St Michael’s Rooms in Framlingham was the location for Danebury Metal Detecting Club, known to fans worldwide as the HQ for “Detectorists”, Mackenzie Crook’s hit BBC series.
Fans of the cult show were dismayed upon hearing the news of the rooms' imminent demolition, with some flocking for one last selfie outside the iconic scout hall and its famous 'squeaky doors'.
Now those ‘squeaky doors' will soon be going under the hammer at auction.
The rooms were beyond repair and sadly had to be replaced, but they had been a mainstay of the Framlingham community for over 100 years.
A local team of volunteers is fundraising to repurpose the site for the next century, with a new hall: The Castle Community Rooms.
As such, “relics” have been salvaged and, in Lance’s (Toby Jones) own words, they are going to "Bag ‘em up and stick ‘em on eBay ".
Larger items such as the squeaky doors, Sheila's (Sophie Thompson) tea urn and Terry's (Gerard Horan) lecterns will be auctioned through a timed online sale, run by Clarke & Simpson Auctions in conjunction with The-Saleroom.com from March 25 to April 3, 2022.
Each item will be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, some signed by Mackenzie Crook.
James Durrant, director of Clarke & Simpson Auctions said: "We are delighted to be supporting the Castle Community Rooms project, which will be a fantastic addition to our town."
As well as iconic items from the show such as signs, chairs, and doors, lots will also include autographed DVDs, an autographed “The Searcher” magazine (Detectorists edition), an authentic Framlingham Town sign, a tour of Southwold by Antiques Roadshow expert and occasional Detectorist Geoffrey Munn and tours of the Framlingham locations combined with local ‘detecting' sessions.
Fundraising and project group member Adrian Morgan said: "Detectorists has been a very positive influence on Framlingham and has brought hundreds of fans to the town.
"We hope that our auctions will give those fans the opportunity to own a memento from the building and cement a long-lasting connection to the Framlingham community."
All funds raised will go towards the building of Framlingham’s new Castle Community Rooms.
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