The Independent charity auction of the year

From a swimming lesson with Rebecca Adlington to backstage passes for Blur’s Hyde Park reunion concert – there’s a sensational selection of treats, treasures and unique experiences up for grabs in our charity sale. John Walsh grabs his gavel and introduces the lots

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£9543.11 raised so far at 5pm on Tuesday 16 December

Lot 1: A Day at the Paper
Visit our adrenalin-fuelled offices, where scribes hunt down the truth, the original angle and the scoop; hear the day's ideas pitched at morning conference; see the cogs of news, features, business and sport whirr into action - and cast your eye over the final edition before it flies off the presses. (Last year's winning bid: £1,550)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 2: Mark Hix
The top restaurateur and Independent recipe maestro will take four lucky foodies behind the scenes at Borough Market, London's top farmer's market, to show just what's meant by "sourcing ingredients," followed by a slap-up lunch or dinner at his flagship, Hix's Oyster and Chop house. (Not previously offered.)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 3: Bouquets of Barbed Wine
Check out some fine wines and lunch with drinks writer Anthony Rose during a day's tasting for one or two in London (with a case of wine thrown in), or enjoy a personalised tasting for eight to 10 drinkers (also in London). (Last year: £1,200)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 4: I'll Have What She's Having
You're a leading gourmet. You have cold-pressed olive oil shipped in especially from Puglia. You long to review a really good restaurant. Meet Tracey MacLeod, our award-winning critic, at a sparkling new eating-house opening in mainland Britain, then write up your meal in her column. (Last year: £2,750)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 5: Rambling Tales
Pull on your best all-weather gear for a bracing walk in either London or the Yorkshire Dales with Janet Street-Porter, broadcaster, columnist, Desert Island Discs guest and rambler. Afterwards, enjoy lunch at a top gastro-pub. (Last year: £1,800)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 6: How Does Your Garden Grow?
You dig and hoe and plant and prune to no avail? Not for much longer. Our celebrated gardening writer Anna Pavord will visit you (anywhere in mainland Britain) to offer sage advice on how to transform your weed-filled back yard into a Babylonian paradise, and will write about it in her column. (Last year: £1,300)
Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 7: The Axeman Cometh
You love the pounding adrenalin rush of a rock concert, and always wanted to be a rock journalist. Well now it can become a reality. Go to a cutting-edge gig, courtesy of us, head backstage to hob-nob with the rock gods, then write a review for publication in our arts pages. (Last year: £660)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 8: Lunch on the House
Follow in the footsteps of Disraeli, Churchill and enjoy a lunch in the Westminster area with our omniscient political editor Andrew Grice. He'll tell you the latest gossip, and explain what exactly hides behind the words "Parliamentary privilege". (Last year: £1,550)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 9: Dog Day Afternoon
Having trouble with a peevish poodle or rambunctious retriever? Having trouble saying "Heel"? Our no-nonsense pet-behaviour expert Chamois Rose-Wood is offering to visit you either for a course of six dog-training lessons (if within M25 area) or one full day's training anywhere in the country. (Last year: £670)
Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 10: First Night
The opening night of a new play in London's West End is a delirium of glamour and nerves. Grab a programme, squeeze into the stalls, and be the first on your block to inspect a production that others would kill to attend. And you'll be accompanied by our arts editor, David Lister. (Last year: £920)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 11: On the Beaches
Take a tour of the beaches - including Omaha, Juno and Sword - where the Allied forces invaded occupied France and began to turn the tide of the Second World War. In charge of operations is John Lichfield, our man in Paris, an expert on the conflict. Lunch is included. (Last year: £1,700)
Travel, accomodation and any other incidental expenses are not included and bidders are responsible for travel permits and insurance. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 12: Adventure on the high seas
Spend a day for two sailing on the state-of-the-art ocean-racing yacht, Artemis II, with Jonny Malbon, the British skipper currently contesting the solo round-the-world Vendee Globe race on the same boat. (Travel to the Solent not included. Not previously offered).
Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 13: Back to the Wall
Next year is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Our travel editor Simon Calder would like you to join him to travel from London to the Brandenburg Gate to help research a feature, 48 Hours in Berlin. Available 17 - 18 January 2009 and includes travel and accommodation. (Last year: £6,600)
Bidders are responsible for food, travel permits and insurance. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 14: Blur Crazy with Alex James
