Wife surprised with wedding hotel auction on birthday

Nicky and Kish Patel married in Windsor Guildhall, which is opposite the Castle Hotel

"It's a really special thing to have furniture that means something to us from our wedding."

Nicky and Kish Patel, who married in Windsor, Berkshire, and stayed at the 16th Century Castle Hotel for their wedding night, were among the buyers at an auction that will make room for the venue's £9.5m renovation.

Auction house Pro Auction said 624 individual lots from the 108 guest bedrooms, public dining and bar areas had been sold, including beds, chandeliers and furniture from the terraces.

Mrs Patel, who was taken to the auction as a birthday surprise, said among their purchases was "a beautiful mirror" that would stand "the test of time".

The couple are both optometrists who met while volunteering for a charity at a hospital in a rural part of south Malawi, Africa.

"We spent two weeks together in 40C heat with no air conditioning - a very romantic start," Mrs Patel said.

They started dating when they got back to the UK at the end of 2019, but Mrs Patel said that had been "challenging" because he lived near Harrow and she was in Surrey.

Mrs Patel's charity The Trifocal Trust is supporting eyecare in Malawi, where she and her husband met

After the Covid-19 pandemic, the couple decided to "meet in the middle" and started renting in Windsor.

Mrs Patel started the eyecare support charity The Trifocal Trust, which she said had been inspired by her husband and a friend who had been with them in Malawi.

"Our first medical camp was in 2014 and while we were there, Kish joined and proposed to me," she said.

They married in Windsor Guildhall, which is opposite the Castle Hotel.

Nicky and Kish Patel married in Windsor

Mrs Patel said they currently lived with her in-laws while preparing their new home in Windsor.

"We started to look to furnish it, but it just so happened the auction was on my birthday," she said.

"Kish told me he'd taken the day off and in the morning we went to the auction."

Along with the mirror, they also got two chairs and a table.

"I think they'll probably stay with us for a long time - everyone will hear the story of where they came from," Mrs Patel said.

Shaun Bowles, from the Sutton Hotel Collection, which runs the hotel, said they had been "so pleased" to see some of their pieces finding "a home where they hold truly special sentiment".

Mr Patel surprised his wife with a visit to the auction on her birthday

The hotel was initially called The Mermaid Inn in 1528, when the venue brewed beer and cider Windsor residents.

Pro Auction director Mark Flynn called the sale "highly significant due to the venue's rich history and its prominent location directly opposite the iconic Windsor Castle".

Another phase is planned for the summer 2026.