JOHN SALTER OBITUARY

It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of John Pye & Sons' long standing former Plant & Machinery Manager & Senior Valuer, John Salter.  

 

John had only retired from the firm in August 2010 and was enjoying his new retirement life with wife Joan at their well established home in the Nottinghamshire village of Calverton. He suffered a heart attack last week and unfortunately passed away at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre on Monday October 17th.   

 

John Salter, Nottingham born and bred, joined Pyes in 1988 having spent many years working in the plant & machinery industry including spells working in Africa (Kenya) and the Middle East (Dubai) and had many interesting recollections of his years overseas. John brought a wealth of industrial experience and knowledge with him to Pyes and set about helping the company market its valuation and auction services to a vast range of clients, taking to the road with John Pye to meet prospective clients all over the UK across a range of public and private sectors.

 

Company founder & Chairman John Pye has paid tribute, commenting: "John Salter was a great man and we worked tirelessly together on many, many disposals projects. He was a very likeable man and will be sadly missed by us all."    

 

John helped to oversee huge change at John Pye & Sons, joining the firm when it was located at Nottingham's old Cattle Market premises and being part of the relocation to the company's current premises at Nottingham's old Shipstone's brewery.

 

John was well liked by all his colleagues and Pyes clients, he will be fondly remembered for a warm sense of charm, a frank and knowledgeable approach and an excellent eye for detail, not forgetting a good sense of sharp, dry witted humour which always made for an enjoyable time in the office in his company. "A true Gent" is how most staff have described him.      

 

MD Adam Pye added: "Now is a real sad time and for us all. This is shocking news that has affected everyone here at Pyes, from former friends and colleagues, to clients and customers. On a personal note I can't convey how influential John was to me and to the development of John Pye and Sons over the 22 years. John was a true gentleman and a man whom I'm proud to have worked with for so many years. Thank you for everything, John." 

 

All at John Pye & Sons extend their heartfelt sympathies to the Salter family at John's sad passing; John leaves his wife Joan and son David. Should any clients wish to attend John's funeral please contact our Senior Auctioneer Trevor Palethorpe on trevor@johnpye.co.uk for details.  

STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION - 'TEAM PYE' RUN HALF MARATHON FOR MAGGIES CHARITY

L to R: Dean Lees, Mike Vitale, Alex Cunningham, Chris Fish, Josh Chadbourne

FIVE 'PYES' EMPLOYEES EXCHANGED their well known red fleeces for the neon orange tops of the largest Corporate Relay Race in the UK earlier this month. 

As part of the Robin Hood Half Marathon, the Cooper Parry Corporate Relay Race operates to all intents and purposes as the traditional half marathon except it is run in relay with an electronic wrist band replacing the traditional baton.

Recoveries Manager, Chris Fish, Sale Room Manager, Mike Vitale, IT Assistant, Josh Chadbourne and Auction Porters, Alex Cunningham and Dean Lees completed a leg each of the 13 mile race and came steaming home in 8th position.

The lads raised a sterling £800 to go towards the new maggie's cancer care centre, currently being constructed at the City Hospital in Nottingham. Well done fellas!

RAISING SPIRITS - 'PYES' OVERNIGHT GHOST HUNT EARNS OVER £1,000 FOR MAGGIE'S

AROUND THIRTY PEOPLE attended the Charity Ghost Hunt (Screams at Shipstones) last Saturday for a night of vigils, seances and scientific experimentation. 

Proceeds of which will be going to John Pye & Sons' charity of choice, maggie's who will shortly be opening their new cancer care centre at City Hospital in Nottingham.

Hosted by leading paranormal experts Fright Nights with medium Ian Doherty and backed up by scientific paranormal investigators Paranuts, the night was undeniably lively.

Taking place in areas throughout James Shipstone House & Business Park, the group felt especially compelled to the extensive cave system that sits underneath the old brewery.

Reports on the night included; unusual glass and table movement, unexplained electro-magnetic fluctuations, abnormal lights and many attendees stated that they had been grabbed or pushed by unknown entities. Although at times frightening, everyone had a good time and many have already stated their interest in returning for another.

John Pye & Sons would like to thank Ian Doherty, Martin & Libby from Fright Nights, the Paranuts team and   all participants for making it a night to remember and for raising funds (as well as hair) for a good cause.

'PYES' BACK ON THE BOX

Pollyanna with some top of the range apple macs

JOHN PYE & SONS will be returning to televisions in August after leading technology programme, The Gadget Show, filmed a live auction for their new series.

Following features on the BBC's Money Programme & Channel Four News during the Credit Crunch, John Pye & Sons will be shown for its technology auctions on Channel 5. The feature will focus on the various methods of purchasing high-spec technology at competitive prices.

Pitted against her co-presenters, Pollyanna Woodward and her crew attended a live 'Pyes' auction with £100 burning a hole in her pocket and with a challenge to buy the best piece of kit at the best price.

