Huge garage sale brings village together

About 50 households took part in the garage sale

A huge annual garage sale is bringing a Wiltshire village together.

Dave Charles started the garage sale event in Lover, near Salisbury, 15 years ago, when his daughter left university.

Since then, the event has grown - now about 50 households take part in the sale every year.

"We get hundreds and hundreds of people turning up in the village," Mr Charles told BBC Wiltshire.

"The village hall opens, with bacon butties and teas and coffees, and it becomes a real community event."

Mr Charles set up the garage sale event 15 years ago

When his daughter left university, Mr Charles had "lots of stuff left over" and got creative about finding a way to get rid of it.

"I thought a post in our local newsagents really wouldn't cut it, so I wrote to all the people in the village," he said.

At the time, 25 people responded and everyone decided to do a garage sale on the same day.

"One of the lines we use is: 'One man's junk becomes another man's treasure,'" Mr Charles said.

He added: "It is quite incredible what is of interest to people.

"Things you think will sell very well, nobody is interested, but everyone has got an eye for a bargain it turns out and it depends what they're looking for.

"We've had people who have told us they've come for North Surrey, we've had people from as far as Bristol.

"It's a lovely village and it's a lovely walk as well as a bargain. And it brings the village together."

The event will take place on Saturday.