnasium machines and high end photographic equipment. (NB  have deleted ‘ and 40,000 greetings cards – repeated from above)

The viewing sessions are on Monday (August 10th) 1pm-7pm and on Tuesday morning (August 11th) from 8.30am until the start of the sale at 10 am. Catalogues are available from CJM or can be downloaded from the firm’s website: www.cjmasset.com free of charge.

For further information or comment please contact Matthew Cooper on 01724-334411.