Excitement filled the air in Dilton Marsh on September 8th as the long awaited Chair Expo and Auction arrived at Holy Trinity Church that finished with a total of £841.14 raised for church funds.
Liz Lee said, “For six weeks, 50 creative people had been busy transforming an ordinary plastic chair into something special. The chairs were given free by the church with the idea of auctioning the finished result in aid of church funds.
“With some people asking to have an additional chair, a total of around 62 stunning designs appeared on the day, ready to be sold. The first to appear was a friendly giraffe swiftly followed by a cow, all ready to be milked. A cottage garden, a suited and booted chairman and vice chairman, golf trolley, dressing table, bumble bee and floral delights were just some of the exhibits.
“Some were covered with fabric, others painted, or decoupaged, while there were those that were totally transformed with magnificent workmanship. Ray Floyd of the Westbury Shed remade his chair entitled ‘The Oak and The Ash’ into a beautiful seating of wooden craftsmanship. Wiltshire Radio’s presenters Ben Prater and James Thomas, who publicised the venture from the beginning and received a chair to up cycle on air, decided to promote their local Swindon charity ‘Renew’ which is a budding Men’s Shed project with their exhibit ‘Mishell’ (Michelle).
“People came from far and wide to bid and enjoy the delicious food available. Bidding was fast and furious, with the gavel sounding every few minutes as chairs flew from the stand to be safely stored in cars and vans. A truly fantastic day enjoyed by visitors and the community.”
