15052/1THE people of Marlborough and Pewsey have been pulling out the stops this week to raise money for the victims of the Asian tsunami disaster.

A huge auction will be taking place in Marlborough town hall at 7pm tomorrow, with Paul Martin from TV's Flog It programme wielding the hammer.

The idea for the event came from a group of friends having a drink on New Year's Eve and was immediately endorsed by the mayor Graham Francis and the town council.

As word of it began to spread, offers of items or goods to go under the hammer began coming in from a range of businesses across the area.

They include a day's fly fishing on the River Kennet; days out at Cadley Clay Pigeon Centre; designer sunglasses and eye tests donated by Haine and Smith; a family portrait by photographer David Uttley; and a load of farmyard manure donated by John Gale from Mildenhall.

Wiltshire Police have offered an afternoon at the heliport in Devizes, while Marlborough florist Derek Smithers is offering a night out at the Covent Garden flower market.

One of the organisers said: "The response from the area has been phenomenal. Pubs and restaurants have been offering meals, while taxi firms have been offering to take the winning bidders to and from them.

"It's going to be a real community event and we want to raise as much money as possible."

Items for the auction can be left at the town council offices at 5 High Street or taken to the town hall from noon tomorrow, the day of the auction.

Meanwhile at Pewsey on Saturday Philippa Ponting is organising a bring and buy sale at The Crown in Wilcot Road between 11am and 1pm.

She is donating craft goods from a business she formerly ran and is asking all shops in Pewsey to donate items to be sold. She also wants the public to donate goods for the sale.

Anyone with items to donate or who could like to help is asked to ring Miss Ponting 07970 773039.

Over at Everleigh, the owner of the Goa Balti restaurant, Hassan Achmed, and his staff are hoping to raise several thousand pounds for the tsunami appeal on January 17, when they will be giving the entire takings from the night to the appeal.

Mr Achmed, who will be opening a third restaurant, The Palm, in mid-February at the former Klondike at Froxfield, said his 11 staff have agreed to donate their wages so that everything paid by the customers for food and drink will go to the appeal.

The success of the fund-raising evening will depend on the support of the public. Mr Achmed added: "If we can get 180 through the doors during the evening we should be able to make about £3,000 for the appeal."

Tables can be booked by ringing the Goa Balti on (01264) 850850.

Customers at the Roebuck pub in London Road, Marlborough, have already done their bit for the tsunami appeal, raising £128 when they were challenged on New Year's Eve to see how much they could put in a collecting pot in two minutes.

In Marlborough a collection point for goods to be sent out to the disaster areas through the central handling centre at Wroughton is being set up from today at the Kennet Tyres car showroom in London Road.

A team of volunteers will be at the showroom to receive goods that will be taken to Wroughton by Louth Removals.

Meanwhile, Marlborough High Street came to a standstill yesterday as people across Britain and Europe marked three minutes' silence for the 150,000 people killed in the disaster.

As the clock of St Mary's Church struck 12 noon, traffic warden Robin Adams stopped the traffic, and store staff joined shoppers standing with bowed heads, quietly reflecting on the sheer scale of the catastrophe.

The end of the three minutes was marked in Marlborough by the ring of town crier Alfie Johnson's bell from the town hall steps.

How to help

Wiltshire Mercy Appeal: (07708) 415362 or (01380) 720409

Wiltshire Red Cross: (01380) 730131

Disasters and Emergency Committee (DEC) national number: 0870 60 60 900 email www.dec.org.uk