Original signed Swift drawings by comedian Bill Bailey
Read more ...
In support of the RSPB and RHS Swift Garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2025, comedian and bird lover Bill Bailey has drawn two beautiful portraits of Swifts to raise awareness of these small but mighty birds and the plight they face.
Swifts are migratory birds and spend nearly their entire lives in flight - eating, drinking, mating, bathing and even sleeping on the wing, and they depend on healthy insect populations and suitable nesting sites for their survival. Their numbers plummeted by 68% between 1995 and 2023 and they are on the UK Red List of birds of highest conservation concern.
Funds raised from the winning auction bids will be split equally between the RHS and RSPB (this is after a deduction of Jumblebee's auction fees, calculated as 5% + VAT on the winning bids). The funds will enable the RHS to further its work for Swifts and other breeding birds at RHS Garden Bridgewater, and support the RSPB's work with Swifts and local groups across the UK.
The Royal Horticultural Society is a registered charity. RHS Registered Charity no. 222879 / SC038262
80 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PE
rhs.org.uk
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity. In England and Wales, no: 207076. In Scotland, no: SC037654
RSPB The Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy, SG19 2DL
rspb.org.uk
The RHS and RSPB are both registered with The Fundraising Regulator
Lot 1
£ 310
10
NOT STARTED
'Swift' by Bill Bailey
Lot 2
£ 275
9
NOT STARTED
'Three Swifts' by Bill Bailey
When bidding on an auction item, if you enter more than the minimum increment for an item then your bid will be used for proxy bidding. This is how it works:
1. You enter the absolute maximum that you are willing to bid for an item.
2. jumblebee places a bid on your behalf, using the minimum amount required to make you the highest bidder, i.e. current bid price plus bid increment OR the reserve price, if there is one and it can be covered by your proxy bid.
3. jumblebee continues to bid on your behalf, whenever you are outbid by another member's bid, until your maximum bid is exceeded or the auction is won.
4. jumblebee will notify you by email if your maximum bid is outbid by another member and provided the auction is still running, you will then have a chance to enter a new maximum bid if you wish.
For example:
The current bid on an auction item is £100. The minimum increment is £10. You enter a bid of £150 (your maximum bid).
Using your bid, but increasing only by the minimum increment, jumblebee sets the current bid to £110.
Another person bids £130 but they are immediately outbid by jumblebee bidding on your behalf and the current bid goes up to £140.
The auction finishes and you have won the auction item at a price of £140.
1. You enter the absolute maximum that you are willing to bid for an item.
2. jumblebee places a bid on your behalf, using the minimum amount required to make you the highest bidder, i.e. current bid price plus bid increment OR the reserve price, if there is one and it can be covered by your proxy bid.
3. jumblebee continues to bid on your behalf, whenever you are outbid by another member's bid, until your maximum bid is exceeded or the auction is won.
4. jumblebee will notify you by email if your maximum bid is outbid by another member and provided the auction is still running, you will then have a chance to enter a new maximum bid if you wish.
For example:
The current bid on an auction item is £100. The minimum increment is £10. You enter a bid of £150 (your maximum bid).
Using your bid, but increasing only by the minimum increment, jumblebee sets the current bid to £110.
Another person bids £130 but they are immediately outbid by jumblebee bidding on your behalf and the current bid goes up to £140.
The auction finishes and you have won the auction item at a price of £140.