Latest news with #ITVWestcountry
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Flambards auction is like picking over the bones'
Hundreds of historical items from a former theme park have sold for thousands of pounds after they went under the hammer. Flambards in Helston, Cornwall, closed its doors in November 2024 after 48 years due to "rising costs and a steady decline in visitor numbers". Items sold at auction on Wednesday included a World War Two era Jeep for £12,500 and a full size mock up of the front part of a Concorde aircraft, which sold for £17,000. Auctioneer David Lay said items were fetching more than he expected due to the nostalgia people have for the theme park. The auction features more than 1,200 lots, including a Britain in the Blitz display. My Lay said he was most surprised by the interest in World War Two era packaging - which includes food packaging and advertising. "Some lots had estimates of perhaps £100 to £200, and a few of them made more than £1000," he said. "For some empty display boxes, it's pretty remarkable." Bids were made on each item in the auction, which Mr Lay said was "unusual" and a "bit rare", and he put it down to nostalgia for the theme park. Dealer Mark Tomlin travelled to the auction from Kent to bid on items for his business that sells to private owners and provides props for film companies. "Predominately we are after the World War Two posters and some of the packaging," he said. Mr Tomlin said "in a way it's quite sad" to see the end of the attraction. "It's like you're picking over the bones, it's almost like a zombie apocalypse and everything is dead and dusty," he said. Other items sold at auction included World War Two mines for £350, a Spitfire street sign for £1,800 and a life-size bust of Winston Churchill for £1,550. ITV Westcountry mascot Gus Honeybun, which lived at Flambards after he was retired from the screens in the early 90s, sold for £3,100. Helston dealer Rob Laurence said some of the prices had gone "stratospheric". "I've been outbid on a few things, it's just crazy money," he said. "Everyone loves Flambards, it's gone worldwide and the advertising has been brilliant for it. "Everyone wants a piece of Flambards." Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Flambards Victorian village sold to history show Replica jet and WW2 Jeep at theme park auction Sadness as 'haven' Flambards closes doors Flambards Auction
BBC News
26-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
World War Two artefacts dominate Flambards theme park auction
Hundreds of historical artefacts from a former theme park are due to be sold at a two-day auction. Flambards theme park in Helston, Cornwall, announced in November it was closing its doors with immediate effect due to "rising costs and a steady decline in visitor numbers".The auction features more than 1,200 lots, including the Britain in the Blitz display. The number of lots is smaller than originally planned because the entire Victorian village display has already been sold as a single lots expected to fetch the highest price include a World War Two US Army Jeep and a full-size mock-up of the front part of a Concorde aircraft. The ITV Westcountry mascot Gus Honeybun will also be rabbit puppet lived at Flambards after he was retired from TV screens in the South West in the early Lay Auctioneers said Gus Honeybun was "an original automaton puppet with internal mechanism together with some original clothing" and it was expected to fetch between £300 and £500. Also for sale is a life-size waxwork head of Prime Minister Winston Lay Auctioneers said it was expected to fetch between £800 and £1, auction of 1,276 lots will take place on Wednesday and Thursday in Penzance.