Bidding was fierce throughout the auction and Pollyanna eventually successfully bid on a pink Dell Inspiron Netbook with 250GB Hard Drive.

You'll be able to see if she won the challenge on Friday September 2nd when the feature will be aired on The Gadget Show on Channel 5.

SIGNED BY ALL THE SNOOKER GREATS - CHARITY CUE GOES TO AUCTION

A UNIQUE SNOOKER CUE signed by the greats of the game such as Ronnie O'Sullivan, Steve Davis, Jimmy White and John Higgins will be open to bidding in Pyes' online auction on Saturday May 7th - in aid of a good charitable cause.

The money raised from this Lot will go towards funding a new roof for Alfreton Park Community Special School's swimming facility in Derbyshire. The school has a hydrotherapy/swimming pool which offers a vital resource for all pupils, many of whom have complex needs and learning difficulties.

The pool is used for swimming and for specialist physio, sensory relocation and aqua-robics, providing an extension of the class room and aids in the teaching of literacy and numeracy. The aquatic facility provides special enjoyment for the pupils whilst engaging them in a different approach to learning.

The pool is also used by the community, where parents and toddlers meet four times a week, to enjoy the facilities. Adult disability services also benefit from the use of the pool on a weekly basis.

Sadly, the entire building is very tired and in need of refurbishment. The pool was built in 1977 and has received very little attention since then. A new roof is required as the current one leaks, the rest of the building needs complete modernization also, including full insulation.

The unique star studded snooker cue and the money it raises will go someway towards helping the school with their refurbishment efforts. The cue features autographs from the following snooker players, past & present:

• Mark Allen
• Stuart Bingham
• Nigel Bond
• Ali Carter
• Jamie Cope
• Dominic Dale
• Steve Davis
• Mark Davis
• Ryan Day
• Ken Doherty
• Graeme Dott
• Tony Drago
• Peter Ebdon
• Marco Fu
• Gerard Greene
• Anthony Hamilton
• Barry Hawkins
• Stephen Hendry
• John Higgins
• Andrew Higginson
• Michael Holt
• Ding Junhui
• Mark King
• Stephen Lee
• Shaun Murphy
• Ronnie O’Sullivan
• Joe Perry
• Neil Robertson
• Mark Selby
• Matthew Stevens
• Joe Swail
• Judd Trump
• Ricky Walden
• Jimmy White
• Mark Williams

Online bidding for the cue will open from Saturday May 7th and will run until Monday May 9th with bidding for the auction as a whole concluding from 12pm. Viewing of this lot and all others in the auction shall be held on saturday May 7th between 10am and 12pm and the same time on Monday May 9th.

If you would like to help Alfreton Park Community Special School then please contact Margaret on 07754 565578 or Cheryl on 01773 832019.

'PYES' RAISES THE FLAG FOR ST GEORGE

IT'S A PATRIOTIC month what with St George's Day and Kate & Wills tying the knot.

And 'Pyes' are honoring the occasions with flag flying and bunting baring.

John Pye & Sons wishes everyone a wonderful time this sunny bank holiday season!

COMING UP: MASSIVE LAPTOP & IT AUCTIONS

OVER THREE THOUSAND LAPTOPS will be going under the hammer over the coming weeks. Top brands Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, HP, Compaq, Packard Bell, Acer, Asus and Advent will be sold in a variety of colours, all recently released models.

The majority of the laptops will go through Sale Room 2 and sold on Tuesdays through out April and beyond.

These auctions will also include touch screen monitors and base units.

As ever, it's a case of keeping an eye on the website for catalogues and images: www.johnpye.co.uk

RAISING THE BAR: INFLATABLE PUB GOES TO AUCTION

'Pyes' have had all sorts of weird and wonderful items go through their auction house over the years. And this life-sized inflatable pub has to make the top ten!

The Pub photographed above with Sale Room staff Lincoln Hughes and Danny Pitchford, was previously used for high profile corporate events and has been entrusted to John Pye & Sons by a leading Finance Company.

Purchased by an events company in 2007, the pub originally cost just under £15,000. The online auction will take place on Saturday March 19th - Mon March 21st.

Below: Coverage on the front of todays Nottingham Post.

For auction details visit www.johnpye.co.uk

FIFTH SALEROOM TO OPEN NEXT WEEK

'Pyes' will be opening yet another saleroom that will be used solely for showing quality household furniture.

With a substantial increase in furniture stock, the fifth saleroom will be used for furniture viewings for online auctions that will take place fortnightly in conjunction with Saleroom 4.

The first to take place will commence on Friday Feb 25th, with viewings to take place at the regular weekend times (Fridays 8am - 10am & Saturdays 10am - 12 noon).

As part of a countrywide clearance of stock from a leading UK High St Retailer, a wide range of quality furniture is to be auctioned throughout February and March. Stock includes: living room & bedroom furniture, dining tables & chairs and entertainment units.

Initial images are already online at http://www.facebook.com/jpyeauctioneers - and full details will be available on our website next week.

