Since 2011 monks at the Community of the Resurrection have held regular auctions to sell off the community’s own historic but unwanted items and those donated by supporters and benefactors.
Next month the sixth auction will be held, taking the combined total raised over the last 10 years to around £250,000.
The auction at the community was the brainchild of Father John Gribben, 77, who has lived at the community on Stocks Bank Road for 40 years.
“It started when we renovated the church 10 years ago now,” he said.
“We were trying to find ways of raising some money and I had seen a photographic portrait of Princess Margaret that was no longer on view.
“We thought it might raise a couple of hundred pounds so we decided to have a look around and see what else we could find.”
Some of the first items to go under the hammer included Mouseman furniture, a battlefield communion set, an original sketch by Dandy and Beano cartoonist Ken Harrison and a bottle of House of Commons whisky signed by David Cameron.
Since then there’s been some rarities too such as a set of jewellery worn at the wedding of Princess Charlotte in 1816 donated by a benefactor and a painting of the Madonna by 17th century master Luca Giordano, which had hung in the community for 80 years.
Father John’s brother George, a Belfast auctioneer, comes over each time to wield the gavel and he will return on Saturday, September 4 for the sixth – and probably final – auction.
“It’s probably time to retire,” said Father John. “But I’ve said that before!”
Father John moved out of the attic room he’s lived in for 30 years and has had to “downsize”, so he’s donating half his collection of vintage British comics including a Play Box Annual from 1920 to the auction.
The monks don’t take furniture with them when they move and in his new room there was a dusty 1950s Mouseman standard lamp and that too is going under the hammer.
Other items this time include a donated 17th or 18th century crucifix, three paintings of York Minster given by a previous archbishop to the daughter of his chauffeur, an antique clock from Beijing and some Faberge china.
Viewing is available from Tuesday, August 31 and on the Saturday morning ahead of the start of the auction at 1.30pm.
Father John, incidentally, is often seen out running in Mirfield and he recently took part in the Northern Ireland Masters Athletics Championship – and brought home two gold medals.
