1940's wartime house up for sale...

Fast-forward to the future: Couple sell up 1940s 'time capsule' house for modern abode 

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:28 PM on 18th March 2011

A couple who have turned their house into an amazing wartime home are set to auction it all off - and fast forward 70 years into the 21st century.

Ad Hickley and Pam McMillan are set to move more than 400 miles - and at the same time surge seven decades into 2011 Britain.

They have spent the last 20 years scouring car boot sales and auction houses for all things Second World War to create one of the most astonishing houses in the country.

Period living: Pam McMillan and Ad Hickley have lived in their wartime-era house for 11 years

But now Ad and Pam are poised to bid a final emotion-charged farewell to their unique 1940s lifestyle when they sell off their treasured possessions.

More than 400 lots will go under the hammer at the weekend after they decided to flog their stunning time capsule smallholding at Banham, near Attleborough, Norfolk, and head south to Land's End, Cornwall.

The fanatical history enthusiasts have loved living in their 19th century cottage surrounded by 1940s furniture, books and trinkets for the last 11 years.

Old-fashioned: The kitchen features such 1940s style appliances as a gas cooker and others which date back to wartime

But they will auction most of their staggering collection on Saturday after finding a buyer for their home.

Ad and Pam have even opened up their property to hundreds of visitors for the last six years as part of a wartime open weekend.

They will also donate some of the sale at Rushmere Cottage to military charity Veterans Aid.

Fun and games: A Ludo set and selection of card games and a 40s-era lamp are among other items the couple have added to their collection over the past two decades

A treasure trove of wartime items including a gas cooker, piano, military uniforms, rusty old bicycles, bulky farm machinery, and a vintage tractor will be sold as they look forward to their new life together in Cornwall.

Ad said it would be sad to see their possessions go to new owners but the hardest part would be leaving the house and their sprawling eight-acre grounds.

The communications consultant said: 'It is a bit of a time travel from 1945 to 2011.

'Running a smallholding with animals is quite hard work and we are looking forward to downsizing and doing a little bit less. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time doing it and have had a tremendous response from all the visitors we have had over the years.'

Hanging up: This authentic 1940s Bakelite telephone is among the many items which will be auctioned

'It is going to be quite an emotional day for us ' Thousands of visitors have attended their annual 1940s smallholding weekend, with vintage tractors, working horses and Land Girls to experience rural life during the war.

The historic property also provided the backdrop to Anglia Television's A Wartime Summer and A Wartime Winter, presented by Paul Heiney.

Ad said they learned something new about wartime rural Norfolk every open day.

One of the biggest rewards of living here was sharing it. 'A lot of children know about the 1940s from computer games, but they saw a different side to 1940s life in an ordinary small cottage,' he said.

Set of wheels: This 1939 Fordson Standard tractor is still in good condition

One of the brilliant things we have had is talking to people who lived in Banham and the surrounding villages during the war and had some fascinating conversations. Highlights of the auction include a working 1939 Fordson Standard tractor, which the couple used to plough the fields for their sustainable 1940s lifestyle, and a Land Army uniform.

Ms McMillan, who works for Norfolk Museums Service, said it was strange to see all their bits and bobs marked up with auction numbers.

She said: 'It is weird now and it is going to be weirder on Sunday when it has all gone. We had to be very rigorous and sat down together and went through every single item.

'It was difficult but we had to be tough. It is going to be really hard. We will not be able to go to a boot sale for months.'

Tourist attraction: The couple have shared their 1940s passion with others by having open days at the house

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367497/1940s-style-house-auction-owners-prepare-return-21st-Century.html#ixzz1GxrX9cHF