Dozens of designer bags and shoes are going under the hammer next week <mar 19> to raise cash to carry out road repairs at an Oxfordshire hospice.
It was Susan Barratt’s dying wish that the potholed surface and the bridge on the approach to Katharine House Hospice in Adderbury be repaired.
Now her civil engineering husband David Barratt from King’s Sutton has pledged to raise £30,000 to honour his wife of 55 years, who passed away in the hospice in 2023 aged 77.
He said: “Susan knew because of my job I’d be ideally suited to take on the project, so after she died, I set about raising money to do just that.”
Susan Barratt’s autoimmune condition of scleroderma caused her to suffer from painful joints meaning she felt every jolt on the approach to the hospice.
David continued: “For a hospice largely reliant on charitable donations, any money raised understandably goes into patient care, so I was delighted to take on a job where I knew I would be able to make a difference.”
The collection of designer bags and shoes, many of which are hardly worn or used, were owned by his current partner who attended a number of high-end functions in London during the last 30 years.
David said: “We met a year ago and come from similar backgrounds, both of us having lost our partners. We have the same outlook and really just want to help people when we can.”
The 60-lot collection, which could raise up to £10,000 in total, includes pieces by Dior, Ferragamo and Jimmy Choo with the most expensive item being a crocodile handbag by Asprey which is expected to make up to £1,200.
David, who has already completed some repairs to the drive, hopes the money will fund long-term improvements.
He said: “When Susan died, I was bereft and immediately set about raising money more as a way of diverting my grief. I held a concert in the local church hall in King’s Sutton in order to carry out initial repairs, but we want to complete the project and hope to raise more money to do so.”
David wants to carry out more detailed repairs including improving the drainage and resurfacing the road.
The collection of bags and shoes, which was consigned via Hansons’ Oxfordshire saleroom in Banbury, goes under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers’ Etwall saleroom near Derby on March 19.
Hansons Auctioneers’ textiles expert, Notty Hornblower, said: “This is a really stunning collection featuring the finest names in haute couture. Knowing what a good cause it is being sold in makes it all the more special.”
David’s current partner, a socialite who amassed the collection over 30 years, said: “This isn’t about me, it’s about Susan who was a wonderful woman and greatly loved by her children and grandchildren. We are both determined to carry out her wishes.”
Katharine House Hospice’s director of fundraising and marketing, Stephanie Lawless, said: “We’re delighted that David has organised this fundraising auction in support of Katharine House. His previous fundraising in tribute to his late wife, Susan, enabled us to improve the access road at the hospice to make a difference to other patients who come here.
“We are very grateful for his continued support and know that the money raised from the auction will ensure that we can continue to make every arrival at the hospice a smooth and comfortable one for patients and their families, from the moment they come in the gates.”
Auction Details
Auction: Derby March Four-Day Antiques & Collectors Auction: including Silver, Jewellery & Watches
Auction date: 19th – 24th March 2026 | 9am
Location: Hansons’ Derbyshire Saleroom
Auction contact: [email protected]
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
