News

September 2009

Play Time is Over

Thousands of pounds worth of furniture and equipment is to go under the hammer in an auction in Scunthorpe next week (Sept 15th) following the failure of a Louth children’s play centre.

Quackers – based on the Fairfield Industrial Estate in the town – went into liquidation last month, just two years after opening its doors.

The liquidators now handling the company’s affairs – White & Co of Lincoln – have instructed industrial auctioneers CJM Asset Management to sell off the centre’s equipment and furnishings.

CJM director Paul Cooper said: “It was an extremely well fitted out centre, with a state of the art soft play area, party rooms and a highly praised cafeteria-restaurant.”

“Unfortunately their launch in the autumn of 2007 was just in time to see the economy go over the cliff and such a business clearly relies on discretionary spending, which in the present climate is in short supply.”

“Trade was also I understand hit by the opening of another, government-backed, children’s play centre in the town.”

“The big attraction at Quackers was the hundred thousand pounds soft play area that we are selling separately by private treaty on the site - because buyers need to see it erected – but everything else has been removed to our auction centre on Brigg Road in Scunthorpe where it will go under the hammer on Tuesday September 15th.

“We have been sent all the cafeteria furniture, which was in fact hardwood garden furniture, so it should have quite a wide appeal. We’ve got masses of chairs, tables, benches and parasols, not to mention a load of toddlers high chairs.”

“We are selling them in sets, so that members of the public have just as good a chance to bag a bargain as trade buyers.”

Paul added: “We’ve also been sent all the centre’s catering equipment. It is good quality commercial kitchen kit, in good condition, that ranges across refrigerated display units, stainless steel upright fridges, deep fat fryers and so on.”

Coincidentally the auction also includes three children’s rides of the type to be found in large supermarkets, which have been sent for sale by another vendor. On offer will be Postman Pat’s van, a Santa Fe railway locomotive and a Kangaroo ride.

Meanwhile the star lot in the auction is a Caterpillar 432D backhoe loader – the Caterpillar brand version of a JCB – that has been sent for disposal following the collapse of Oliver Construction at Immingham.

Paul said: “Oliver Construction went into administration in April and the administrators – CRG Insolvency of Grimsby – are disposing of the assets of the business.”

“This machine is just four years old and is expected to make £20,000 - £25,000 at auction.”

In total the sale extends to over 750 lots. The viewing sessions are on Monday (September 14th) 1pm-7pm and on Tuesday morning 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 Paul Cooper at CJM Asset Management on 01724-334411.