Loony misses hammer fall

AS A parliamentary candidate for the Monster Raving Loony Party, your expectations of winning anything might be low - but when a rock album by your former party leader comes to auction, you might think you were in with a shot of placing the winning bid.

Sadly for the Loony candidate who phoned Cotswold auctioneers Moore Allen & Innocent about bidding for a copy of the 1980 album Alive and Well by Screaming Lord Sutch on Friday (April 30), the hammer had fallen on the lot 10 minutes previously.

In fact, there was plenty of interest in the collection of LP records, the most collectable of which was an original pressing of The Beatles' White Album, with its unique serial number and embossed Beatles logo.

Of course, the "limited edition" status of the White Album was, like much of Screaming Lord Sutch's career, a big joke - an initial pressing of "just" five million albums was produced with the unique serial number. Many millions of copies were later pressed without the serial number.

The collection of LPs, which also included some early Fleetwood Mac, Cream, Eagles and Johnny Kidd and The Pirates, doubled its £100 to £150 estimate when the hammer fell at £230.

Also attracting collectors was a pub plaque for West Country Ales, circa 1958. The brewery was formed from the amalgamation of the Cheltenham Brewery and the Stroud Brewery, and coincidentally, both had started production in 1760, and so the date appeared on the plaque along with a castellated tower, previously the logo of the Cheltenham Brewery.

The plaques were cemented onto the walls of tied houses across Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Herefordshire and even into Wales. As such, it's unusual for one in pristine condition, which would explain why this example - carrying an estimate of £100 to £150 - eventually sold for £320.

With the bank holiday weekend weather not being able to make its mind up, it was perhaps unsurprising that a large collection of garden furniture sold well - including a Cotswold stone dovecote standing at 4ft tall, which made £220 - yet the top prices of the day were reserved for open fire adornments.

The top price of the day was achieved by a 19th century fire grate of serpentine form, which sold for £1,700, while a large 19th century cast iron fire basket on square pillars with ball decoration made £1,600.

The next sale at Moore Allen & Innocent is the Antique and General Sale on Friday, May 14, from 10am.

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A Cotswold Stone dovecote, which made £220	A West Country Ales plaque, which achieved £320
A 19th century fire grate of serpentine form, which sold for £1,700	A large 19th century cast iron fire basket on square pillars with ball decoration, which made £1,600
A collection of vinyl records including classics by The Beatles and Screaming Lord Sutch, which sold for £230