Going going gone

I can't remember if I have mentioned before that next month my brother and sister in law, Chris and Val,  give up the tenancy of the farm that has been in our family since my great great grandfather moved from another farm in the same village.  Preparation for this move has been taking place for many months clearing outbuildings and running down livestock, at the weekend this all culminated in their farm sale, an auction of everything imaginable from buckets to the combine harvester.    

We travelled to the farm on Friday to be there for the sale on Saturday morning to find everything beautifully displayed either in barns or in surrounding fields, family and friends had helped with washing and polishing, it was amazing.  
Friday was viewing day and there was a buzz of people asking questions, starting engines, checking and testing.  Saturday by the time the sale started there were a good few people but the numbers kept growing and growing, the sale started with the smallest items and ended with the largest by which time the parking field was full to capacity.

I won't go into detail but the bidding was fast and exciting with mostly excellent prices achieved. I watched many things I remembered from my childhood being sold, happily much to local people, obviously some tractors and more expensive items  to dealers and some vintage pieces to collectors.  

Only two items did not sell, both of which my brother was happy to keep, and not long after the sale the barns were cleared and vehicles loaded as payment was required immediately and purchases became the responsibility of the buyer.

I'm sure it will be strangely quiet as my brother and sister in law spend their last few weeks on an empty farm but there was certainly no brooding on Saturday evening as 16 of us enjoyed Chinese food, champagne and cake, we chatted till the small hours and my nieces and great nieces all stayed over. We shall all miss being at the farm and its sad that Amelia and Esme have only had a few years to enjoy life there but it's important for Chris and Val to start their well earned retirement and like us they have gone down the admittedly much harder down sizing exercise while they are fit and able.  Onwards and upwards, we are all off to Italy in about 6 weeks once Chris and Val move into their already purchased and newly furnished bungalow.  My brother did say he wasn't sure if he could be away for a whole 2 weeks (for the first time ever), he forgets there will be no animals or arable land or farm security to worry about, it's gone.