JOHN PYE & SONS TO AUCTION NARROWBOAT

Due to a bankruptcy John Pye & Sons will be auctioning 'Tom Bombadil', a 40ft narrowboat which was manufactured by Teddeseley Boat Company in 1975.

The 2 Berth Canal narrowboat with a 6ft 10inch Beam has a steel hull powered by a single diesel engine (BMC 1.5hp).

Tom comes complete with Vanette Cooker, Morso Heater and Paloma PH 5-2F Water Heater.

VIEWING: Friday February 4th (9am to 4pm)

LOCATION: Near The Mermaid Pub, Bridgnorth Rd, Wolverhampton, W.Midlands WV6 8BN

ON-LINE BIDDING: Starts Friday 4th & Ends Monday 7th Feb. 2pm (3 minute rule applies) - Bidders advised to view goods to their own satisfaction before bidding.

FURTHER DETAILS TO FOLLOW ON WEBSITE: http://www.johnpye.co.uk/6523.html

John Pye & Sons Auctioneers to Auction the Worlds Only Designer Rocking Piano

LOVERS of interior design and music this month have the opportunity to bid for one of the most unique items available at auction in recent times – the World’s first rocking piano.

The bespoke creation, brainchild of award winning British Designer Sarah Davenport, is being made available for bids this month by Auctioneers John Pye & Sons.

The unique piano has become available for auction after having undertaken a three year tour of the UK, Davenport now wants to offer it some respite in a good home.

Singer songwriter Jamie Cullum had intended to home the piece until it became apparent that access points to his studio were too small for the 3m x 1.5m instrument.

The Baby Grand has attracted high profile interest since its conception in 2007, gaining advocacy from some of the most influential leaders in the design world.

Its wide spread appeal is largely due to its ability to enable the pianist to interact with the instrument in a revolutionary way, offering a more literal perspective to the word ‘harmony’ as the player controls movement as well as music.

Interior and Furniture Designer Sarah said “I have played the piano since I was three years old and have utilised it to escape from reality, however I became increasingly frustrated with the lack of soul I found in the majority of piano designs. I realised that when playing the piano - true music which evokes is not created by simply placing fingers on keys - but working with something - a force to communicate thoughts and feelings and to feed the soul.”

Located in Nottingham, England the instrument itself was crafted in the early 1900s, originally belonging to the Ambassador of Hong Kong, and the outer design is made of mirrored effect and veneered Canadian rock maple. Sarah said “I wanted the look of it to remain as simple as possible - overcomplicating materials or styles would have confused the message.

“After much deep consideration I realised that this force is actually your other persona - the other you. The mirror was introduced to reflect this fact and when playing chichi - you can visually work with 'you' playing back in the mirror. The character, sound and message of the piano changes according to the player, allowing a fluidity of 'soul' which anybody can become a part of."

Aptly and affectionately named ‘Chi Chi’, the piano was launched at the London Design Festival in 2007 and has since toured the UK, visiting concert halls, schools and contemporary art galleries.

Sarah added: “Over 1,000 people have put their fingers to the mirrored keys, from those who have never played the piano before to concert pianists, from under a year old to 80 and above.

“I wanted to create a feeling of oneness, which is where the movement was introduced. Many had fun rocking and laughing however many serious musicians have described losing all sense of time and place as they joined as one with Chichi.”

Whilst the piano is the only one of its type in existence Sarah intends to create unique pianos to order and is currently in talks with one of the worlds leading music companies about creating another to be showcased in the lobby of their Head Office.



Sarah is now keen for the piano to go to a good home and sealed bids will be accepted by Auctioneers John Pye & Sons between the Friday 14th and the Monday 31st of January.
For further details visit: or call Cathy Rowson on + 44 0870 910 9000 or email cathy@johnpye.co.uk

Further information:
The piano was built by Davenport Designers and Cabinetmakers, of which Sarah Davenport is the Creative Director.

JOHN PYE BACK ON THE ROSTRUM FOR 80TH BIRTHDAY

FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN of John Pye & Sons, John Pye took to the rostrum last Wednesday to conduct the beginning of Pyes' weekly Saleroom 1 Electrical Retail Auction.

It has been 8 years since John Pye retired from full time involvement but the Chairman is a regular morning attendee on-site, always making time to talk to staff about new developments, industry news and sharing auction stories old and new.

On the week of John Pye's 80th birthday he was back in the hot seat with a Gavel in his hand and a twinkle in his eye, in front of approx. 200 buyers, proving the old adage that once a skill is mastered 'you never lose it'.

John started his auctioneering career back in 1968 at Nottingham's Cattle Market specialising in furniture. It was known to get so busy that bidders were unable to get in the building. John recalls "I remember times when it was so packed that people would stand at the door and update bidders queuing up outside."

Renowned for his lively quick wit, John Pye's auctions were famous across the region for their sprightly nature. John recalls 'I met one couple who told me they often used to come to my auctions, when I asked them if they had bought much they said 'Oh we don't go to bid, we just love the entertainment!'