It's already shaping up to be the gig of 2009 - Blur's reunion at Hyde Park in July. You and a friend can be there - and meet Blur bassist and Independent columnist Alex James backstage. (Not previously offered.)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 15: Family Album
Capture little Jimmy before he grows out of his sailor suit and becomes a troublesome home-wrecker. A top Independent photographer will supply an album of up to 20 pictures (10x8in), sure to become a coveted heirloom. (Last year: £2,050)
Pictures can be taken at a venue to be agreed within mainland Britain. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 16: War and Peace
What will Barack Obama's presidency bring to Iraq and the rest of the Middle East? Will the conflict between Israel and its neighbours ever be resolved? Our peerless foreign correspondent Robert Fisk will give a lecture to 12 people (at mutually convenient time when he's in London) on Islam and the West. (Last year: £7,400)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 17: Poison Pen
A print by the legendary cartoonist Ralph Steadman could be yours - from a limited-edition of 150. (Last year: £620)
See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 18: Hold the Front Page
When journalists leave their jobs, they get a mocked-up front page, hilariously spoofing their foibles and past faux pas. Do you know anyone who needs similar treatment? Of course you do. Get a personalised Independent front page. (Last year: £500)
Winning bidder to supply details and images, and warrants that nothing is defamatory or in breach of anyone's rights. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 19: Credit Crunch
Have all your investments swum down the drain? Should you sell your last remaining HBOS shares? Benefit from the views of our crack team of financial experts gathered by the Your Money section, who will give you a financial makeover. (Last year: £1,800)
Our experts cannot offer financial advice. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 20: Room with a View
What does your home say about you? What would you like to have it say? Peter York, our brilliant design writer and co-author of The Sloane Ranger Handbook, will buy you drinks at Zaha Hadid's design-tastic bar in Home House, inspect your fashionable home and write about it in his "The Way We Live Now" column. Available in London only. (Not previously offered.)
Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 21: Wheels on Fire
Ever wanted to be like Jeremy Clarkson, sitting behind the wheel of a new car, putting it through its paces and letting the world know what it's like? Now's your chance. You can pick one of the new models coming on stream in 2009, road-test it for us and write a review in the Independent. (Not previously offered.)
Travel not included. Available to the over 25s with a clean driving licence only. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 22: The Yasmin Feast
Independent columnist and renowned cook Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (whose memoir-cum-cookery book is out in the New Year) will come to your home and give you a lesson in Indian cooking. Between you the result will be a sensational meal for up to six people. (Not previously offered.)
Cost of ingredients not included. Within M25 only. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 23: The Make-up Makeover
Do you style your hair with a rubber band? Do you trowel on make-up? Do you not know a shoe-boot from a peg-leg? Carola Long, the Independent's makeover goddess, needs to take you shopping for the afternoon in London. A cosmetic and hair makeover is thrown in for free. You bring your credit card - she'll provide the expertise. (Last year: £3,000)
Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 24: Absolutely Frankellous
Does the thought of a Matthew Williamson gown make you salivate? Bid for a seat at a London Fashion Week show, accompanied (and filled in on what to watch for) by the Independent's style and fashion queen, Susannah Frankel. (Last year: £2,050)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 25: Literary Lizards
Would you like to watch literary London with its hair down? John Walsh, Independent columnist, flaneur and party animal, will take to you to an important book launch (or even two), then on for dinner at key media hang-out, The Groucho Club. (Last year: £910)
Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 26: Call the 'Toons
Are you larger than life? Do you think your loved one is a bit two-dimensional? Our "As If?" cartoonist Sally Ann Lasson will draw a droll strip of you and a significant other. You just need to provide details of embarrassing things they do and say. (Last year: £1,450)
Winning bidder to supply details and images, and warrants that nothing is defamatory or in breach of anyone's rights. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 27: Let's See Action
Does your local rugby club's prowess against all-comers deserve wider acclaim? Is your son's hockey team ever going to get proper attention in the national press? We will send a sports writer along to your sporting event (anywhere in mainland Britain) and report on it in our sports pages. (Last year: £1,950)
Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 28: Snapped
