THE bidding was fast and sometimes furious as the surplus silver of an illustrious North-East regiment fell under the hammer. Gavin Engelbrecht went along to the auction.

SMALLER lots climbed in steady £10 increments, while a 19th Century Victorian punch bowl fetched £4,700 - more than double its reserve price.

Julian Thomson, the auctioneer at the Anderson and Garland saleroom, in Newcastle, fielded intense telephone bids and offers from the floor and via the internet.

The tally rose until it reached nearly £62,000 - money that will be converted to bronze for a planned memorial statue in honour of the Durham Light Infantry (DLI) - a project given a substantial boost by Wednesday's (March 27) auction.

Fundraising co-ordinator Colonel Arthur Charlton said: “We are delighted. The total hammer price was £61,940.

“Out of 132 lots, only three remained unsold – one of them the box used to carry the silver – with prices ranged from £20 to £4,700.”

“This has taken a real weight off my shoulders. It also mean we can now start looking at getting the statue produced, rather than waiting for prices to escalate. It means the project can move ahead.”

He added: “There will be some seller’s premium to come off that, which has yet to be calculated. It will probably leave us with about £15,000 to raise toward our target of £68,000.”

An appeal for a DLI memorial in Durham City, backed by The Northern Echo, has raised about £4,000 from readers. And Col Charlton said further contributions were vital to reach the ultimate goal.

The silver sold today, including meat skewers, posy vases, rose bowls and salvers, was mostly from the 3rd and 4th Militia Battalions – forerunners of the Territorial Army – and the 68th Regiment of Foot, which became the DLI.

DLI trustee Colonel Tony George, 77, who travelled from Birmingham to bid, said: “I managed not go overboard. I got some candlesticks and posy vases.

“I shall have to go home now and persuade my wife I have not bought too much.”

Neville and Susan Stebbings, of Chester-le-Street and both majors in the Army Cadet Force, are the proud new owners of silver sugar casters and candlesticks. Mrs Stebbings said: “We will treasure these items.”

James Ramsbotham, honorary colonel of The Rifles, said: “I have bought got some silverware from 68th Regiment of Foot and some silver with the DLI badge. I will be using it regularly.”

Mr Thomson said: “There was loads of interest from all over. The internet bidders were pushed out by phone bidding which was intense.

“It was a great day. I think the trustees of the DLI are delighted. I really hope that pushes the total forward and helps them well on the way to realising their ambitions for the memorial in Durham City.”

The statue will symbolise the moment when DLI buglers sounded the ceasefire in Korea in 1953 and will be a replica of a statue unveiled in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire last July.

To donate to the appeal, write The DLI Memorial Appeal, The Rifles Office, Elvet Waterside, Durham, DH1 3BW, with cheques made out to the Regimental and Chattels Charity of the former DLI.