JOHN PYE & SONS AUCTIONEERS OPEN FOURTH SALEROOM AFTER RECORD BREAKING SUMMER

NOTTINGHAM Auctioneers John Pye & Sons have developed a fourth saleroom at their headquarters in Basford after recording a 145% increase in weekly stock volumes over the summer.

The 42-year-old firm recently came out top in a 20 week analysis of auction stock recovery rates by a leading UK retail PLC that had been using three UK auction houses, including Pyes, for stock clearance exit routes.

As a result of this ‘champion challenge’, John Pye & Sons have been chosen as the exclusive auction house for the PLC’s weekly clearance product lines, which has seen weekly volumes peak to 18 x 40ft trailers of weekly stock transported to the firm’s premises at the old Shipstone’s Brewery.

In addition, John Pye & Sons have notched up a record month of sales for August in the company’s 42-year history, having generated more than £1m for the month with a record number of 15 auction sales held, some 7 of which were exclusively online corporate liquidation auctions both on-site and off-site in addition to the twice weekly traditional auction sales of retail stock. Online auction buyers for these sales have been attracted from all over the UK, as well as Ireland, France, Sweden, Poland and Australia.

The summer growth at John Pye & Sons has resulted in more local Contractors’ work being undertaken at the site (building, electrical, painting & decorating and signage; all undertaken by Nottingham firms) and the recruitment of six additional full time staff for both the company’s salerooms and offices, taking John Pye & Sons full time staff headcount to over 50 employees.

John Pye & Sons’ Saleroom 4 has begun operations with fortnightly online auction sales of retail stock, with the first sale held tomorrow (Fri Sept 17^th) of quality home wares from a leading UK department store chain.

Managing Director Adam Pye said: “We have seen an extensive increase in stock coming through our doors, goods such as laptops, digital cameras and flat panel TVs, these are end of line and returned products sourced from leading retailers.

“As a result of the rise in corporate liquidation auctions over the last 6-8 weeks as well, we are seeing a snowball effect of interest in sales across the board.

“Providing more online auction sales facilities is giving these remote buyers, who are new to Pyes, more opportunity to engage with our weekly sales also.

“The geographical buyer reach on all volumes has pleasantly surprised us, we’ve had buyers from Sweden purchase large high value automotive industrial machinery and a buyer from Australia purchase motorcycle equipment, both from liquidation auctions, showing the internet is all about sourcing goods no matter what size or value.

“We are all working hard towards opening that gateway wider for such offerings whilst maintaining satisfactory throughput for clients and the development of Saleroom 4 will facilitate that process greatly over the coming months.”


Read the Nottingham Evening Post's coverage: http://www.thisisbusiness-eastmidlands.co.uk/latestnews/John-Pye-opens-fourth-saleroom-growth/article-2703846-detail/article.html 

Pyes Manager runs the Robin Hood Half Marathon and raises £1,000 for Maggies charity.

Chris Fish, Recoveries Manager, for Pyes' sister company MA Julious, swapped his suit and tie for shorts and trainers at the weekend and ran a grueling 13 miles for cancer charity, Maggie's.

Running as part of the annual Robin Hood Festival of Running, Chris managed to raise an impressive £1,000 for the charity which needs to raise £3 million to build a Maggie's Centre in Nottingham.

Having undergone a two and a half month training programme, Chris’ motivation was to raise funds for a Nottingham Maggie’s Centre which will offer help, support and advice to anyone who has problems, large or small associated with cancer.

Chris said "I'd like to thank everyone at Pyes who sponsored me, it definitely eased the pain in my legs as I was running! All in all I was happy with the time and although I am aching and limping a wee bit today, it was well worth it, and I'm looking forward to doing another one. Eventually."

Chris broke his personal record by completing the race in 1 hour 51 minutes and whilst record numbers reportedly entered this year, Chris’ time was in the top 24%.

Maggie's is John Pye & Sons charity of choice and fundraising takes place through out the year.

JOHN PYE & SONS DEVELOP FOURTH SALEROOM

A FOURTH SALEROOM will open at John Pye & Sons Nottingham HQ in September 2010.

Due to an increase in client stock and asset instructions, contractor's have been appointed to develop the new facility which will comprise of approx. 6,000 sq ft of additional sales space at the firm's 5.2 acre site.

The facility will help support the growth of John Pye & Sons' regular weekly sales as well as the strong increase in online auctions, now running weekly. An opening date will be announced soon.

PYES WIN DERBYSHIRE & NOTTS CORPORATE 'WORLD CUP' 5-A-SIDE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

PYES RED SHIRTS have been crowned Champions of the Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce 'World Cup' 5-a-side football tournament out of 64 teams.

Teams from across the region entered the two week tournament with qualifying group games and knockouts played at both Nottingham and Derby in mid July, followed two weeks later with the Grand Finals held at Derby's JJB Soccerdome, next to Derby County's Pride Park ground.

