Last October, the Bygone Days Talks team from Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum in conjunction with Killens (Mendip Auction Rooms, the local Auction House at Binegar), held a very successful vintage, antique and collectables valuation day at the Somer Centre in Midsomer Norton.

The ‘Trash or Treasure’ day, which was similar to a popular TV series, invited the general public to bring along any number of items for valuation by experts at £1 per item, with all proceeds going to the Museum.

Killens donated the services of a team of four valuers headed by Nicky Houston, who worked extremely hard all day, with the result being that the Museum coffers were swelled by almost £500.

Killens’ generous support did not stop there; as they have just presented the Museum’s Bygone Days team with a further cheque, which was a donation of their commission earned on items that had been valued at the ‘Trash or Treasure’ event and then sold at their Mendip Auction Rooms.

The combined total of just over £1,000 will be used to pay for installation of transfers of historic local photographs and UV protective film to the Museum’s shop windows.

This is a wonderful example of a successful local business going the extra mile to support its local community. The Museum’s volunteers would like to thank everyone from Killens for their generosity.

Radstock Museum and Killens will be holding another valuation day event on Saturday, 27th October at the Somer Centre, a definite date for your diary. Bring along items from your homes, attics or sheds to find out how much they are worth and then raise some more money for yourselves and also the Museum by selling them at Mendip Auction Rooms.

Jos Binns