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The Real Deal is a bobby dazzler

Gemma Rathbone
16/ 1/2008

A MANCHESTER United football programme, signed by the 1958 team involved in the Munich air disaster, was among the collectibles and antiques turned up by Stopfordians at the weekend.

Real life Lovejoy David Dickinson returned to his hometown to find some real bobby dazzlers during filming for his latest television series.

David and his team of dealers came to Stockport Town Hall on Saturday to film three episodes of ITV’s ‘Dickinson’s Real Deal’.

Hundreds of visitors turned up to have their goods valued and they had the option of accepting cash on the spot from a dealer or taking a gamble and putting the item up for auction.

One of the highlights was a football programme signed by the Manchester United 1958 team. Eight of the players, as well as 15 staff, journalists and crew, lost their lives in a plane crash in Munich, 50 years ago next month.

More than 700 people came through the doors clutching their goods, and queues continued until late in the afternoon.

"We had some excellent items turn up and there will be some going to auction," a spokeswoman for Dickinson’s Real Deal said.

"The dealers did some brilliant deals on the day and some even went home with not much money left - they were running out.

"It was a fantastic day."

Since his days as an Avondale School pupil, David has built a career through shows such as Bargain Hunt and catchphrases including "cheap as chips", which, to the relief of hundreds of Stopfordians, he didn't need to utter on Saturday.

The third series of Dickinson’s Real Deal is expected to be shown on ITV this summer.