AMY JOHNSON MOTH AUCTION A FLYING SUCCESS

The Amy Johnson Festival's Big Moth Auction has raised tens of thousands of pounds for the HEY Smile Foundation and the Amy Johnson Arts and Engineering Awards. Hundreds of potential bidders descended on the Royal Hotel, in Hull, on Saturday afternoon, hoping to go home with one of the 25 iconic moths. Local auctioneers, Gilbert Baitson, took control of proceedings coordinating bids in the room and from all over the world. An incredible £6,000 was paid for one moth, prompting gasps amongst the crowd, with the lowest sale still raising an impressive £2,000.

The funds Smile receives from the auction will open a new innovation fund. The initial project will see Smile working in partnership with local businesses to develop a new technology, which will enable charities across the region to access funding and resources in a more straightforward way. Smile is incredibly grateful to have been selected as one of the Big Moth Auction beneficiaries, Helen Binnie-Wise from Smile said:

Amy Johnson is an iconic figure not just in Hull's history, but across the world.

The whole of East Yorkshire has taken great pleasure from the moth trail, spending thousands of hours exploring our region and learning more about Amy Johnson's life and achievements.

It is our absolute pleasure to play a part in the continuity of the Amy Johnson Festival's legacy. We'd like to extend our thanks to the http://amyjohnsonfestival.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amy Johnson Festival Director, Rick Welton, and Project Manager, Clare Huby for leading this phenomenal initiative."

Moth Sale Prices: Lot 1: 1930s Aviation Poster For Amy - £2,700 Lot 2: Air Mail - £3,500 Lot 3: Spirit Of The Age - £4,000 Lot 4: The Horizon's Path - £2,500 Lot 5: My Spirit Found Outlet In The Air - £2,600 Lot 6: Amy's Coat Of Arms - £2,500 Lot 7: Fly High - £3,200 Lot 8: The Talent Match Mencap Moth - £2,000 Lot 9: Flight To Australia - £5,000 Lot 10: Diverse-City - £2,800 Lot 11: Deco Winged Moth - £3,100 Lot 12: Jason - £3,200 Lot 13: Deco-Page - £3,300 Lot 14: …Somebody To Dance With - £2,300 Lot 15: Women Of The ATA - £3,700 Lot 16: Red Letter Days - £3,500 Lot 17: Swallow Lotus - £3,100 Lot 18: To Build A House - £6,000 Lot 19: Greatfield Blossoms - £4,000 Lot 20: Turkish Delight - £3,000 Lot 21: Motley - £4,000 Lot 22: Deco Moth - £3,500 Lot 23: Geoffrey - £3,700 Lot 24: Flight Over Thailand - £3,800 Lot 25: I Believe I Can Fly - £4,000 To see photos of all of the moths that went under the hammer, visit the Amy Johnson Festival website.