Not only did Pyes win the overall tournament but Pyes player Nick Evans also scooped the Golden Boot award with 6 goals and Player of the Tournament. Saleroom 1 Manager, Rocky Bennett-Bull, Captained the squad in goal, pulling off some superb saves on the way to the final.

Representing John Pye & Sons (as pictured above) were: (back row from left): Josh Chadbourne, Mark Middleton, Ben Dutton, (front row from left) Sheldon Miller, Rocky Bennett-Bull, Nick Evans and Steve Anderson. A special mention must go to Noel Mulready, who played in the first qualifying games but was unavailable for the finals as he was climbing Ben Nevis.

The tournament helped to raise funds for the Keith Alexander Foundation, with 50% of all entry fees being donated to the foundation which honours the late local man who was born in Nottingham and became the country's first black professional manager in the Football League.

Keith sadly passed away in March 2010 after suffering a brain aneurysm. Keith was recognised as a pioneer at the highest level of the game and the foundation has been set up to encourage under privileged children to participate in football.

JOHN PYE & SONS WIN PRESTIGIOUS BUSINESS AWARD

John Pye & Sons scoops the Business Award for Best use of IT & Communications for client software solution Assetline.

The 24 hour access online platform provides a transparent and easily accessible path for clients from the UK's Banking, Finance, Recovery and Retail sectors to trace assets and stock from appraisal through to sale.

Beating strong competition at the Nottingham Evening Post Business Awards such as betterlanguages.com and Heart Internet,

MD Adam Pye and Business Development Director Sheldon Miller collected the award from BBC newsreader and presenter Nicholas Owen at the ceremony. The prominent award was one of 6 given out at the recent event held at The Council House in Nottingham.

Adam Pye said "I'm absolutely delighted that we've won - it's a great testament to a family business. But the person I'm really thrilled for is our IT Manager Jeff Foster, who came to us under the YTS scheme 20 years ago."

ASSETLINE IN BUSINESS AWARDS FINAL

ASSETLINE, the client software solution designed by John Pye & Sons, has been nominated for a prestigious award.


The Nottingham Evening Post Business Awards have short listed the bespoke online case management platform under the category of Best Use of IT & Communications.


Assetline provides a transparent and easily accessible path for clients from the UK's Banking, Finance, Recovery and Retail sectors to trace assets and stock from appraisal through to sale.


Updated in realtime, Assetline offers clients 24 hour access to a comprehensible report on the status of their assets (gradings, locations and logistics) as well as providing a transparent breakdown of any incurred charges.


Managing Director, Adam Pye said "Due to the recent implementation of more stringent insolvency regulations as well as the general nature of corporate asset management, Assetline has become more pertinent than ever in the marketplace.


"Assetline proved to be so successful in terms of speed, efficiency and reducing our mountains of paperwork that we began rolling it out to selected clients on a password protected basis."


Heavily involved in the realisation of corporate assets, Assetline has so far helped John Pye & Sons manage more than 900 auctions involving more than 2.5 million items ranging from IPods to industrial plant and commercial vehicles.


The Nottingham Evening Post Business Awards ceremony will take place on the 1st of July.

PYES OPEN DOORS FOR A REUNION OF EX-SHIPPOS STAFF

MORE THAN 100 ex-Shipstone's brewery employees flocked to John Pye & Sons' Head Office on Wednesday June 2nd for a special reunion to see the old brewery site and catch up with past colleagues.

People travelled as far as Devon & Essex to attend the reunion and with nearly 60 years of the brewery's workforce represented, the site was once again filled with draymen, drivers, clerks and estate managers, rekindling bygone days.

Many attendees brought along memorabilia including photographs, staff lists and original Shipstone bottle labels. Two descendants of the founder James Shipstone attended independently of one another, with a wealth of documentation relating to the Shipstone family.

John Pye & Sons MD, Adam Pye, conducted a tour of the site allowing the guests to explore the main offices, busy salerooms, courtyards, as well as parts of the building's cavernous and legendary cellars.

Adam Pye said: "There have been so many fond recollections, it's been quite an emotional community day for a lot of people. Everyone has cherished memories of Shipstone's, recalling a very family friendly company.

"Today has also cast a lot of detail for us, as site owners also, on the history and former workings of the premises and it has really underlined the important heritage of the site and its place in Nottigham's history, which we are proud to uphold."

After working up a good appetite investigating the preserved heritage as well as operations of today's fully functioning and thriving auction house, it was back to the main offices for further refreshments, a buffet lunch and a good old fashioned 'catch up' for old time's sake.

A number of guests have since contacted John Pye & Sons to express their enjoyment of a great day. Guest Margaret Glover said 'A very big thank you for a really wonderful day at your memorable premises...what a good day it was!'

The event was enjoyed by all and many exchanged contact details to reform friendships, some of which had started over half a century ago.

John Pye & Sons are aware many former employees of the brewery have many memories and old photos to share and quite a few ex-employees were not able to attend on the day. Therefore the company has decided to set up an online community forum for ex-Shippo staff to get in touch with one another. Details to follow shortly.

