Former Frome resident Sarah Parkinson queued all night outside Bath furniture store Silcox Son and Wicks to make sure of buying a new Italian leather footstool at a knock down price, in its annual summer sale.

Mrs Parkinson mounted a 15-hour vigil outside the Kingsmead Square store to be at the front of the queue and was joined later by

Former Frome residents Kevin and Maya Hendy managed to nab a 5ft bed with an Empress mattress and headboard reduced from £1,137 to £199 in a sale at Bath store Silcox Son and Wicks.

The couple who own Java Coffee house just a stone’s throw away from the store in Kingsmead Square supplied coffee and hot drinks all night to others in the queue.

“We have been watching these sales for the past four years from our shop window”, said Mr Hendy, of Westgate Street, Bath.

“As we have just moved house from Bath to Frome we thought we’d just give it a go and it was surprisingly great fun – everyone has been so friendly."

Sarah Parkinson queued all night outside Bath furniture store Silcox Son and Wicks to make sure of buying a new Italian leather footstool at a knock down price.

She mounted a 15-hour vigil outside the Kingsmead Square store to be at the front of the queue

Amanda Gurbarran and her son Ishmail Alleyne, 14, from London travelled especially for the sale.

Ms Gurbarran, who grabbed herself a 5ft. silk mattress and Oltoman divan that was reduced from £1,678 to £299, was delighted.

“We don’t have anything like this in London”, she said.

“It was well worth the visit and I’ll be back again for the winter sale.”

Joint store owner Steve Wicks, from Trowbridge, said: “These sales have become an annual tradition and we all look forward to them every year – we have them well organised and I’m always chuffed that so many people come and wait for long periods rain or shine.

“On a practical level they help us clear away old stock and keep the store fresh and up to date. I believe it’s one of the reasons we have so many returning customers – they always know we have something new in store.

“Anyone who missed out on the first shouldn’t worry. There are plenty of bargains left and the sale continues until everything is gone.”

Silcox Son and Wicks has been holding sales since the 1950s and always attract large numbers of customers. 

The business has been trading from its Kingsmead Square premises for more than 100 years and celebrated its centenary in 2000. Later in the year the company will celebrate its 115th birthday.

For more information, call Silcox Son & Wicks on 01225 463 933 or visit www.silcox.co.uk