30/01/2008 06:17:02
Blackpool Council held a January sale with a difference today, auctioning off some of the resort's famous illuminations to the highest bidder.
The sell-off, the first of its kind to be open to both private buyers and the public, comes as the council updates its collection of attractions for the annual Blackpool Festival of Light.
Among the top attractions at the sale were a 15.5-metre-tall model of Thunderbird 3 designed to withstand a force eight gale, complete with its sign "Thunderbirds are go".
The oldest item listed in the sale catalogue, however, is the My Little Pony tableau, first shown in 1988 and retired after 18 years in 1995.
Other illuminations out to pasture range from classy Tiffany lamp shades shown in 2001, through to surreal items such as Space Pie-lot; a smiling pie wearing a space suit.
Unfortunately, anyone tempted by the lights has missed their chance – the one-day sale ended at 4pm on Wednesday.