12:30pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
A WEDDING dress worn by Barbara Windsor in hit soap EastEnders has ended up at a Northwich auction house.
The lilac frock, which comes complete with matching shoes and handbag, was worn by the character Peggy Mitchell when she married Frank Butcher on our screens on April 1, 1999.
It will be sold at Barnton-based Northwich Auction, at the former Red Lion pub in Runcorn Road, on March 17.
Peter Critchley, from the auction, said: “It’s an odd thing and not what we were expecting when we opened the auction.
“But that’s what’s interesting about this job – absolutely anything can come through the door.”
The bridal outfit raised several thousand pounds when it was auctioned for charity in 1999 and it fetched £3,500 when it was last sold at auction in Shropshire, in September last year.
Northwich Auction, which has already had some interest in the gown, will give it a guide price of between £500 and £800.
Peter said: “We’ve had some calls on it already with people asking how they know it’s the real thing, but we have no doubt about it.
“We have the paperwork on it and know where it’s come from.
“We’re going to put it in at £500 to £800 and see what happens to it.”
He said the people selling the outfit had never taken it out of the box and were looking to make some of their money back on it.
“You might be interested in EastEnders but what do you do with a fat lady’s wedding dress?” he joked.
“But maybe by the time you get to your fifth or sixth wedding, purple is an acceptable colour to wear.”
Peggy’s wedding to Frank was ill-fated and by November 2000, Peggy found out about Frank’s affair with his former wife Pat and slapped both their faces.
For more information about the auction, visit northwichauction.co.uk or ring 01606 76222.
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