Choose Spud’s cooker
Trainspotting props raise money for charity
IT was a selection of empty beer and vodka bottles which would normally be destined for the recycling bin.
But when the motley collection went under the hammer yesterday, it sparked a furious bidding war which ended with a winning offer of £170 thanks to their starring role on a coffee table in a scene from T2: Trainspotting.
It was just one of more than 300 lots of props from the hit film which were auctioned off in Glasgow raising £25,000 for charity – even though much of it would be best described as ordinary household junk.
The most iconic items from the film naturally commanded the biggest prices. A selection of panels from the bedroom of Ewan McGregor’s character Renton, featuring instantly recognisable train wallpaper, fetched up to £2,200 each.
The horseshoe-shaped bar featured in the fictional Port Sunshine pub was sold for £1,200 – even though the sales brochure warned one section was actually constructed out of foam for a fight scene between Renton and the character of Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson, played by Johnny Lee Miller.
A script of the film, complete with handwritten notes by screenwriter John Hodge, sold for £1,200. On one page a note reveals that the scene where hard man Begbie, played by Robert Carlyle, gets another prisoner to stab him with a screwdriver in a bid to escape jail, was inspired by a real-life incident.
“Someone tried this in the Barlinnie special unit and nearly died, having severed an artery to the kidney,” the script notes. “But he did not escape.”
At the other end of the scale, the grimy cooker belonging to Spud, played by Ewen Bremner, perhaps unsurprisingly fetched just £7.
Successful bidders were provided with notes of authenticity so they could prove the item they had splashed hundreds of pounds on was not just a bit of randomly discarded rubbish.
The event was held at Mulberry Bank auction house in Hillington, which usually sells rare whisky, wines and fine antiques. The auction also attracted hundreds of online bidders from around the world.
Hutton Bremner, 45, from Glasgow, said he hoped to pick up a bargain household item such as a coffee machine, which would have the added benefit of being linked to the film.
“It is such an unusual thing,” he said. “I’ve seen the film and would like to see what I can buy – probably just knick-knacks and stuff.”
Vicki Kerr, 40, from Govan, said it was the first time she had visited an auction. “I am going to bid for some items depending on the price,” she said. “I hope to build a wee Trainspot- ting bit in my living room dedicated to the film.”
Speaking ahead of the sale, Kirsty Harris of Mulberry Bank Auctions said it had generated huge interest from fans. “There was someone who phoned up who was so excited about anything to do with Begbie or anything Begbie touched,” she said. “We know these type of lot sales happen in America with the Hollywood idea, but to our knowledge it hasn’t happened, certainly not in Scotland – and as far as we are aware not in the UK – to have all the actual sets for sale.”
The sell-off also had a serious side, helping two charities which have close links with Trainspotting. As part of their research, actors from the film have previously attended meetings at Calton Athletic, a Glasgow-based charity that helps rehabilitate people with drug and alcohol problems through football. “The money will help save lives,” director of the charity David Main said. “We don’t get any statutory funding, so stuff like this helps the financial situation and also to raise awareness of the services we are providing. It is invaluable.”
Proceeds will also go to The Junction, an Edinburgh-based charity of which Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh is patron. Founding director Sam Anderson said: “The back story of Spud’s son and Begbie’s son is one that we wouldn’t be unfamiliar with.
“They are the kind of young folk we help support – so it is really fitting.”