BARGAIN hunters picked up more than the ‘bear’ necessities at the Hermitage Academy summer car boot sale.

More than 200 people packed into the school hall in search of treasure, and with 45 stalls to choose from, few left empty handed.

The parent teacher association organised event was to raise money for school funds, and with an extra hour added due to the success of previous events, it’s little wonder the event made hundreds of pounds.

Marie Harvey, chairwoman of the PTA, said: “It’s always great to see so many of our usual faces turning up come rain or shine.

“For some folk the car boot sale is all about finding that special bargain or something unusual; for others it is a friendly and relaxed social gateway, a place to come along for a chat or catch up over a cup of tea. People always ask us when the next one is.”

Items on sale ranged from retro and quirky household gadgets, hand knitted baby items, nearly new boys and girls toys, to designer baby clothes, handmade jewellery, coffee and tea sets and even hand-painted “Faberge” eggs.

And for shoppers who worked up an appetite, there was a plentiful supply of home baking for sale – with queues out the door at one point.

The parent teacher association raised £450 from stall bookings and the cake sale, which will go into supporting the school clubs and extra curricular activities.

Stall holders also donated more than 30 bags of items to the Helensburgh branch of Cancer Research UK, which will be sold throughout their branches to help raise money.

All sellers at least covered their cost to hire the stall, and some turned their trash into treasure with a few pounds left over at the end of the day.

Marie told the Advertiser: “A big thank you goes to all the PTA team and their families who freely give their time on the day and setting up before the event, and also to the school’s Mitie facility team for their support and patience on the day.

“A special thank you goes to Michele who loves taking all the phone bookings and spending time to get to know all our stall holders.”

The next car boot sale will be held on Saturday, September 16, from 11am-2pm.

The opportunity to book a stall will open on August 28 and people can express an interest by emailing hermitageacademypta@gmail.com