Media Coverage

Words by Julie Simpson

When James Hanaway first approached me last year with the idea of an art auction to raise funds for Demelza House Children's Hospice, I was delighted and very keen to get involved. The work that Demelza does for sick children and their families is amazing, offering support plus palliative and respite care at the hospice and in the children's own homes throughout Kent, East Sussex and South London.

Wealden Times became a partner in the Art&Soul Auction along with Bonhams Auctioneers and Rhapsody House Gallery. The auction committee consisted of William Richards, South East Regional Director of Bonhams, gallerists Stella Hayes and Beverley Rouwen from Rhapsody House, Shirley Spencer, head of events at Demelza and myself. Bonhams agreed to run the auction and along with Rhapsody House Gallery - their contacts with contemporary artists were invaluable in creating a great collection of art to go under the hammer. Anthony Boxall, chief designer at Wealden Times, created the 48-page catalogue; sponsored by Cluttons, it contained 34 lots of works from 33 living artists, including a watercolour by Mary Fedden RA and carbon and casein drawing by Anthony Gormley RA.

The Regency Room at The New Wellington Hotel in Tunbridge Wells was packed for the auction. Buyers had already shown a great deal of interest in the collection, which had been launched at a private viewing at the home of Stella and Kevin Hayes and then been on view for the week running up to the auction at Rhapsody House in The Pantiles. There were no reserves and bidding started briskly with 'Argentinian Pears', a delicious oil on canvas by Stella Parsons and finished with Mary Fedden's watercolour 'Two Lilies'. It was a great evening and a great cause. An appreciative audience enjoyed the champagne, supplied by Tunbridge Wells-based sponsor AXA PPP, and - as with any auction - there were some real bargains to be had.

Our thanks to the artists who gave their works, the Cappellazzi family who allowed us to use The New Wellington and generous sponsorship from AXA PPP Healthcare, Country Concierge and Cluttons. As a result of their kindness the event raised £24,000 for Demelza.

Reproduced by kind permission of the Wealden Times.

The SEOS artists included Lois Sykes, Felicity Flutter, Stella Parsons, Gill Brown, Laury Dizengremel, Louise Bassant, Suzanne Clark and Beverley Rouwen.

Also taking part were Antony Gormley RA, Mary Fedden RA OBE, Stephen Rose, Alison Guest, Danny Green, Julia Ogden, Virginia Griffiths-Jones, Sandy Dooley, Janet Bell, Colin Ruffell, Irene Luse, Brent Millar, Alasdair Banks, Laysha Salih, David Goodman, Maria Zervudachi, Elizabete Melbarzde, Alice Scrutton, John Swannell, Bridget Tennent, Gemma Harwood, William Plumptre, Jutta Wrobel and Anne Catherine Phillips.