House clearance horse paintings

Well, summer is just around the corner and I always notice a large increase in traffic in our beautiful county of West Sussex. I had to travel from a solicitor’s office in Petworth to Midhurst and unfortunately I had completely forgotten about the massive fire that had caused the closure of the main high street.

It was about 10am and although people may have still been travelling to work, the traffic was unbelievable. Midhurst is not really a central traffic nerve centre and it took me about thirty five minutes using all the diversions to get to the small terraced house the solicitors had instructed me to clear. As always in a small road, parking was terrible. A widow had lived there for over fifty years and as with that generation, the property was immaculately clean and was full of a lifetime’s possessions.

I always feel slightly uncomfortable – as if I shouldn’t be there intruding into someone’s life – and I had to report back to the solicitor in Petworth and arrange for Strides Auction House from Chichester to attend as I felt that some of the furniture was suitable for them to sell. Also I found some silver and ceramics they may have been interested in.

I had been informed that the deceased had no relatives involved and the solicitors were dealing with everything. Eventually, when we do the clearance, all the photographs will unfortunately be thrown away. I often wonder who these people are and I find it really sad when clearing such a property as so many personal items can only be disposed of as waste.

I’ve often said in previous blogs that you should always consider getting a local auction house to view the property just in case there are some unknown items that may be of significant value. Paintings could be £20 or £20,000 – it is always worth seeking advice.

As was the case a few months ago, another clearance company from Selsey were clearing a property in Felpham near Bognor Regis. The relatives had made a start and at the rear of the property was a pile of bags and general rubbish. Sticking out of one of the boxes were two small paintings in oil of horses. The house clearers, who I know well, are a real honest pair of brothers. Anyway, they had a look at the paintings and thought that they may well have a value. After speaking with their client it was decided that as they had to go to Toovey’s Auction House near West Chiltington, they would get the paintings valued.

It came as quite a surprise they were valued at around £2000. The brothers’ clients were very surprised and really happy. Apparently it was a huge clearance and the paintings were used as most of the payment. It just goes to show it’s often worthwhile to get a local auction house to attend a property when you are clearing. It’s amazing how often really strange objects can sometimes have a value, which is totally unexpected. Alternatively, you could always take things to Strides Auction House in Chichester. There is a car park at the back and they will value them on the spot. If ever you are clearing a property, please do not hesitate to contact me, I can attend free of charge and offer advice and support during what is normally a stressful time for many.

Memories of military night in a clearance

We were clearing a small flat recently in West Wittering; the gentleman had fallen numerous times and I think, against his wishes, he had been moved to a nursing home in Emsworth. The family who I think originally lived Lavant outside Chichester were thankful for our help. There was very little at the property as regards furniture but I was really interested in the gentleman’s army service. He had been in tank divisions, I think 1950/1960, but he really had served all over the world. Germany, Korea, Egypt and Eastern Europe – obviously this was at the height of the Cold War. As I was showing such an interest, one of the family members got two quite large boxes from a cupboard that were full of photographs, old army documents and artefacts from his time in the tank regiments.

Talking with the relatives all he ever wanted to do was to join the army. As a young boy he was always asking his parents to take him to the army recruitment office which was somewhere in Chichester, so he could see the officers who would make a huge fuss of him and often give him some photographs of tanks and other related paperwork. These he had kept all his life and were in these boxes along with other tank-related material he had kept over the years. He had two good friends, one of whom used to live in Pagham but is now in a care home in Bognor Regis. I can’t even begin to spell his name but he met this chap who was in the Polish tank regiment when he was stationed out there. They became firm friends and the Polish chap would visit in the summer, apparently loving our coastal resorts, particularly West Wittering, Selsey and Bosham. When he left the Polish Army he moved to Sidlesham on the Selsey Road, married but had no children. The family went on to tell me that his wife had died and he had developed dementia. After he was moved to the care home in Bognor the other friend of the gentleman had cleared the Polish man’s small house in Sidlesham. He was also a collector of anything related to tanks of the 1950/1960 eras. The family had the other friend call Tom’s number and address in Petworth. As far as they knew he had put the Polish man’s collection at his brother’s smallholding in West Chiltington near Storrington. Anyway, the end result was that the family wanted me to combine both collections and see if any museum would be interested. I haven’t completed this task yet but when I get everything together I will contact the tank museum in Bovington to see if they are interested in the collection. We completed the clearance of the gentleman’s flat in West Wittering and on the family’s behalf delivered two large boxes to the care home in Emsworth. I’m really looking forward to sorting all the tank material.

It’s unbelievable how many houses are being built around the Barnham, Yapton and Walberton area. It would seem that once planning is granted for one field, two or three nearby suddenly bloom into housing too. I think Pagham is still waiting on a decision for a huge number of houses. We don’t have the infrastructure with schools, doctors and the roads (which were country lanes) becoming stretched. I fully accept that housing is needed but it makes me sad as the characters of our small villages are being destroyed. 

We are off to Pulborough for a house clearance this week, with a retirement flat in Arundel to finish off. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog – if you need any advice regarding a clearance, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. 

Malcolm