'I made £20k in three minutes'

By Fiona Wickham
BBC News Magazine

Vikki at the urban art auction

Mayfair's art auctions rarely attract budget-conscious mothers who work in hospitals. But it's also rare to own a work by an in-demand artist whose prices are going one way - up. Vikki Hughes needed the money, and so she made a night of it at Bonhams in London.

In a glass half-empty way, we thought it wouldn't sell. We didn't have any real reason to think that, we were naive to it all. I really went in blind.

The picture's called Flag and it's from 2006. Banksy gave it to my fiance Matt as a thank you for supplying this gold and silver laminate Formica, a very unusual material to paint on.

It's been hanging in the hall for a year, the only picture up in the flat. Matt wasn't mad about the design but it was a gift and it's got his name on it, it says "4 Mat". It's one of 50.

VIKKI'S ARTWORK How to spot a Banksy

We sold it at Bonhams in the world's first urban art auction because we need the money to pay off a debt. We're both practical about it because we've got no choice. The reserve price was £5,000 - the minimum it could go for, but Matt's gutted that in 10 years it will probably be worth a fortune.

Matt didn't want to go to the auction, he'd rather just get told yes or no after. But I went along because I need adult company, cocktails and a bit of life outside school runs and dreary south-east London. I got a babysitter, recruited a friend and we went for posh cocktails in Bond Street after.

Nerve wracking

The auction was in this big room with all the pictures for sale on the walls. I was amazed how busy it was, we had to stand. It was exciting but still kind of hushed and British.

A Bonhams employee displays another of the works for sale

I thought it would be like the Antiques Roadshow but it was quite cool. And the woman with the hammer had a really sexy voice.

They give you a numbered card to hold up when you bid so you can't just scratch your eye and accidentally buy something. Which is good.

I'd like to say I was calm but when ours was coming up I almost left the room. I had no faith. The lot before ours had a reserve of £15,000. The bidding was inching up, with loads of pauses. It went for £44,000 and the whole room clapped.

My heart was thumping, and I had sweaty armpits which isn't good in a Primark synthetic top. I can't remember a time when I felt that nervous.

I had my hands over my ears when bidding started, I couldn't bear it. It started going up £500 a go and then shot up to £20,000. Our debt is £20,000 so I was like, "oh go on, go up one more grand so we could have some for us". But it didn't.

Celebrating the sale

I should have stayed but I couldn't wait to get out of there. I rang Matt and pretended it hadn't sold and he said "I knew it". Then I came clean and he started launching into figures.

But I was in too good a mood to talk numbers. He told me to get a cab home, but it would have cost loads so I got the train as usual. I think there will always be a bit of the single mother in me.

It's such a juxtaposition. We just earned £20,000 in three minutes and I just used the last of my emergency credit on my pre-pay gas meter at home.