Now empty, BBC Television Centre bits up for auction
As we reported in a recent Tellyspotting report, the classic BBC Television Centre is like the parrot in a Monty Python sketch. It has ceased to be. It’s an ex-Television Centre. Bereft of life, the Centre has gone to meet the choir invisible. Like Elvis, production staff and crew have left the building.
Now that staff has gone, the auctioneers have moved in, selling off everything that’s not nailed down (and some things that were) and left behind in the old office space (unfortunately, no red staplers that I could find). Phase 1 of the auction, which focused on the BBC Canteen, closed on 27 June. The remainder of Phase 2, which features office and memorabilia, closes within the next 24 hours so make your first bid your best bid.
Just in case you think there’s nothing you can’t live without, there are over 1200 lots of items that are up for sale. While some have closed, there are still an endless number of items that no home should be without. Unfortunately, one of the must-have items from my standpoint just closed last night…a replica Kryten head from Red Dwarf. Would have looked great on anyone’s mantle, don’t you think?
Another item that might be of particular interest to British comedy fans, beyond the Orville Redenbacher popcorn machine that was in the Television Centre’s breakroom, obviously, that also sadly closed just last night was a quite fashionable Exorcist head from French and Saunders. That said, even though a lot of the cool memorabilia is gone, there’s lots of cool retro furniture from Television Centre and an endless quantity of ‘various BBC sound effects on Vinyl’ available. Remember, you can’t win if you don’t bid.
