Madresfield Car Boot Sale

Sunday, 18 May 2008
The Car Boot sale goes upmarket Car Boot sales are normally the preserve of the downsizing generation unloading second-hand Ikea lamps and old video tapes. Thankfully there is now an evolution of the traditional event which is attracting an entirely different type of seller and buyer – car boot sales have gone upmarket! In recent years a number of successful car boot ‘events’ have emerged which are designed to attract a smarter clientele – the items on offer are more likely to be antique than merely ancient, and the buyers are furnishing stately homes rather than semi-detached bungalows. The most established example of this is the Madresfield Country House Boot Sale, which is held in the grounds of Madresfield Court near Malvern. Madresfield is the home of the Lygon family and was the inspiration for Evelyn Waugh’s book Brideshead Revisited – a fitting backdrop for the UK’s largest upmarket car boot sale. Madresfield’s car boot sale will be held on Sunday 18th May in aid of Worcestershire Community Foundation. The event will offer a better class of items for sale from a better class of car boot – expect to buy from the back of a Bentley or an Aston Martin rather than the usual dilapidated Volvo estates. The sellers will be clearing out family heirlooms from the attics of local manor houses; antiques and fine art rather than tat. And at lunch time expect to see sellers uncorking first-growth Bordeaux with their immaculate picnics, rather than flasks of tea and sausage rolls. For buyers it is a chance to find an undiscovered old master, upgrade the luggage to Louis Vuitton, or acquire a unique item of antique furniture to replace the pine dresser in the kitchen. To ensure instant gratification for buyers, fine art and antique experts from Dreweatts – the UK’s leading regional auctioneer – will be on hand to value the items they have purchased. An additional attraction for antiques collectors will the presence of Clive Stewart-Lockhart of Antiques Roadshow renown. Clive, Deputy Chairman of Dreweatts, is an Oriental Ceramics and British Paintings expert, and he will be accompanied by colleagues with qualifications in valuing items as diverse as Steam Engines to early 20th Century wines. Dreweatts has a Worcestershire presence through its association with the Andrew Grant chain of estate agencies. Previous car boot sales at Madresfield have uncovered some undervalued treasures – no doubt the event on Sunday 18th May will have plenty of hidden gems on offer for both bargain-hunters and serious collectors. For more information, please contact……

Location: Madresfield Court near Malvern

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