Barbara Windsor Carry On Camping Bikini sells for £9,500

The iconic bikini worn by Dame Barbara Windsor in the 1969 film Carry On Camping sells at auction for £9,500.

The actress, well known for playing Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders, died in December at the age of 83 from Alzheimer’s. She was a true professional with a long and successful career. Loved by all, she was known for her brilliant sense of humour, down-to-earth qualities, and fantastic acting abilities.

Barbara Windsor starred in a number of films in the Carry On franchise, but is most remembered for the famous scene where her bikini top flies off in the middle of an exercise class. There was also an image from Carry On Camping included in the order of service at her funeral. Alongside it was the words: “That picture will follow me to the end”.

The memorable scene needed shooting three times. Removal of the garment was done by an off-screen assistant using a fishing rod. According to the auction house, you could still see remnants of fishing line stitched to the front of the top.

A touching tribute

It is most likely there were duplicate bikinis in the wardrobe department on the Carry On Camping film set. But this swimwear is the only known survivor following its rescue from a bin during a costumier’s stock clearance.

Auctioneer Kerry Taylor says there was a lot of interest in the bikini from fans of both Barbara Windsor and the Carry On films. Following a bidding war between telephone and online buyers, the item eventually sold to an American.

The seller is donating proceeds from the sale of the bikini to the Alzheimer’s Society. Dame Barbara’s husband Scott Mitchell calls it a “touching tribute” for an item linked to that famous scene to raise money to help people with Alzheimer’s. It is great to see it go to such a good cause.

Chief executive of Alzheimer’s Society Kate Lee says that Dame Barbara Windsor was an inspiration to so many people when she spoke out about her own dementia diagnosis. The charity is also incredibly grateful for all the support from her husband. They are touched by the generosity of the vendor. They think it fantastic that “such an iconic item will continue Dame Barbara’s legacy to support people affected by dementia”.

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