John Pye & Sons would like to thank members of the local media, notably Andy Smart, Bygones Feature Writer at the Nottingham Evening Post, for first following up interest in the suggestion, as well as the BBC and Nottingham Evening Post news reporter Bryan Henesey for covering the event. A detailed feature of the reunion by Jeremy Lewis (Editor) will also feature in an upcoming edition of Nottinghamshire Today, the county's monthly lifestyle magazine and Spyke Golding, Editor of CAMRA's Nottingham Drinker (and one time Brewery Liason Officer for Shipstones) will also be writing a feature.

PYES TO HOLD REUNION FOR EX-SHIPPOS BREWERY STAFF

JOHN PYE & SONS are to hold a special reunion for former Nottingham Shipstone's brewery staff at the historic site on Wednesday June 2nd.

After a Bygones feature of the old Brewery site appeared in the Nottingham Evening Post with an appeal for more recollections from former staff, John Pye & Sons Auctioneers were inundated with expressions of interest.

As a result, John Pye & Sons have decided to open the doors of the old Brewery (now John Pye & Sons auction house) for a special reunion for ex-staff to tour the site, see how it has been regenerated into a thriving auction house and reminisce about the old days.

So far some 40 ex-employees have confirmed attendance, with scores of long term ex-employees set to attend, some with service stretching back as far as 1943.

The itinerary for the day will be as follows:

- 10am - 10.30am: Welcome Refreshments

- 10.30am - 11.30am/12pm: Tour of the 5 acre site with Adam Pye, MD & Principal Auctioneer

- 12pm - 3pm: Reunion buffet and drinks

- 3pm - 4pm: Close.

If you are an ex-employee of Shipstone's 'Star' Brewery and would like to attend please contact Cathy Rowson, Marketing Manager, at John Pye & Sons on 0115 970 60 60 or email cathy@johnpye.co.uk and confirm attendance by 11am on Tuesday June 1st.

PYES AUCTIONS IN NOTTINGHAM EVENING POST FEATURE

John Pye & Sons auctions have been making headlines again, this time with a two page feature in the Nottingham Evening Post.

Features Editor Lynette Pinchess visited Saleroom 2's Thursday auction to speak to buyers to get a pulse on the growing public interest in auction sales.

The feature revealed some interest insights of not just the products sold but the destinations of products purchased, reaching out to a vast myriad of sub markets in both the UK and overseas. These markets range from entrepreneurial UK market traders to overseas exporters selling and donating goods to global consumers and community charities, underlining the huge recycling and remarketing opportunities being exercised for all secondary market stakeholders.

PYES COMPETE IN DAINS 6-A-SIDE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT AT WALSALL FC

John Pye & Sons' football players thought they'd hung their boots up for the summer only to be recalled into action for Dains' 6-a-side football tournament at Walsall FC last Friday (May 21st).

The Pyes squad was subject to some late withdrawals after Professional Services Manager Charles 'The Cat' Loake and Logistics Manager Steve Anderson had to pull out due to other commitments.

Despite the squad changes, Pyes fielded three gritty performances with Bob Beaumont having to sacrifice his Bobby Moore skills outfield to don the gloves in goal, ex-Army soldier Noel Mulready showed industrious drive, with MD Adam Pye's and Saleroom 1 Deputy Manager Mike Vitale's bionic knees holding up throughout.

However, a first game 2-0 defeat gave the Pyes Red Shirts a mountain to climb for the two remaining group games, losing the second game 3-2 but the lads managed a respectable 3-3 draw in the final game in the sweltering early summer heatwave. So room for improvement but early encouraging signs for future fixtures. A big thank you to Dains and Walsall FC for a well organised day.

TROY MAKES HEADLINES AS YOUNGEST AUCTIONEER

PYES AUCTIONEER, Troy Bennett-Bull, has been making headlines as the UK's reputed youngest Auctioneer aged just 21.

Troy featured in a full page article in the Business pages of the Nottingham Evening Post, in which the Auctioneer talked about mastering his early nerves when he first picked up the Gavel more than a year ago.

Troy's 'Gavel Graduation' at Pyes under the watchful eyes of MD & Principal Auctioneer, Adam Pye, and Senior Auctioneer, Trevor Palethorpe, now takes the Pyes rostrum team to five qualified and experienced Auctioneers on the books.

PYES BIGGEST AUCTION WEEK OF 2010

THIS WEEK (w/c March 8th) promises to be Pyes' biggest auction week of 2010 with four notable auctions running both on-site and online.

The week kicks off on Wednesday March 10th with a large retail auction in Pyes Saleroom 1, comprising approx. £400,000 of electrical retail stock including approx. 150 flat panel TVs and 500 digital cameras including top spec boxed Canon and Nikon SLR models.

The first day of viewing at James Shipstone House will also be held for two online auctions; one featuring the £100,000 contents of a modern gymnasium and the other comprising bankruptcy vehicles and liquidation including the entire contents of a music shop with guitars, drum machines and mixing equipment available.

