Last year, Movehut reported that the London Dungeons will be moving from its current site on Tooley Street, where it has been based for 38 years. The new location will be on the South Bank of the River Thames, and will benefit from a much closer proximity to popular tourist hotspot the London Eye.
It will also be significantly larger in order to pack more in to its exhibits, including a rumoured expansion of the Sweeney Todd theatrical piece and a revamp of its Jack the Ripper Ten Bells interior. The new commercial property will open its doors on March 1st to receive the first wave of cringing consumers.
However, as with all big moves, employees of the London Dungeons saw the uprooting as a perfect opportunity for a bit of a clear out.
As a result, several unexpected items appeared at a car boot sale in Pimlico, much to the delight of the more macabre shoppers searching for a bargain. Gift shop products such as books and dolls, as well as actual props from various exhibits, were sold by a series of in-character merchants, with prices ranging from £2 to £500.
One lucky shopper, for example, picked up a skeleton for £100 (hopefully he did not plan to take it home on the bus!) while a chair said to be a replica of the one the Devil himself perches upon retailed at a frightening £500. Other popular props included gravestones, scythes and even the famous “London Dungeons” stocks.
The general manager for the London Dungeons, ironically named Ben Sweet, was thrilled with the crowds rushing to grab ghouls and snap up severed heads.
He said; “There are hundreds of people here this morning buying up everything we’ve got. We’re about to put out more items.
“It’s time for the Dungeons to move, and we’ve got great support here as we sell all our props.”
The venue is now preparing to open to thrill seekers eager to find out what new horrors the London Dungeons have in store in an even larger property. As for the consumers who picked up a little piece of horrible history, we can only pity their neighbours who will be shuddering with dread at the thought of Halloween 2013!
Did you attend the London Dungeons car boot sale and pick up some macabre memorabilia, or does the thought of a severed head as a party piece leave you horrified? Will the Dungeons benefit from a move to a more tourist-orientated area or will the venture have attention drawn away from it by the London Eye?
