Delight at Dickinson deals

Hundreds of people descended on Newport yesterday when the celebrity antiques expert returned to the town to film the final installment of an episode of his new ITV show. Ten lots went under the hammer at Brettells auctioneers as part of "The Duke's" show Dickinson's Real Deal.

The visit followed filming at Adams' Grammar School last month, when people took along unwa-nted treasures to potentially go up for auction. They were given the chance to accept an offer from a dealer or take a chance at auction.

That auction took place yesterday and eight out of the ten lots sold for more than the dealers had offered.

David Dickinson is pictured with participant Nicola Arrowsmith, from Newport

Auctioneer David Brettell said the sale room was "packed out" with about 200 people and hailed the day a great success.

He said the first item to sell was a 1930s canteen of silver plated cutlery, which sold for £170 compared to £70 offered by the dealer.

Next up were two Beswick animal figurines, which sold for £52 each, compared with an offer of £70 for the pair.

A Bretby iridescent vase sold for £190, against an offer of £80; a set of unusual bank notes sold for £280, after an offer of £20 and a Troika vase, for which the offer was £120, sold for £160.

The only items that sold for less than the dealer offered were a pair of Cloisonne Wall Plaques, which sold for £100, compared to an offer of £170 and a 1920s US twistover polka table, which sold for £200, compared to an offer of £280.

A collection of autogra-phed photographs of stars of TV, stage and screen sold for £50 - the same amount as the dealer offered.

The daytime show, including two episodes filmed in Newport, is due to be broadcast from November. Mr Brettell said: "It was a happy and successful day."

By Becky Parkinson

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