Artists' delight at auction success

“It’s has been an amazing experience with many positives on so many levels,” Miranda told the Observer.

“It created a wonderful feeling of community in school with pupils and staff excitedly following their work in the auction.”

Talented art student Lily McGregor won the highest bid of £165 for her portrait Dog and teacher Louise Avery’s postcards of butterflies and dragonflies raised more 
than £400 for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Thomas Taylor, internationally-acclaimed children’s author and illustrator, visited St Richard’s last week and met many of the young artists and talented members of staff who’d contributed works for the auction.

He also signed an original illustration of Harry Potter based on his own jacket design for Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, first published in 1997.

The successful bidder, an avid collector of Harry potter memorabilia in Scotland, paid £1,071,51 for the postcard and wrote to thank 
Thomas saying she and her husband were “honoured to have contributed to an extremely worthwhile cause and in some way contribute to eventually finding a breakthrough against this terrible disease”.

While famous for creating the iconic image of the Hogwarts hero, Thomas has written many adventure stories for young adults and was quizzed by many of his fans at St Richard’s as to when they could expect more of his rip-roaring yarns.

He revealed that a brand new trilogy, Malamander featuring Herbert Lemon, an eccentric seaside hotelier and the fragrant Violet Palma, will be published by Walker books next May.

Sir Quentin Blake was another of the many distinguished artists taking part in the auction, whose two enchanting illustrations were bought by one bidder for £1,250.