Bottle of Peckham Spring from Only Fools and Horses 1992 Christmas special is tipped to sell for thousands after being rescued from recycling bin

An original bottle of ‘Peckham Spring’ water from an iconic Christmas special of Only Fools and Horses is set to sell for thousands – after being saved from the recycling bin.

The prop – of which there are less than 20 in existence – was used in the memorable 1992 Christmas special of the BBC sitcom ‘Mother Nature’s Son’.

It was part of the production line Del created from the tap in his flat which he sold as mineral water ‘from an ancient and natural source’.

The bottle was originally kept after filming by a camera operator working in the studio – and it is now being sold by Auctioneum of Bristol.

Spokesman Andrew Stowe said the bottle very nearly ended up in a bottle recycling bin as the owner originally thought it to be of no value.

The bottle of Peckham Spring Water, which is expected to fetch thousands of pounds, from the iconic Only Fools and Horses Christmas Special

This bottle of Peckham Spring Water was rescued from the recycling bin and is now expected to be sold for thousands of pounds

The bottle was part of the production line Del created from the tap in his flat. The bottle was originally kept by a camera operator 

 He said: ‘A couple of hundred bottles were made for filming, and when it concluded any extras were given away to the cast or crew as souvenirs.

‘Less than twenty are thought to survive, most being lost or thrown away over the years.

‘But Only Fools and Horses is such a well-loved show that they are now worth thousands of pounds to collectors.

‘When it came in to our saleroom, our client told me this incredible story that at one stage he was going to put it in a bottle recycling bin.

‘He was more than surprised with the pre-auction estimate of three to five thousand pounds.’

It is going under the hammer at a special auction in Bristol next month.

Andrew adds: ‘It’s an incredible piece of television history. To be able to hold an actual bottle of Peckham Spring is a surreal experience.

The label at the back of the bottle reads, ‘The purest Peckham spring water, drawn from an ancient natural source discovered by returning Crusaders 800 years ago’

The shot from the iconic episode which shows Del, who is clad is laboratory attire, distilling some of the iconic water

A couple of hundred of the bottles were made for the filming of the iconic episode – the majority of which have been lost

‘The episode is one of the most famous in the series’ history, and this bottle is one of those key props.

‘You look at it, and it makes you smile! Bristol is the home of Only Fools & Horses – the majority of the series was filmed in the city, so it’s always special when items like this “come home”.

The bottle features as part of a special British Comedy Auction being held by Auctioneum Ltd of Bristol on December 8th.

The catalogue can be viewed on their website www.auctioneum.co.uk

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