It was a slug fest - a test of wills between some of the biggest money in Tauranga.

Two local businessmen, Peter Farmer the car dealer and Paul Tidmarsh the industrialist, were exchanging blows that cut deep into the wallet.

ASB Arena commercial manager Irvin McSweeny, quilter Glenys Shallard, auction winner Paul Tidmarsh, quilt designer and maker Sheryl Farrow and Tauranga CIB trustee Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner. Photo by Tracy Hardy.

They were bidding a $1000 at a time – more than the average weekly wage – at the Tauranga Police CIB charity auction last Friday, raising dosh for eight local charities.

'It was happening faster than you could say ‘it',” says Paul.

And caught unwittingly in the middle was an elderly quilt maker – a delighted one, because Sheryl Farrow's quilt was the prize.

It was exhilarating theatre. The crowd of 1500 bayed, the auctioneer niggled and both men bid way beyond what they intended to, for a quilt that probably neither needed.

In the end, when the battle of wills was over, when the hammer fell and calm was restored, Sheryl Farrow's big flash quilt had fetched an extraordinary $26,000 for the charity St John Ambulance.

'It probably didn't cost a lot to make, but it certainly means a lot. And its value will only grow with time,” says new quilt owner Paul.

This week, overwhelmed quilt-maker Sheryl simply wanted to say ‘thank you'.

'I was messaged to say it fetched over $20,000,” she says. 'I presumed that was a typo; I thought they meant $2000. I am over the moon – I could not believe what he paid for it.”

What Paul ‘meant to pay' was no more than $15,000. But he was drawn into an arm wrestle by Mike Farmer and as he admits 'I don't give in easily.”

Sheryl's quilt is three square metres depicting 20 famous Bay of Plenty sportspeople as well as some equally famous signatures – Irene Van Dyke, Sir Gordon Titjiens, Moss Burmester, Gemma Flynn, Sam Cane and the like.

But the $26,000 quilt has become too valuable to be cast on the ‘king size' on a cold night.

'I had a spare wall at home, where the quilt could have hung, but I believe it needs to be shared,” says Sheryl.

The goodwill didn't stop flowing with the wine last Friday lunchtime. Paul has donated the quilt to the ASB Arena at Baypark.

The comforter morphs into a work of art and will be framed and hung there – testament to the benevolence and goodwill of a quilt-maker and a businessman.

And in an ironic postscript, the day Sheryl helped raise $26,000 for St John she got a bill from the very same charity – her $50 subscription was due.