The seemingly impossible fight to save a secret treasure trove of art concealed within an ordinary Oxton flat has come to an end.
For the past three months, members of the Wirral Arts and Culture Community Land Trust have scrambled to save Ron's Place, a fantastical grotto of vivid portraits, murals and sculptures in the ground floor flat of 8 Silverdale Road, after landlords decided to sell the old three-storey building.
The group, which has maintained the flat since its discovery in 2019, was faced with raising at least £325,000 to stand a chance of winning the property, which went up for auction yesterday, February 28. But this morning, just a few hours before the hammer came down, an anonymous benefactor came forward, allowing the group to make a successful bid of £335k.
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This means the ground floor flat will be preserved as it was left by eccentric artist Ron Gittins, who created the spectacle over a period of 33 years before his death in September 2019, aged 79.
His niece Jan Williams said: "It's absolutely incredible. We've been trying to keep the faith all this time, and we're really grateful for all the support from everybody.
"I feel elated and delirious. I always thought it was possible. I've never given up. There were times I felt despondent. Yesterday, I felt so emotional as we had to hand our keys back to the landlords for the last time - but now, we'll be getting them back. It's unbelievable.
"We see ourselves as custodians. It's not just for us, but for the people. Think of what Ron's Place can so for the community, all ages, all the people it can inspire. So many people have been popping in over the past few days, thinking it might be their last chance to see Ron's Place. I think they'll be overjoyed to hear that it's here to stay."
She added: "There's a lot of hard work ahead. It will take us months to work out the sale, and then we have to look at the structure and fabric of the building, and look at conserving what's in here. We need to make a real, proper business plan, and look at the flats upstairs, and how we can make them into rentable spaces.
"Because it's in a residential neighbourhood, it has to be sensitively managed. There's never going to be big buses of people pulling up, but we will be inviting community groups and clubs to come around, and there will be open days when anyone can come and have a look. This is just the beginning."
Chris Johnson, auctioneer at Smith and Sons property consultants, said: “Ron’s Place was inevitably the most talked about lot in the auction, attracting extensive media coverage from local and international press. Ron Gittins had passed in 2019 and his home, along with other apartments in the building, was owned by the landlord who eventually decided to sell the property using the auction room for a transparent and straight forward sale.
“We were really pleased to see Ron’s Place saved when an anonymous benefactor stepped in to help make the purchase happen and retain the building and it’s amazing content. The building sold for £335,000 against an original guide of £325,000 - £350,000.
“Bringing properties to auction focuses the mind and brings a sense of urgency which is often helpful to both buyers and sellers. This was definitely the case here and we’re pleased supporters and campaigners were able to save this property, showcase this important work and utilise the rest of the building.”
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