Clive Emson, BBC Homes Under the Hammer Auctioneer, Dies Aged 79

Clive Emson, a prominent property auctioneer and television personality, died on Wednesday at the age of 79. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family.

Emson was best known as a regular figure on the BBC's daytime program "Homes Under the Hammer" for over two decades. He founded Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers, a regional auction business with offices across southern England from Kent to Cornwall. His professional motto was "have gavel, will travel."

He began his career in property as a junior estate agent at age 16, earning £1.50 per week after leaving school. He later studied commerce, bookkeeping, and economics at Maidstone Technical College. Emson launched his first estate agency in Hythe in 1973 and, after several business ventures and mergers, established his own auction firm which grew to become one of the country's largest.

His frequent television appearances helped change public perceptions of property auctions, which he said were once viewed as venues for "dealers and crooked people." He noted the program brought legitimacy to the process, and he was firm in his approach, stating that once the auction hammer falls, the sale is final.