Del Boy's bar makes a 'cushty' £22,000 at auction

Del Boy, played by David Jason, behind the bar in Only Fools and Horses

Del Boy's cocktail bar that featured in the 1980s BBC sitcom Only Fools And Horses sold for a "cushty" £22,000, after going under the hammer in the West Midlands.

The cream vinyl-padded, mid-century freestanding bar appeared in the Trotter's Peckham flat in the popular TV show, which aired from 1981 to 2003.

Fans of the iconic comedy show will remember the bar as the place where wheeler-dealer Derek "Del Boy" Trotter, played by David Jason, kept his ready supply of cigars.

It went for auction, along with other items that included a pinstriped suit owned by Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, from Redditch, at Fieldings Auctioneers in Stourbridge on 25 September.

The cream vinyl-padded, mid-century freestanding bar appeared in the Trotter's Peckham flat

The bar, which had a pre-sale estimate of £500 to £600, was made by Italian company Mascagni Mobili and stands just over a metre tall.

It was purchased in 1992 from the sitcom's prop coordinator, following the show's move from London to Bristol.

Ahead of the auction, Rachel Holland, music and entertainment specialist at Fieldings, said: "This isn't just a piece of furniture – it's part of the story of one of Britain's best-loved sitcoms.

"It's rare to find items from the show with such clear provenance, and we expect it will spark real enthusiasm among collectors."

The character of Derek Trotter became a cultural icon – complete with a sheepskin coat, catchphrases, like "cushty", and an ever-hopeful entrepreneurial spirit.

Elsewhere, Bonham's suit, tailored by John Robinson from Redditch, has an inside pocket label with the handwritten inscription "John Bonham Esq 1974". It fetched £6,500 at the auction.