One of the UK’s most notable vintage machinery auctions has become the latest victim of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Making the announcement, a spokesman for Cheffins, which runs the annual sale, said: “It is with great sadness and much regret that Cheffins Vintage team has taken the decision to cancel the Harrogate Vintage Sale on Saturday, August 22. The sale will return in 2021.”
Cheffins chairman, Bill King said: “The Harrogate Vintage Sale is a victim of the global pandemic.
In any normal year, we would already be consigning entries and ramping up our marketing but it would be disingenuous of us to accept entries from our clients when we cannot wholeheartedly guarantee that the sale will go ahead in August.
“With only a slight easing of social distancing restrictions in the last week, we currently have no indication from the government as to when full-scale public events will be able to proceed, and therefore, we have no realistic alternative but to cancel the sale this year.
“And with no date yet set by the government as to when hotels can open, it poses a further logistical challenge not just for the Cheffins team but also for the many enthusiasts who travel from outside Yorkshire to come to the auction.”
This sale is a cornerstone of the vintage machinery calendar and has been taking place for some 25 years.
Each year thousands of vintage and classic machinery enthusiasts travel to the event at the Yorkshire Event Centre from all over the UK, Ireland and Europe.
“This is as much a blow to the Cheffins Vintage Team as it is for our clients; we have been trading with multiple generations of families at Harrogate over the years and we really look forward to our weekend in Yorkshire and putting on a good show each year,” King added.
The Harrogate Vintage Sale will return in 2021 and we are in discussions already with the Yorkshire Event Centre regarding a date for next year.
Cheffins April Vintage sale was also a casualty of the lockdown. Lots from the April sale will now feature in the July Vintage Sale, which will be run online only.