Don't you think it's time a photographer immortalised your rugby-playing sister? Or your daughter's amazing poise at the gymkhana? Sports photographer David Ashdown will take the pictures of a sporting event of your choice (anywhere in mainland Britain). (Last year: £1,000)
Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 29: On the Grapevine
Brian Viner will take you on an interview with a sporting colossus. You will be pictured with the star and can help quiz them - and you'll even appear in the subsequent write-up. Interview will take place in the UK. (Last year: £1,450)
Travel is not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 30: Steel Lives
Stand-up comedian, columnist, broadcaster, historian and renowned wit Mark Steel will deliver a lecture (you'll have to provide a suitable London venue), to an audience of your calling, on one of the following lives: Da Vinci, Pankhurst, Paine, Marx or Chaplin. (Last year: £1,800)
Travel is not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 31: Deathless Prose
Would you like to be immortalised in a work of fiction? Philip Hensher, the award-winning novelist, whose latest work The Northern Clemency was short-listed for the Booker Prize, will name a character in his new book after you or a loved one of yours. You cannot, unfortunately, have a say in what happens to him or her or what the character is like. (Not previously offered.)
Travel is not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 32: Starter For Ten
Do you have a flair for general knowledge? Are you a whiz at the pub quiz? Let Simon O'Hagan - quiz-setter for the Independent Magazine - host a quiz for you and your friends. You provide a venue in mainland Britain. He'll set the questions and bring his wit and wisdom. And look out for his intriguing "local knowledge" round. (Not previously offered.)
Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 33: Bite the Big Apple
It's a hell of a town. The Bronx is up and the Battery's down? But if that's all you know of Manhattan, David Usborne, our New York correspondent, is the perfect tour guide. He'll spend a whole day showing you the sights. (Not previously offered.)
Travel, accommodation and incidental expenses not included. Bidders are responsible for visa, travel and insurance requirements and must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 34: The Agony Of It
So, your wife's left you for your brother and your plumber is fixing more than your daughter's dodgy cistern. Agony columnist Virginia Ironside can help: she will take you out to dinner, and advise you on your issues. (Last year: £610)
Travel is not included. In London only. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 35: Fromage Fray
Dom Joly, the droll trickster from Trigger Happy TV, wants you to join him in the annual cheese-rolling competition in Gloucestershire next May. Watch the action, join his team, and he'll buy you a hearty pub lunch afterwards. (Not previously offered.)
Travel is not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 36: Meet the Boss
Join the Independent's editor Roger Alton for a delicious lunch at the London restaurant of your choice. Seize the opportunity to discuss how newspapers survive a recession, the charm of Kevin Pietersen, and the cultural significance of Scarlett Johansson. (Not previously offered)
Travel not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 37: On the Ball
Neil Warnock, Crystal Palace manager and Independent columnist, invites you and a friend to watch a training session of his first team. Then join Neil and the squad for lunch and strong opinions afterwards. (Last year: £3,700)
Travel is not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 38: Cocktails with Claudia Winkleman
Claudia Winkleman, writer, broadcaster, Independent writer, dance aficionado and wit will take you out for drinks and sparkling conversation in one of her favourite London bars. (Not previously offered.)
Travel is not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 39: Eminent figure
Golden girl of the Young British Artists and feisty columnist Tracey Emin will make a 20-minute lunchtime speech about her work (you have to provide a suitable venue somewhere within the Greater London area), and take questions from her audience. Last year, Ms Emin's lot, an artwork, was far and away the most popular in our auction. (Last year: £25,150)
Travel is not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 40: Going to Seeds
The pre-Wimbledon AEGON tennis tournament at the Queen's Club offers a riveting preview of the top seeds' form. Would you like to spend a day there alongside our tennis correspondent Paul Newman, for an insider's glimpse of the action the cameras don't see. (Not previously offered.)
Travel is not included. Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

Lot 41: Take the Plunge
Rebecca Adlington, last summer's double-gold Olympic winner and instant national heroine, would you like to swim a few lengths with her, and learn where your butterfly is going wrong, and go head-to-head in a 200m race. We'll be there, and will write about the encounter afterwards. Venue TBC. Travel not included. (Not previously offered.)
Bidders must be aware that they cannot give a winning bid to any other person without getting the Editor's consent before bidding. Email him via l.harris@independent.co.uk. See auction terms and conditions
Click HERE for latest bids or to join in now.

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