An auction house owner has been accused of being ‘narrow-minded and offensive’ after describing a wedding dress he was selling as being ‘for a fat lass’ with ‘big t***’.
Railtons Antiques, Auctioneers and Valuers, based in Wooler, Northumberland, caused outrage after posting the offensive advert for the floral lace and net gown on their website.
Now the unapologetic business owner, Jim Railton, has said he finds the furore ‘funny’ and claims the advert was ‘just a bit tongue in cheek – I should have used the Viz Comic terminology – fat s****.’
Railtons Antiques, Auctioneers and Valuers, based in Wooler, Northumberland, caused outrage after posting the offensive advert for the floral lace and net gown on their website
The advert said: ‘A Kelsey Rose long beaded wedding dress; and another more meringue style dress with floral lace and net – for a fat lass.’
The strapless gown, which was one of two wedding dresses up for auction, was estimated to sell for around £20-£30. But it sold for just £12 on Saturday June 16.
Mr Railton hit the headlines in 2010 after he tried to sell a chest of drawers containing 100-year-old birds’ eggs – and was charged under wildlife protection laws.
He has also previously appeared on BBC 2’s Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.
Business owner, Jim Railton, (pictured left) has said he finds the furore ‘funny’ and claims the advert was ‘just a bit tongue in cheek – I should have used the Viz Comic terminology – fat s****’. The dress is pictured far right
Former plus size model Kimberley Franklin, who won the title of Miss Newcastle Curve in 2016, said the comment in the advert was a ‘narrow-minded, uneducated remark’.
Kimberley, who was a curvy petite model for Scarlett and Jo, said: ‘You will be lucky if that dress is a size 18, that is ridiculous.
‘I do feel that anybody sensitive about their weight loss would find that really, really offensive. ‘He’s pretty much done the worst thing he could ever imagine doing for his business.
‘He’s just insulted a bride on the most important day of their life. He’s basically said that anybody who can fit into that dress is a fat lass.
‘If they thinks that this dress is for a fat lass than they must have a fat ego.’
Jim Railton claims that he does not know what size the wedding dress was.
He said: ‘There were two dresses in that lot, one was smaller and one was for a lady of ample size. Maybe I should have described it as that.
‘It was a real blancmange style dress – you would have definitely needed big t**** for it.
‘A woman who complained about it was one of the ones who wanted to buy it – so it is real double standards.
‘It was just a bit of tongue in cheek. I should have used the Viz Comic terminology – fat s**gs.’
When asked how he felt if people took offence to the advert, Railton replied: ‘I think it’s quite funny really.’
Railtons Northern Auction Centre has received a number of negative and one star reviews on social media.
Former plus size model Kimberley Franklin (pictured), who won the title of Miss Newcastle Curve in 2016, said the comment in the advert was a ‘narrow-minded, uneducated remark’
Paul Steer posted: ‘Run by quite possibly the most arrogant, obnoxious man I’ve seen in 25 years of antique buying and selling.’
Clementina Ann Fletcher commented: ‘Very rude, you give auction houses a bad name.’
Roy Anthony Brinkley said: ‘Is Jim Railton the rudest Auctioneer ever. Disgraceful how he spoke to the road trip people’
Ian Rochester added: ‘What an arrogant and rude man Jim Railton has shown himself to be on Antiques Roadshow.’