News, Bedfordshire
Getty ImagesA fez owned by comedian and magician Tommy Cooper has sold at auction for £7,000 – more than twice its estimate.
The hat, believed to be the last one owned by the entertainer, was one of eight items of Cooper memorabilia that went under the hammer at The Woburn in Bedfordshire on Saturday.
The vendor Clive Greeenaway – who is a Cooper impersonator – said he was given the fez by the comedian’s wife Gwen.
Amanda Butler, from Hansons Auctioneers, said “it was the fez that made the show”.
The hat – an iconic feature of Cooper’s performances – was estimated to fetch £2,000-£3,000.
Ms Butler said Mr Greenaway would use the proceeds of the sale to fund his laughter yoga sessions, which would involve training carers at a children’s hospice and in the NHS.
“So [it’s] full circle for Tommy – his fez has then gone to make people laugh,” she told Three Counties Radio.
Hanson AuctioneersThe other items being auctioned included an evening dress suit Cooper wore to meet Elizabeth II in 1977 – complete with a letter of authenticity from his daughter Vicki – a set from his famous bottle-glass-glass-bottle trick and his classic magic tables.
Ms Butler said the “bidding was fierce” but that Mr Greenaway “had people rolling about laughing” during the sale.
The prop comedian was born in Caerphilly, Wales, and was in the Armed Forces during World War Two.
He became a familiar face on tour and on television – with his catchphrase “just like that”.
Cooper died after suffering a heart attack during a live TV broadcast at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London in April 1984, aged 63.
