COSTUMES from London’s 2012 Olympics opening ceremony are being sold off at a Liverpool charity shop in a “secret sale”.
Bold Street’s Oxfam is inviting passers-by to “own a part of Olympic history” for as little as £19.99 as the great Olympics clear-up gets under way.
Nurse, the screens:
Actor Mike Neary
wanders by as we are
fumbling with our cameraDistinctive blue and white nurses’ outfits, jumpsuits and peasant clothes, recognisable from some of the most memorable scenes in Hollywood director Danny Boyle’s £27m extravaganza, have already been snapped up by eager customers and collectors.
The authentic clothing is part of a consignment which has made its way into 12 Oxfam stores in the UK, Liverpool Confidential understands, after London 2012 organisers decided to do their bit for charity.
The items all bear tags declaring: "And the winner is...you. This item was used as part of the London 2012 Olympic Games."
But despite this, and window posters advertising the cargo, staff at the Liverpool branch remained tight-lipped.
“There’s a press black-out on the story,” Liverpool Confidential was told at the weekend when we visited. We were also encouraged not to take any pictures inside the store.
However, a shop volunteer had earlier been more forthcoming. He revealed that dozens of costumes, including a David Bowie outfit, had been flying off the rails since they arrived in Liverpool a week ago. “Well, it’s Halloween soon, isn’t it?”
The move follows criticism of some opening ceremony performer-volunteers who put similar memorabilia up for sale on eBay, with starting bids at £5,000, when Olympic fever was at its height back in July.
A previous row erupted when torches used in the nationwide relay in the run-up to the Games, featured on the auction site with price tags of up to £150,000.
Around 7,500 people took part in the widely acclaimed event whose script was penned by Liverpool’s Frank Cottrell Boyce and included glittering homages to the Industrial Revolution and the NHS.
Participants were allowed to keep their costumes after the event which attracted 27 million TV viewers.
As seen on TVOxfam HQ had no comment to make other than to suggest we take up our queries with the store manager again.
Meanwhile, London 2012 organisers also appeared unprepared to shed any further light.
“Costumes from the Ceremonies that were personal to the adult volunteer performers, who gave up so much of their time, were given to them," said a spokesperson. “We’re happy that they go to a good home.”