Bidding for both online auctions start on Weds March 10th. Bidding for the music shop liquidation auction concludes at 12pm on Monday March 15th, bidding for the gynasium equipment online auction concludes at 12pm on Tues March 16th (3 minute rule applies on both sales).

Finally, Pyes saleroom 2 will be holding an electrical retail auction featuring approx. 100 flat panel TVs, white goods, laptops and IT accessories.

Full details of all auctions on John Pye & Sons' website: www.johnpye.co.uk

PYES £2,000 DONATION TO MAGGIE'S CANCER APPEAL

JOHN PYE & SONS has kicked off it's 2010 Maggie's Appeal with a £2,000 donation to the Nottingham cancer charity.

Managing Director, Adam Pye, presented Maggie's Nottingham fundraiser, Sarah Macey, with a £2,000 cheque at James Shipstone House in Nottingham, a contribution made out of the company's operating profits.

John Pye & Sons hope to increase this amount over the coming months with a number of staff fundraising events and a charity auction (details to be confirmed in the next couple of months).

The donation made headlines in the Nottingham Evening Post, which has helped to champion the Maggie's Appeal to raise £3m to build a specialist restbite support facility for those newly diagnosed with cancer.

PYES PLEDGES SUPPORT TO MAGGIE'S CANCER APPEAL

JOHN PYE & SONS today pledged its support to Maggie's Cancer charity appeal to help towards raising £3m to build a specialist cancer support unit in Nottingham.

Maggie's has been chosen by John Pye & Sons as the company's nominated charity for 2010.

Around 1.3 million people are served by the Nottingham University Hospital Trust and around 4,000 people a year within the Trust area are diagnosed with cancer.

John Pye & Sons will be undertaking a calendar of fundraising events throughout 2010 to help boost the fundraising appeal along with other Nottingham businesses, organisations and individuals, including the Nottingham Evening Post.

The announcement follows on from last year's charity donation by John Pye & Sons to Billy's House, the QMC residential facility for parents of children who are receiving cancer treatment but live out of the city limits.

John Pye & Sons purchased and supplied electrical goods worth approx. £2,000 to help kit out the home located just off Derby Road.

More details about Maggie's Nottingham Appeal and the charity's work across the UK.

Pictured top: Maggie's Nottingham Fundraiser, Sarah Macey, with Pyes Business Development Director, Sheldon Miller, launch the firm's 2010 charity drive.

PYES EXPANSION IN THE NEWS

John Pye & Sons' ongoing company expansion has made more headlines this week.

With news of more than a 300% rise in year-on-year insolvency instructions for the firm, the Nottingham Evening Post ran a page lead article in the Business pages on Monday February 1st, detailing plans for more satellite offices across the UK.

Pyes plan to open two more regional offices this year after recording 238 instructions in six months solely from the company's new Birmingham office.

The full article can be viewed on Northcliffe Newspapers (a trading division of the Daily Mail & General Trust) regional business website by clicking here.

NOSTALGIC NOTTINGHAM BOOK FEATURES JOHN PYE & SONS AUCTIONS

A NEWLY published book called 'Nostalgic Nottingham', which charts more than 100 years of the city's history, features John Pye & Sons.

The book, published by True North Books, is the latest part of the company's 'Memories' series and focuses on many different facets of Nottingham life and history, stretching back to the Edwardian Era.

Chapters featured include the War Years, Royal Visits, Working Life, Entertainment, Leisure, pastimes, Special Events & Transport.

John Pye & Sons were approached in the Autumn by the publishers, who asked if the firm would like to feature as part of the 'Working Life' chapter based on the company's 40 year trading history. The company's timeline can be charted from the city's Cattle Market from 1968 and later on to the old Shipstone's Brewery, where the firm has traded from since 1994, occupying one of the UK's largest independent auction houses.

Both sites are well established and recognised city landmarks and Pyes auctions have been a prominent feature of the city calendar of events over the years, two points of several recognised by the the publishers within the book.

The four page feature of John Pye & Sons within the 'Working Life' chapter sits alongside other notable Nottingham home-grown established firms featured, such as Boots the Chemist, AW Lymm Funeral Directors, GB Willbond & H Sladen & Son.

Nostalgic Nottingham is now on general sale and can be purchased at Nottingham branches of Waterstones, WHSmith and other leading book retailers as well as online at Amazon.

Nostalgic Nottingham ISBN Code: 1 906649289

PYES SCOOP 2009 WEST MIDLANDS R3 QUIZ

The Annual West Midlands R3 (Recovery Professionals Association) Quiz has been won by John Pye & Sons.

A team headed by Pyes West Midlands Regional Manager Bob Beaumont scored 115 points out of a possible 135 and led from the first round of the 12 round contest, which was held at Aston Villa Football Club and entered by 21 teams from the West Midlands Professional community of Insolvency, Banking, Law and Finance.

