Sark Builders’ bonfire is taking shape in the field to the north of The Avenue. (0855630)

MANY years of Sark history went under the hammer yesterday when part of the contents of La Seigneurie were auctioned.

Some 300 or so lots were offered by auctioneers Martel Maides in a sale divided into two parts – those items in a trust established by Dame Sibyl Hathaway and those owned by her grandson and the present Seigneur, Michael Beaumont.

The money raised by the sale of the trust items will go towards several Sark charities.

Many of the residents who have spoken to me about the auction are saddened by the event, although there is little – if any – criticism of the Seigneur, who with his wife Diana is vacating La Seigneurie because of ill health to move to a smaller property at La Chasse Marette, directly opposite St Peter’s Anglican Church.

Like my journalistic colleague Bob Parsons, who edits the monthly journal Sark Scribe, I certainly have no issue with Mr and Mrs Beaumont’s fully justifiable decision to hold the sale in the light of them moving to a much smaller property.

However, I also agree with Bob’s view that the sale should have been held in Sark, if only because those residents who wanted to attend were forced not only to go to Guernsey but, because of the scheduling of Sark Shipping’s passenger services, go on Wednesday because the Thursday morning boat would have meant them arriving at the auction rooms at least two hours after the sale had started.

In common with several people who have spoken to me about it, I am also saddened that the first ‘official’ confirmation the people of Sark received of the decision to lease La Seigneurie for 10 years came in a paragraph inserted in the £10 Martel Maides catalogue. The only other public reference to that particular issue came on 26 March last year during a debate in Chief Pleas on amendments to the then draft Reform Law – the legislation that paved the way for all members of the legislature to be directly elected.

Advocate Gordon Dawes, sitting as Sir David Barclay’s representative, referred during a speech to reports that the Seigneur was contemplating selling a long lease on La Seigneurie, only to be told very swiftly by Seneschal Reg Guille that the matter ‘has nothing to do with the proposition’.

Equally swiftly, Mr Beaumont was on his feet and said – to loud applause – that ‘it is not true anyway’.

Well, 10 years isn’t that long, I don’t suppose.

Auctions seem to be quite the vogue as far as Sark is concerned this week, because there will be another one in the island tomorrow.

The Prevot, Alf Adams, has given notice that following several Seneschal’s Court judgments given against Mayfair International and/or Gordon and Kathleen Ashley, he will be auctioning household effects in the old Island Hall.

He told me that it is the first occasion a sale of that size has been held since he became Prevot – the officer of the Court whose task it is to implement judgments – and said that because of this two opportunities will be given to the public to view the sale items.

No doubt the event will attract the curious as well as those in search of a bargain.

I  read the other day that Christmas decorations are already up in some British stores. Thankfully, no such thing happens here, although Sark Builders Ltd has started putting things together for the annual builders’ bonfire in preparation for Guy Fawkes night.

If they continue adding to what they intend putting a match to on 5 November, it promises to be quite a blaze. No doubt more details about what’s on offer for that celebration will emerge in the next few weeks.

• The email address for comment is fallesark@sark.net.