After spending a great day buying our three items the day of the auction finally arrived. It was to be the moment of truth for us all!!
The auction was to be held at the Canterbury Auction Galleries, good for Cheryl and me as it's only a few miles from home.
We arrived early and went off to a little cafe for a rather naughty breakfast roll and tea.
Afterwards we made our way to the auction house where we were greeted by Alex from the Bargain Hunt Team who directed us to the Green Room.
As we passed through some of the lots I couldn't help but wonder if a skip lorry had just disgorged some of it's cargo here. Ahead were the stairs which lead to the basement and the Green Room.
I think we were the first contestants to arrive and we found ourselves in this small room packed which was being used to store lots. The chairs on which we sat and even the rugs we stood on were lots to be sold. It was a small room but full of character and a wonderful atmosphere and energy.
The other contestants started to arrive . Our opposite numbers Yvonne and Brian arrived and we greeted each other with the customary hugs and handshakes. Cheryl and I considered ourselves so lucky to be against such a warm and friendly couple. Yvonne gave Cheryl a red bead bracelet that she had made. What a kind and lovely gesture that Chery really appreciated. Brian and I both write and record our own music and we exchanged CD's. Brian's CD had been reviewed in a music magazine so how impressive is that!!
Dick and James Strawbridge were the last to arrive with just five minutes to spare. I jokingly said to Dick, "Only just made it", to which he replied, smiling and showing me his watch, "Five minutes early...... on time" We all found Dick such a great and friendly character.
Tim arrived and came into the "Green Room". He greeted us all individually by name. What a gentleman and consummate professional!
Once everyone was finally settled the programme producer explained that they referred to the day as Bargain Hunt - The Sequel and went on to advise us all of the day's schedule.
First there would be the "reveals", the part where each team's expert would show their "bonus buy". After that would be the auction. Each team would be lead upstairs to watch their items go under the hammer. Our only instruction for both parts, "We need to see you react please". I started thinking, "I just hope I don't let out an expletive if an item bombs"
When that was done it would be lunch, followed by the last part of filming called the "wraps" (Well being a TV veteran now I am familiar with all the terms!)
Setting up for the "reveals" began. Experts Catherine Southon and Mark Stacey were "miked up". Catherine came in a little concerned that her mike pack was protruding through her dress at the back. We all assured her that it was okay and as she left Dick said,"If you need a hand adjusting it....." We all laughed and he smiled with that customary glint in his eyes saying, "Well you all thought it!!!"
The "reveals" began, the red teams first followed by the blues. As they progressed we craned our necks like naughty schoolchildren trying to see over the neighbours fence, attempting to snatch a glimpse of each "bonus buy".
When James and Dick had their "bonus buy" revealed by Catherine, we all heared his reaction. "Well it looks like a wooden box!" I saw Dick open the door in it to show nothing more than a wooden shelf inside. "It IS a wooden box!!" he said, incredulously.
Cheryl and I were the fourth team. We stood in front of the cameras and lights. Tim chatted and joked making us feel at ease. Then came the "reveal" Mark whisked the red cloth aside to expose a beautiful object d'art. He explained that it was a Victorian inkstand. He passed it to Cheryl who lifted the lid of the inkwell only to ask,"Where do you put the candle?" That was the cue for everyone, including the crew, to fall about in hysterics. Cheryl immediately realised her gaffe and not only started laughing loudly but her face turned a similar crimson to that of the reveal cloth. In amongst fits of laughter, she apologised profusely to everyone, but was reassured that, "This will make brilliant telly".
Our "reveal" now done, we returned to the sanctuary of the Green Room.
Once this part of the filming had been completed all that was left to do for us all was to wait for the auction. Dick and James milled in and out, Len Goodman went for a walk then sat quietly reading his newspaper whilst Ola stayed in the Green Room chatting.
We all, at some point left the green room to look at some of the lots then look them up in the catalogue to see the price. Good game, good game!. There was a tatty old rug in the Green Room which, in my opinion, was late for an appointment with the recycling plant, showing in the catalogue for a guide price of £75 to £100. It made me wonder how much my old tat, sorry, antiques and object d'art, was worth. You can tell that I know nothing about antiques and that as a complete and utter self confessed pleb, came ill equipped for our Bargain Hunt challenge.
Finally, the first team were called for their appointment with the man and gavel, Ola and Len. Then Dick and James.
Gradually, one by one, the teams were led away.
Then came our call. We sat outside the auction room with Mark, just like two naughty school children waiting with the head prefect to see the headmaster.
After a wait of what seemed an eternity we were taken into the room. My first impressions were that it was much smaller than I had imagined and there were so few people.
Tim briefed us and our first lot came up. We saw the picture of it on a large tv screen adjacent to the auctioneer. Bang, the hammer went down. Our next two lots followed and it was over almost as soon as it started. We then had a couple of lots to decide whether or not to go for the "bonus buy". We made our decision and the hammer fell again. It was done! "Don't tell the blues", Tim instructed us.
Yvonne and Brian went in next as we returned back to the Green Room.
Once our blue rivals had returned we were given the okay to dive into a splendid buffet lunch.
We all started comparing notes about our experience with the auction, all of us taking care not to reveal our profit or loss to each other. Brian and I decided that if our contest was a draw we might have to fight to determine the winner (ha ha!!)
The production team decided that they had exhausted the locations within the Auction Galleries and the wraps would be shot in a nearby gardens.
The production team set off and we followed on, wending our way through the streets of Canterbury. You would be forgiven for thinking this was some kind of school outing as we marched in twos, sporting our red or blue Bargain Hunt tee shirts.
Once we arrived at the gardens the team began setting up the cameras on a lawned area.
The public took a great interest as to what was occurring and they watched intently, taking photos and videos. I played my part and acted as the nonchalant, matter of fact celeb, unaware of the continuing fuss.
In the gardens was a huge tree, the species of which I had no idea. It's massive bulbous trunk was of gargantuan proportions. Someone, I have no idea who, suggested that we all gave the tree a hug. Suddenly I found myself swept up in a wave of tree hugging hysteria, as we all linked hands and surrounded this tree. If the tree could speak I think it would have questioned our sanity and considered this the strangest occurrence it had witnessed in it's millennium of years. I understand photos were taken and are to follow! Oh deep joy!!!
At last the cameras were set and ready to roll. Each set of blue and red contestants were called down so that Tim could give them the auction results starting with Len, Ola, Dick and James.
Cheryl, Yvonne, Brian and myself were last to be filmed. Tim gave us the result and we all reacted on cue.
(No I am not going to reveal the results!)
There was nothing left to do now but thank everyone on the team, including Tim, Mark, Catherine and all the crew for what was for us a unique and probably never to be repeated experience.
Yvonne, Brian, Cheryl and I walked back to the green room where we gathered our belongings and our thoughts. We had been so lucky to be paired with Yvonne and Brian and I am sure that this was just the beginning of a long and happy friendship.
We changed out of our Bargain Hunt tee shirts which we folded and packed in our bags, trophies of our TV experience. I suggested to Cheryl that we should wear them at Herne Bay Market. I could make a camera out of a shoe box and toilet roll and pretend to film her. I am sure that we could con the stallholders into giving us a good discount. She is not so sure.
Anyway, the wraps now wrapped we returned to our cars to journey home.
My final comment as I complete this blog is only to say,"Join us again soon for more Bargain Hunting yes??? YES!!!!"