The members of the team, under the John Pye & Sons banner, have impressive form, with 4 having featured on BBC 2's Eggheads, a general knowledge quiz presented by News Reporter Jeremy Vine in which teams from all over the UK battle to beat the formidable 'Eggheads'.

A NEW ROSTRUM...AFTER 40 YEARS

JOHN PYE & SONS' twice weekly auctions have taken on a new look with a handmade custom built rostrum (pictured left).

The firm's old mobile rostrum (pictured below left) had been used since 1968 and had served the company well, spanning five decades. It was originally used at Pyes' old auction facility in Nottingham's old Cattle Market in Meadow Lane, near the Notts County football ground and was later relocated in 1994 to the old Shipstone's brewery premises when the five acre site was acquired to help facilitate the company's long term expansion plans.

However, with sales racking up an average of 2,400 lots a week it received some 'serious hammer' with more than 150,000 Gavel strikes a year.

Factor in one-off sales and that's over 6 million lots in total since 1968; little wonder it began creaking at the joints.

MD and Principal Auctioneer, Adam Pye, said: "No one can argue that we haven't had good value out of the old rostrum but it was time for a change.

"The auctions have been getting bigger and, as result, the Auctuioneer and his Assistant require more space to manage the sale with the growing volume of commission bids being received via telephone and online."

The new rostrum incorporates lighting and facilities to manage live online bidding, as well as PA feeds to project the Auctioneer and his assistant during the sales.

PYES BACK ON PRIME TIME TV

John Pye & Sons are back on prime time TV with details of a £3M Retail Clearance Stock Auction Month.

An intensive schedule spanning 12 days, featuring more than 25 prime time adverts, is currently appearing on ITV during popular favourite programmes including Coronation Street, This Morning, Live Champions League coverage and ITV News.

PYES BIRMINGHAM OFFICE LAUNCHED

JOHN PYE & SONS has officially opened in the West Midlands with a launch event held in Birmingham, attended by more than 100 guests from Banking, Finance, Insolvency and Law.

The event was held at The Living Room in Broad Street, Birmingham, near Pyes' Birmingham office in Victoria Square.

Since its operational opening in June, the office has secured 245 instructions before any marketing activity. It is headed up by well established and respected Auctioneer & Valuer, Bob Beaumont, a former secretary of the UK's National Association of Valuers & Auctioneers.

Bob retains an active role within NAVA, raising the profile of the organisation; helping to develop new and young Auctioneers and Valuers, as well as organising national events and lobbying Government on industry matters.

Working out of John Pye & Sons' new office in Victoria Square, Bob is supported by the firm's head office staff headcount of more than 50 employees, encompassing Valuers, Auctioneers, Logistics, Marketing, Sales and Accounts support.

John Pye & Sons MD Adam Pye said: "It is very early days but already in just over four months the office has secured 245 instructions; which is an encouraging statistic. The Birmingham team is supported by more than 50 staff from our Head Office incorporating Auctioneers, Valuers, Marketers, IT, Logistics and Accounts staff.

"The West Midlands is a big region with a significant industrial heartland at its core. It is an area in which we have found ourselves working in on cases more and more over the years, so this development is a natural progression of John Pye & Sons' organic growth and testament to our dedicated team of staff."

Pictured above: Adam Pye, MD, welcomes Bob Beaumont onboard as Pyes West Midlands Regional Head, operating from One Victoria Square, Birmingham.

Pyes at First UK Exclusive Merc E Class Launch

John Pye & Sons were invited to the UK's first exclusive Mercedes E Class launch, held at Donington Park Motor Racing Track Circuit near East Midlands Airport.

Mercedes supplied their full retail range for the day, from A to S Class cars, including high performance AMG models, including the stunning C63 AMG and SL63 AMGs.

The full day at Donington was bathed in glorious sunshine, making for perfect conditions to test Mercedes' vehicle range, including the E Class Coupe.

Auctions under The Times spotlight

As the Credit Crunch continues to bite, auctions remain in the headlines and The Times national newspaper has been the latest to focus on UK auctions, featuring John Pye & Sons' MD, Adam Pye.

Full version of The Times article available here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/money/consumer_affairs/article6487738.ece

Pyes Spearhead Nationwide Disposals Agency Launch

John Pye & Sons have co-founded and launched a new company which will offer the UK disposals market with a national 'One-Stop-Shop' for appraisals, valuations, clearances, auctions, transport and storage.

NDA UK Ltd, trading as the Nationwide Disposals Agency, is a network of ten of some of the biggest independent commerial auction houses in the UK, offering 15 tangible asset facilities, known as NDA branches.

The central head office is based at James Shipstone House in Nottingham, where marketing, administration and accounts will be managed, with instructions UK wide also overseen from Nottingham with all members connected remotely through digital case management systems.

To contact the NDA call 0870 951 5000.

For recent press coverage and further details of the NDA go to:

http://www.thisisbusiness-eastmidlands.co.uk/News/Nottinghamshire/Nottingham-auctioneer-launches-national-disposals-.aspx