Due to unforeseen circumstances we didn't get around to ordering our turkey from the butchers this year so on Saturday we went to the annual Christmas poultry auction at Malton livestock market. I have never seen so many turkeys, ducks, geese and chickens !
We registered and got a card with a number so we could signal the auctioneer then wandered round noting which lots looked good.
The auction started and I decided to have a go and low bid on a turkey just to get my hand in. Turned out I bought it by accident as I was still holding my card against my chest where the auctioneer could see it after I thought I had stopped bidding. Oops. Still it looked OK and now we definitely had a bird for Christmas.
Next much hilarity ensued when a friend of mine bought a turkey when what he was actually trying to do was wave at another friend on who had just arrived and was on the other side of the ring. So it not just me who hadn't quite got the hang of this.
Next a sojourn in the lovely old pub next to the market (goes back to the 16th century) for a few pints of Christmas beer, a pork pie and to discuss some tactics.
Back to the auction and this time the bronze turkeys I had my eye on were up. Result snagged a 15lb one for £30. Oh and a 10lb duck.
Back to the pub for a few more beers and then we settled up and collected our birds.
Brilliant fun and I ended up with two turkeys and a chicken for what I would normally pay for a single turkey.
