A UNIQUE opportunity to own Christmas decorations fit for Queen Victoria is open to Rugbeians this weekend – thanks to a little-known local company which supplies props to blockbuster films and hit TV shows.
Rugby’s best-kept secret, Brandon Thatchers will open its doors to the public for the first time to sell off some of the Christmas products they provide to productions like last year’s Victoria Christmas special on ITV.
Their natural, hand-made rustic props have also featured in Harry Potter spin-off Fantasic Beasts, Paddington, Game of Thrones and Doctor Who – plus countless other household-name franchises and shows which cannot be mentioned due to non-disclosure agreements.
The business came from humble origins in the early 90s, when co-owner and founder Dicken Warner was thatching roofs in Scotland.
Customer liaison manager Ian Fisermanis takes up the story: “A chap approached him and started asking lots of odd questions about thatching.
“It turned out he was working on a film set just around the corner and needed help with thatching.”
That film was five-times Oscar-winner Braveheart.
Since then the business has grown, and now provides props and decorative items to “pretty everything that is filmed in the UK”.
Ian said: “One of my favourite items which was built but never used is a beautiful rustic grandfather clock, but built using dog vertebrae! It’s a quite odd but beautiful thing, a bit Tim Burton-esque.
“Recently we built the balloon basket for a forthcoming film starring Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones called The Aeronauts, about the hot air balloon industry in Victorian times.”
He said the sale is being held to finally put the company on the local map.
“It seems nobody in Rugby knows we’re here. When I tell people where I work, they’re always surprised it’s in Rugby – they always assume it’s in London.
“It always fascinates people that this place exists, so we thought it would be nice to introduce ourselves.”
On sale will be surplus natural Christmas products which were destined for a film or TV set but never used.
The sale takes place at Brandon Thatchers’ premises in Kilsby Lane on Saturday (December 8).
