Hamiltons sign in for charity sale (From Penarth Times)

Hamiltons sign in for charity sale

A PENARTH school's auction went off with a bang when two celebrities turned up to help.

St Cyres in Penarth were delighted to see Christine and Neil Hamilton make an appearance at their autograph sale.

And the controversial celebrity couple enjoyed themselves too.

Christine said: "I am impressed with the children's hard work.

I am always enthusiastic about events such as this because it shows how much effort the pupils put in to this worthy cause.

"It is good to see children today taking an interest in the plight of other children less fortunate than them."

The auction was the culmination of two years of hard work by pupils at the school.

Teacher and auction organiser Don Clarey said: "The pupils wrote off to more than a thousand celebrities and were rewarded with 550 signed items.

"I am very proud of the teenagers who worked hard and were given their just rewards." On Sunday April 13 at the school the sale raised £2,500 for Save the Children.

Rachel from Friends was the star autograph on the night which fetched £50 and Paula Ratcliffe's signed running kit cost £35.

But Jeffrey Archer's prison diary only made £5.

More than a hundred potential buyers came to the sale.

The auctions were run by two professional auctioneers, Steven Hill and Ryan Beech from TV show Flog It.

He was very pleased to be involved and said: "I enjoy getting involved with charity events and if my schedule permits me I will go.

"The school called the auction house for advice so I decided to help with the sale."

Mr Clarey added: "Some pupils stayed behind after school to sort through the autographs and to put them on a database.

"The money raised this time is the largest so far which is a credit to all the people involved."